2014 CIRREM Report

My 2014 race season began yesterday with the annual CIRREM gravel race.  This 100K gravel road race has become very popular.  It usually sells out in a few minutes when registration opens.  Why is it so popular?  Why do people what to ride their bikes on hilly ass gravel roads that during this time of year can be frozen, slick as owl shit and so muddy that it take a small part of your sole to drag your bike up them?  The answer can be found below.

 

Truth be told I did not really want to make the 3 hour drive up to Cumming, Iowa for the race. My longest ride so far this year was only 45 miles and that was in friendly gravel grinding conditions. The area got a few inches of snow during the week.  Most of it was either packed down frozen or quickly becoming a muddy energy sapping nightmare. 

Bike setup and gear choice is always hard to do on days like this.  I wanted to ride my Single Speed, but the bottom bracket was all frozen up on it and needed replacing. Should I bring my old MTB with disc brakes?  Would I need the tire clearance?  How muddy was it going to get?  Would we get lucky and the temps stay cold enough to keep the ground frozen?  I decided to ride the Ritchey Swiss Cross.  I knew it was going to get a little muddy and wanted to test the bike in some adverse conditions.  I did not dream the conditions would deteriorate so much out on course. I am glad I rocked the Komando 700 x 32 tires instead of larger tires.  The added frame clearance helped. 

If you had a good pair of legs and could climb today your old challenge was how to deal with all the mud and spray.   The leaders were rocking the course. It was like they were just floating on top of the mud.

 Early on I got into a group with about 6 riders.   I tried to stay out of the wind as much as possible and save energy.  The problem with following riders was the mud spraying in your face.  My glasses were covered after the first hour.  I know first hand what damage gravel and dirt can do to eyes so I tried my best to keep them on. 

The check point offered a chance to refuel, fill up those empty water bottles and have a beer.  I want to know where the bacon is?  The Dakota 50 has bacon and bear.  Is that the best combination or what?

I arrived at the check point ready to call it a day.  My legs were already tired, I could not see out of my glasses due to the mud and my back was starting to hurt.  Carolynn said I was doing great and looked good.  I personally thought I looked liked hell.  I sure as heck felt like hell. 

I started to eat some and drank an entire water bottle. I had drank two full bottles and was started to get some leg cramps.  I cleaned out my frozen gears an and decided to keep going.  I knew if I quit I would be very disappointed with myself. How much worse could it get?

I rolled out from the check point with clean shifting bike, three water bottles and a new attitude. 

What does a wife do while her husband is suffering like dog?  Mine goes to sample the local Moon Shine.  Here I thought you were all worried about me.

Conditions really deteriorated especially on the hills where the sun shined on them.   The flats were really not bad.  Those bastard climbs were a different story. Trying to find the best line, one that would not cause your tires to sink down in the peanut butter mud, was very hard.  Usually it was best to ride in the wet mud.  If you got in sections that were drying out it collected on your wheels and you soon stopped rolling.  On some of the climbs I actually thought I was going to snap a chain.  

The last 25 miles I had no rear brakes.  This is not always a bad thing.  When you are flying down a frozen road the last thing you want to do is hit the brakes.  If I was with a group of riders I always made sure I was in the front if it was shaded which normally meant it would be frozen.  I lost the front brakes a few times but reached down with my water bottle and beat off the frozen mud off.  This worked to a degree.  Riders with disc brakes had the best set-up for sure.  If you had the legs to climb I think a single speed would have worked well also.  I only had three gears that would work anyways :-)

The last 10 miles was a suffer fest.  I started getting very cold and was out of water and food.  Not a good thing.  Not really much you can do other than keep pedaling.

I rolled into the finish line a happy to have finished.  I passed many riders that had given up or their  bikes had broken.  On one climb I bridged up to 3 riders who had just made it up the very muddy hill.  At the top they stopped and put their heads down on their hand bars.  I waved as I passed and wanted to say to keep going because if you stop you may just not get going again.  Endurance racing has a large mental part to it.  It is easy to quit.  That is one reason I felt so good about today.  I pushed past my current physical ability, powered through all that thick mud, used every muscle I had to make my bike keep rolling. Those last two miles worth it. Lately my mental attitude has not been the best.  Pushing past the pain and suffering through tough times does a lot for you. 

Results got posted.  Some interesting results.  I rolled into the first check point at 2:05. The last 2 times I participated in CIRREM I rolled that same check point in 2:05 and 2:08.  This year I lost over and hour on the back side of the course.  My best finish was 4:20.  This year it was 5:19.   Mostly due to conditions but it just shows how important conditioning is.  You can fake short events but once you get past the 3 hour range fitness really stands out.  Looks like I need some more saddle time.

