by tim
Since my last post in making the bold statement that I was going to race the 24 hours of the Nine Mile forest Solo. I have actually raced the 24 hours this last weekend. It was as much of a mental and emotional endeavor as it was a physical one.
It was my first time to do such an event. To race 24 hours off-road non stop. I was not sure what to expect and I didn’t even know if I could ride for 24 hours straight. You can take breaks or even naps if you want, but my goal was to stay moving, even if I had to walk, and not take more than a ten minute break between laps.
My pit stops on average were two minutes, my longest being five minutes when I changed lights and my clothes at 2 am. I changed my clothes every six hours to feel fresh. I had great support with my daughter (Agnes) and two friends (April and Melissa) helping me. Their support was very valuable in my ability to keep going around the clock. They made sure I had food and water every time I came around every lap.
I did it. I raced for 24 hours straight. I rode 17 laps for 241 miles.
I took tenth place at the 24 Hour Solo National Championships. The link below will take you to the lap times and placing.
Click here for results.
Filed under: Greasy, Scarred & Calloused Hands
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by tim
There are many types of cycling road hazards, like glass, debris and other items on the roadway. Or like in this photo, the loose gravel the road crew puts down for resurfacing can be dangerous. The wildlife can also be hazardous and dangerous as well.
My friend Mike (Jedi Web Master) was once taken out be a deer. Good thing it wasn’t a 12 point buck. Or was it? I can not remember the details. I have been startled and almost knocked off my bike by flying turkeys. A few times I have just barely missed a squirrel darting from one side of the road to the other. Worse yet are the stupid rabbits that can’t seem to make up their minds about which way to go. There is always the issue of people’s pets. My friend Stewart had a cat jump into his front wheel.
Lately it has been the birds. Those dive bombing red wing black birds. I have had them chase me, but never have they actually physically nailed my helmet. Coming home from a ride on Saturday I had one attack me and made contact with my helmet seven times. After talking to others I have found out that this bird is a repeat offender. It is all kind of creepy if you have ever seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds”.
Hope you are enjoying your biking so far this summer. Keep you eye on the road and in the sky.
Filed under: RIDES
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by tim
I suppose some of you who may read this know nothing of the 24/9. The 24/9 as it is refered to is a 24 hour off-road bike race held in a state park near Wausau Wisconsin. The stat park is called Nine Mile Forest. This is why it is referred to as 24/9. You can do this event as a four or five person relay team. Or you can do it solo. They have mens, womens and even co-ed classes. I have done it twice in the past and have been on a co-ed team that has taken 1st and 3rd. This time when I race it things will be different. First let me explain that I always have mentioned, “gee, I really would like to do a 24 hour solo”, but I never sign up for one. Well Martin (the shop gnome) got sick of listening to my whining about wanting to and never doing it, so he signed me up for the solo race with out me knowing. So now I am all signed up and if I back out of it all forces of evil will come down upon me in the cycling world. I would be doomed a flat on every ride. The event will Aug 2-3. I will keep you posted.
If you stop by the shop check out how clean the bathroom is, the gnome has been on bathroom duty ever since.
Filed under: Greasy, Scarred & Calloused Hands
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by tim
Tis the season of riding. Excluding the rain the temps have been nice. I find that when I ride in the evening it seems to be the bug hour. I feel like a big bug catcher. I get those gnat things down my jersey, in my helmet, and don’t go with out glasses because they sting like hell when you get one in the eye. AND don’t inhale. It seems when ever I am at my most gasping moment I suck one of those bugs in. Oh Gad is that terrible. I couldn’t breath on the climb as it was and now I am trying to exhale everything I have in me to get rid of the damn bug I just inhaled. And they always get caught at the half way point. Not far enough to swallow but to far to hack back up. So you try to get up the remainder of the hill trying to hack a bug up or swallow some water to wash him down. My solution to all this in just don’t inhale. Exhale all you want, just don’t inhale.
Filed under: RIDES
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by tim
This past Saturday at the farmers market I saw this great bicycle basket made out of a plastic kitty litter box. Was very cool and was designed a lot like the Trek grocery bag pannier. It holds quite a bit of stuff and has a handle to boot. The young man this belonged to showed up with his handmade basket and a bicycle specific cart to be pulled behind full of rhubarb for sale.