Solo Grinding

The past couple of weekends have been all solo. Leaving only one track in the snow covered roads that I traveled. Now I know why I started hosting gravel grinders.  It gets kind of lonely out there only surrounded by the cold snow and your thoughts. 

Conditions have been trying at times which is one reason I have been riding solo.  Not too many enjoy this type of riding. On my rides I have yet to see another cyclist.  I did see one lady out on a run yesterday.  Made me feel good for a few minutes that I was not the only fool out in this mess.   The other reason is total lack of motivation.  I did get on the trainer twice but that was no fun at all. I now know why Christopher has given up on this cycling stuff this winter - it totally sucks.  

Winter has been long this year just like this icicle.  I am hoping old man winter will break its hold on us soon.  Otherwise I may have to start looking for a new place to call home. 

 The wind really cuts into you as it blows over the snow packed fields, which only adds to its strength.  During yesterday's ride I got so cold that I actually considered calling Carolynn and having her come pick me up.  Several miles of positive reinforcements worked enough to allow me to continue on.  I have had it with this cold ass weather and all this snow. This Florida native is officially done with winter.

Toughest Sport?

Before a recent telecommunications group meeting we were discussing sports and which is the hardest.  Most of the attending folk played sports like football, baseball, soccer and some ran.  One guy said that he just completed a 10K run and it was the hardest thing he had ever done.  Of course he had just given up smoking and was trying to get himself in shape.

I chimed in and said that I honestly thought motorcycle racing was one of the hardest sports.  They all laughed and said "it doesn't take much to twist a throttle Chris".   I laughed also and we started the meeting.  After the meeting and while eating lunch the subject was brought back up.  One of the members had played some college football.  He talked about some of this training, injuries and some games.  I did play some football and enjoyed the time I participated.  While I related to him and the effort it takes to be good at a sport, I did not appreciate getting hit by 250 lb linebackers.  Especially when at the time I was hardly 150 lbs when wet.  So we continued on with this discussion. Everyone talked of their sporting experience and why they thought their sport was the hardest. 

What is the toughest sport?  This weekend I got a chance to compare  two of my favorite sports.

Saturday we headed to Knobby Hill MX Park. On tap was a day of riding and especially working with Christopher.  At the end of the day I had logged 40 laps.  That works out to be 44 miles on a motocross track. 

Sunday was 40 miles of gravel down in Pleasant Hill, MO.  Christopher was supposed to come with me, but he was so sore from riding at Knobby Hill that he opted to stay home and go for an easy ride with his mom. 

I have competed in a number of sports including Motocross, baseball, football, tennis, triathlons (Ironman distance to sprints to Xterra) running (50 mile Ultra trail runs to 5k and everything between), adventure racing, hare scrambles and of course all forms of cycling.  So what sport is the hardest?  For me it would depend what effort you put forth. 

I can remember finishing my first hare scrambles race in Florida.  I was a MX guy back then and used to 20 to 30 minute events.  I was not used to 2 to 3 hours of racing in a whooped out sandy course with part of the course traversing into flooded river bottom with roots, mud and what seemed like bottomless quicksand that would suck your bike in.  You would then spend 10 minutes trying to pull your 215 lb (which now weighed nearly 250 lbs due to the mud) motorcycle out and get going again.  It was one of the hardest events I have ever completed.  Not because I was just "twisting the throttle" but because I put everything my body had into that event.  I finished that race and could not even get off my bike.  I fell to the ground totally exhausted and made a promise to myself never race a hare scrambles again.  That was nearly 25 years ago.  I have since broken that promise. I guess with time you do forget the pain :-)  

What was the hardest this weekend?  40 laps on the MX track for sure.  I am feeling it now.   Just as I know I will be feeling some serious pain come next Sunday at the Missouri State Cyclocross Championships and this next Spring at the Cohutta 100.  One lasts less than an hour and the other 10+ hours.  Both different but each can be just as tough as the other if you put out that extraordinary effort.

Grinders begin with the Gobbler

Gravel Grinder season is upon us.   One of my favorite grinders from last year was the Gobbler Grinder.  This year we are moving it the weekend before Thanksgiving instead of after. 

I am really looking forward to this years season for three reasons.  First, my son Christopher is planning on riding a few with us so he can be in top shape for next years MTB season.  Second, Carolynn and I are going to break out the tandem and she is also going to join us.  Lastly, I am beginning a new chapter in my life and will be working with a few select athletes this year.  More to come on that soon.

As usual, complete details on gravel rides at  http://gravelgrinders.blogspot.com/

Gunn City Gravelrie

Complete info at http://gravelgrinders.blogspot.com/

Between the Lakes Gravel Grinder

Brett hosted today's gravel grinder from his home town Lawrence, Kansas. We are lucky the Between the Lakes Gravel Grinder happened at all with Brett's premature celebration of his 25 birthday. But the trooper he is the ride carried on with a hangover and all.

Things started out late due to forgotten items like shoes. See above for the reason. Our first crash of the day happened before we even started rolling - Tim needs to add ice screws to his shoes. Once we got going things quickly a little sketchy when we passed through Burcham Park. The path was snow covered with some deep snow. More of the snow was encountered on the way back into town when we hit the levee. Things settled down after that with a long section of pave' until the fun started and the sweet gravel was upon us.

A good 45 mile ride with some good guys. Fun time.

Pictures below and some short movies. I will have to work on my movies. Darn camera was cutting out after a few seconds.

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Gravel Grinder Season

This time of year is one of one of my favorites. Why? There is no more pressure from events (either racing or promoting), the holidays are upon us, easier days at work, we get to spend some more quality time with the family and we get to go do things like ride our bikes on frozen gravel roads. Over the past several years riding gravel roads has become my favorite type of riding.



This years gravel grinder calendar is filling up fast. Check out http://gravelgrinders.blogspot.com for complete info on local rides. The first weekly ride starts with Brett's. We have weekly gravel rides out of Stilwell every Wednesday evening. These are night rides and will require a light and rear flashing light. If you would like to add a gravel grinder yourself to our calendar please us know - email Chris.

Here is a little more information and tips for our gravel grinders this year.

• Ride pace will be announced prior to the ride. The majority of our rides will be a moderate pace to allow proper "winter training" (i.e. Long Slow Distance). We will use a fat, old, out-of-form guy as a pacer (me).
  
• A cross bike is the preferred weapon of choice but we get plenty of MTB and road bikes out on our rides.
• Ride terrain will include: gravel roads, double track, levees, easy single track, hills (big ones) paved trails and tarmac among other things.
  
• Ride time will be between 2 to 4 hours depending on conditions and terrain. We are planning some longer ones which will be announced to allow for training for events like Trans Iowa.
  
• Rides are self supported and you ride at your own risk.
  
• Details on rides will be posted on our Gravel Grinder site.
• Ride start time is 9:00 a.m (unless posted otherwise for longer or shorter routes).
  
• We usually eat lunch after the ride and enjoy some food and adult beverages.
  
• We ride in all kinds of weather but when temps get below 0 degrees we usually hit the MTB trails and stay out of the wind instead. I say we, but it is usually just me when temps get that cold :-)
  
• Dress in layers and use embrocation for an enjoyable ride in the cold.
  
• Keep those feet warm with a pair of winter cycling shoes - trust me they are worth it!
• Another thing to keep warm is your head hands. You loose a lot of heat out of your head so you can also keep a lot in with a nice skull cap. I sometimes bring a lighter cap (or ear covers) in case I heat up and need remove my thicker cap.
  
• Tip of the day: Frozen water bottles a problem? Use insulated water bottles and fill with hot water. My water bottle stays "none frozen" for most of my long winter riders when filled with hot water (or the beverage of your choice). If you use a camelback beware of frozen tubes/bit valves - keep under your clothing close to your body to keep the bit valve from freezing.
  
• One last thing, do not over dress. I see this all the time. Riders show up with thick baklava's and winter coats and can hardly pedal or breath. Just wear what I do and you will be fine :-)

Gravel Grinders are Back!

Time to bring back the gravel grinders. MTB season is about over, especially after my poor showing at Crocodile Rock (might be time to just retire from XC racing all together, but that is a different post...). Cross is in the air and it is time to break out the old hibernating cross bike.

Sunday is the Riverside - Weston Gravel Grinder. Long course is 75 miles. Short course will be about 42 miles. There are several places you can make the course a little shorter if desired.

Complete information can be found at http://gravelgrinders.blogspot.com/

CIRREM - 100K Gravel Road Race = FUN

John and I ventured up to Cumming, IA for the 2nd Annual Cirrem. A 100K gravel road race. A great turnout for todays race with nearly 70 riders. Three locals headed up to compete: John Williams, Doug Long and ME.

Cumming Tap was the official start/finish of the event. Proceeds went to the Des Moines Bike Collective. Jed , Kent and crew did a great job of organizing the CIRREM.

Today was a good test to see if I am ready for this years Ouachita Challenge - my first big challenge of 2010. Today's CIRRUM is the same distance and has plenty of hills. The first 42 miles went very well for me. I was up front most of the day and even got away in a few breaks. I soon learned that it is not a good idea to breakaway with riders who do not know the course. After the third time of having to turnaround and rejoin the course, I learned to stay with someone who either had a map or knew the course. I quickly found the right guy to follow - the guy who designed the route....