Filed under: Greasy, Scarred & Calloused Hands
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by tim
This last Sunday I went for a ride up to Mineral Point on the Cheese County Trail. This trail follows an old rail way bed. It is flat and is actually a good work out as there are no hills to coast down. On my way up the trail I ran into several sections of trail that were flooded. The first section was maybe two or three inches. Then as I got farther down the trail I ran into the next section that was about an 1/8 of a mile long and up to my hubs. At first going along I was half pedaling along trying not to get my feet wet. It took all of 5 minutes before my feet were soaked and i said the heck with it and just forged ahead like a motor boat. After another 4 miles down trail, somewhere between Calamine and Mineral Point, I ran into snapping turtle trying to get up to high ground. I was amazed at how big he was, about twelve inches in diameter. He was all wrinkly and cute.
Farther down the trail past Mr Turtle I came to my last big section of flooding. At first the water was lightly running down the trail and as I pedaled on up the trail It seemed it was getting deeper and the flow stronger. Sure it was, it just so happened that at that moment the stream was just flowing over its banks and flowing down the trail. Water was way up past my bottom bracket. It was quite the effort to pedal up stream, I feel for all those spawning salmon now.
Filed under: RIDES
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by tim
In the past few months, with gas prices rising, there has been quite a few folks coming in with their old bikes to get them repaired. Bikes are being unearthed from there tomb in the garage and brought in to be resurected and brought back to life. This is a job I love to do. Better yet is to persuade someone they do not need to buy a new bike, but give that bike they own the love it deserves. Give that neglected bike child a tune-up, put some breath back into its tires. Sometimes all a bike needs is a little love and the bike is as eager as their first day on the trail.
There are times that the cost of a parts transplant and a tune-up/by-pass are not worth the owners insurance premium. In those cases we try to salvage what organs we can for other transplants on bikes for other donation bikes.
What has also been exiting is to see all the folks getting turned on to commuting by bike. There has always been a high number of folks in Platteville area that commute, the enlightend ones. Like Paul who commutes from Dodgeville to Platteville several times a week. There have been at least forty people this spring, from the area and not just PLatteville, to come in and aquire items to help their commute to work. It has been really fun to help people out with their new adventure.
I hope all those commuting are having a safe springand are enjoying your savings. Any of you who would like to kick the gas prices in the pants and would like help on equipment or route planning please stop by for free advice. I would love to help you on your way to freedom from your gas problems.
Filed under: Greasy, Scarred & Calloused Hands
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by tim
I am very sad to say that the Gata has passed on. She was so beautiful. So many people would mention how lovely she was when they saw her in the shop. She was very good at enticing the customers into the shop. She knew she could sit by the door and get people to come in to the store to pet her. She would also gallop to the front of the shop when she heard the door beep cause she knew someone was coming in and that she could get them to give her some love.
After loosing lots of weight we tried very hard to get her strength back. We went to the Family Pet Hospital here in Platteville to bring her back up to speed. Unfortunately she never bounced back to good health. I had to make the hard decision in having Gata put to sleep. Very hard for me with Ambrose leaving in a week, and all else that has changed around here. Our little family has just changed so much. It is hard to comprehend at times.
I would like to thank the Family Pet Hospital for being so caring, and would highly recomend them if anyone in need of very good pet care.
The Gata was grand, the Gata was beautiful. She was La Reina de casa. We will miss her so much.
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by tim
I hope so, and they better bring a rake or shovel.
Recently I have made a connection with a local land owner who is open to the idea of building trails on his property. That is great. Better yet is that his property is only two miles from town. What a wonderful asset for the community. The area is accessible by bike. It is very scenic with a beautiful stream running through it. The area has high potential for being a great destination for trail riding.
I already have my first massive blister from raking in new trails. So far we have only created one mile of trail but there is so much more potential. I am hoping for ten to twelve miles of trails. I will keep you posted with updates on the trail progress.
Right now I am looking for those fabric band aids for my blisters. The plastic ones are worthless.
Filed under: Greasy, Scarred & Calloused Hands, Uncategorized
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Since my last post in making the bold statement that I was going to race the 24 hours of the Nine Mile forest Solo. I have actually raced the 24 hours this last weekend. It was as much of a mental and emotional endeavor as it was a physical one.