Things went south just before the 45 mile mark. My bike stopped shifting due to the frozen mud accumulating on my down tube (and yes my bike has down tube cables routes). I was stuck in the 44 x 11 which is way too big of a gear to climb with. Especially with my knees. I stopped several times trying to fix the problem and beating some of the frozen ice off with my Crank Brothers multi-tool. After a few attempts I gave up and ran the big steep hills and then tried to ride. I was a little too fatigued to turn the gear effectively so I stopped again and used the limiting screw to at least get into the 15. The last 15 miles were all single speed. After awhile I got the hand of grinding up the climbs and my single speed skills started coming back to me. I slowly picked up some riders as I imagined I was a diesel engine and just chugged along at a low RPM.

Frozen mud build up was a problem for many during the day. One thing about frozen mud, it doesn'y come off very easily and can actually cause bodily harm if done incorrectly. I don't think my hand will ever be the same....

Big party after the ride.

John had a great ride and was right up there with the big boys during the first part of the ride. One too many boiled eggs before the start was his undoing :-)

The Mullet Ride

Thank you to everyone who came out to the winter edition of the Mullet Ride. Held twice yearly from the sleepy little town of Baldwin City. Pictures are below. Full report coming later and will be posted on Gravel Grinders.

A special Thanks to Gerard Arantowicz for leading us on our journey.

Note: No mullets were harmed on this ride. We can not say the same for our little squirrel friends....

Chucky's Challenge

The 3rd Annual Chucky's Challenge was our Gravel Grinder for the day. Held annual in the Amish town of Jamesport, Missouri. Jamesport is famous for pies, an Amish community, horse drawn buggies and selling guns upstairs at the local tavern. After the ride I checked out the collection and it was nice. I will have to return soon to purchase one for Christopher. He is really getting into guns. But I digress...

This years CC featured a 57 mile course held mainly on snow packed gravel rounds. Most of the course was on rolling terrain with only a few hard climbs. Just as Doug Long advertised, the course was flat and fast. That was if you could handle the snow and icy road conditions. Luckily for me I could :-)

A record setting turnout this year despite the recent snow we received. Around 24 riders ventured to Jamesport for this years edition. That is really cool considering the condition. These Gravel Grinders are really getting popular and can see them growing in the coming years. They are fun, newbie friendly and gets you outside riding during the winter. I for one can not stand riding a trainer or a set of rollers.

I really enjoyed the route today. Some sections were icy and for what ever reason, I have been enjoying riding on the icy stuff as of late. On some flat sections by the river, where the snow had either been blown away or the roads plowed, it got a little muddy. I had fenders on the ole' Jake the Snake which caused some tire clearance problems when the mud started to build up on my tires. I soon found that it was best to ride in what ever snow was still left in this area which really helped. Soon I was rolling alone as before enjoying a nice winter ride with some great like minded riders like myself. Along the route we encountered a few of Amish hard at work. Check out the steel wheels on their rig. Man those guys are hard core. Just like everyone who cam out to this years Chucky's Challenge. Everyone who finished today deserves a nice cold beer like I got to enjoy after the ride.

Here are the rest of the pictures from today. Chucky's Challenge Pictures.

Lone Star Gravel Grinder

Today's Lone Star Gravel Grinder, hosted by Bill Anderson, traveled from the University of Kansas campus along rolling twisting gravel road to the sleepy little town of Lone Star. After a short loop around Lone Star Lake we headed back to town on a slightly altered route due to us trusting a darn GPS devise instead of our map reading skills. Next time we trust the map not some darn mechanical device...

After the ride most of us headed over to 23rd Street Brewer. Sunday they had this Fish Bowl special. Get 60 oz of any house brew for $6.00. That sounded like a deal to me. I can tell you this. 60 oz of beer is a heck of a lot after an afternoon of riding. Well, at least it is for me. Doug, Dan and most everyone else finished theirs. I got about 1/2 done and called it.

Thank you Bill for a great ride. And thanks to everyone else who joined in the fun.

Here are some pictures

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Paola Gravel (Muddy) Grinder

Great turnout for today's Paola Gravel Grinder. The day started with very thick fog, which never really went away during the ride. Despite the conditions including very muddy roads and limited visibility due to the fog we had a record turnout and a great time. Thanks to Randy Rasa for hosting this awesome ride. Now I just need to clean my bike again. I just got it all cleaned after yesterday's Epic Cross. Where is Roger when you need him????

Some pictures from our ride.