Carl Buchanan - Mountain Bike Racer

May 2006 - Posts

• Branched Oak 12 Hour - Race Recap

  Left Waterloo around 9:15 am on Saturday for the drive to Branched Oak Park which is just NE of Lincoln, NE. Arrived at the park, took a while to figure out where things were but then we started getting things in order. Second endurance race of the year although this one was a night race. Started at 6pm on Saturday and ended at 6am on Sunday. It was pretty warm, around 90 degrees, sunny and very windy with 30-40 mph gusts. Setting up two pit area goes pretty quick whem you have five people there. Jeff and his parents as well as my wife and me were able to get things in order and then Jeff and I got dressed for the 12 hours of fun without the sun, or so I thought. I never did pre-ride the course which usually isn't a huge deal in an endurance race since you have 12 hours of riding it and it will not be won in the first lap. The course is very twisty, dry, some good susstained climbs followed by some pretyy fast downhills. There are very few straightaways on this course which definately added to the fun. Took off on the bikes after the LeMans start, rode through about 1/2 a mile of rough grass and was in third place going into the singletrack. Jeff was setting a pretty quick XC pace and the field was instantly destroyed. About two miles in there were two small groups that I could see. Jeff and one other rider about 50yds ahead of myself and two others. The two behind me got around me in a nice sandy corner were I lost the front wheel but didn't go down, just stopped in my tracks. Got going trying to get back on their wheels when I heard one of them yell "Take a Right!". I then see Jeff coming at me from an area where he and the other rider made a wrong turn due to the marking tape being torn down by a group of "camper kids" as I call them. I moved over to let Jeff by and then rode with the other guy that was with him for the rest of the lap. On the fourth lap, Rush #1 decided to develop a bit of a shifting problem, cable stretch, and so I switched over to Rush #2 which worked flawlessly. On lap five I started to feel over-heated and my pace was quickly dropping off. It was over 10mph for the first four laps and at the end of #5 it was 9.6mph. I figured that I could load up on some fluids to get over it so I took in some Gatorade, replenished my water, grabbed the Cateye Double Shot that was loaned to me by the Deerslayer, and took off for lap #6. The course always looks a bit different when the sun goes down but it is still the same course. It didn't matter though because my body was screaming at me physically and mentally. I pulled into the pit area with a 45 minute lap time (10-15 minutes slower than each of the previous five) and I sat on the ground waiting to vomit. Amy and Jeff's parents asked me a few questions and gave some good advice and I decided to pull out. I parked the bike, took a shower, ate some food and then took a 30 minute nap until I heard Jeff's voice and woke up. I talked with him during his pits for the next couple of hours to see how things were going and help out if needed. During his pit at around 1:30 he stated that the race director said he was the only solo rider on course and the last one to check in was around 11pm which was only about an hour after my last lap. I felt like I was letting a lot of people down by bailing and Jeff's comment about being the only one on course got me thinking. Amy and Linda made a few subtle comments of encouragement and so I got dressed and headed out with renewed inspiration and entusiasm. My first six laps were completed in four hours and I had 3.5 hours to get in as many as possible. II felt great and everythign was ticking over perfect. Flawless riding like the kind you have when you are out for an afternoon ride with your friends. Tearing through corners at high speed, out of the saddle hammering the pedals for the climbs, and big ringing the nasty rough grassy sections at the beginning and end of each lap. Everything was finally flowing the way a racer always hopes it will and I was able to get in six more laps in 3 hours and 15 minutes. The pit stops were 15-60 seconds depending on what I needed. 15 seconds for water and food, 60 second stop for a quick squirt of lube on the chain and front hub bolt. I inquired with the lap counters at about 4am for placing and was told that I had caught up with two other guys and we were all tied for third. Talk about motivation! I think that I passed like 6 or 7 other racers that lap and again on the next lap. Lap times for the "second set" were between 28 and 35 minutes with three of them being 28 minutes. I finished at 5:50am with 12 total laps and I still felt pretty good. I also felt as though I had accomplished something instead of letting people down. 12 laps was good enough for third place overall which really made me happy. Wow, another podium finish and two Cannondales on the podium to boot, the only Cannondales in the race, again. Jeff won by a land slide as usual with 21 laps. Thanks to Amy for running the pit area, to Amy and Linda for getting me going again, and to all of the people that helped to put on the race. All things considered, I still had a great time. Here is a picture of me finishing up my last lap as taken by Jeff Kerkove. Man was I flying. :) [link] Posted May 29 2006, 02:42 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Branched Oak 12 Hour - Race Recap

  Mazda Protege5 loaded up with two Cannondale Rush 2000s and ready to go Left Waterloo around 9:15 am on Saturday for the drive to Branched Oak Park which is just NE of Lincoln, NE. Arrived at the park, took a while to figure out where things were but then we started getting things in order. Second endurance race of the year although this one was a night race. Started at 6pm on Saturday and ended at 6am on Sunday. It was pretty warm, around 90 degrees, sunny and very windy with 30-40 mph gusts. Setting up two pit area goes pretty quick whem you have five people there. Jeff and his parents as well as my wife and me were able to get things in order and then Jeff and I got dressed for the 12 hours of fun without the sun, or so I thought. I never did pre-ride the course which usually isn't a huge deal in an endurance race since you have 12 hours of riding it and it will not be won in the first lap. The course is very twisty, dry, some good susstained climbs followed by some pretyy fast downhills. There are very few straightaways on this course which definately added to the fun. Took off on the bikes after the LeMans start, rode through about 1/2 a mile of rough grass and was in third place going into the singletrack. Jeff was setting a pretty quick XC pace and the field was instantly destroyed. About two miles in there were two small groups that I could see. Jeff and one other rider about 50yds ahead of myself and two others. The two behind me got around me in a nice sandy corner were I lost the front wheel but didn't go down, just stopped in my tracks. Got going trying to get back on their wheels when I heard one of them yell "Take a Right!". I then see Jeff coming at me from an area where he and the other rider made a wrong turn due to the marking tape being torn down by a group of "camper kids" as I call them. I moved over to let Jeff by and then rode with the other guy that was with him for the rest of the lap. On the fourth lap, Rush #1 decided to develop a bit of a shifting problem, cable stretch, and so I switched over to Rush #2 which worked flawlessly. On lap five I started to feel over-heated and my pace was quickly dropping off. It was over 10mph for the first four laps and at the end of #5 it was 9.6mph. I figured that I could load up on some fluids to get over it so I took in some Gatorade, replenished my water, grabbed the Cateye Double Shot that was loaned to me by the Deerslayer, and took off for lap #6. The course always looks a bit different when the sun goes down but it is still the same course. It didn't matter though because my body was screaming at me physically and mentally. I pulled into the pit area with a 45 minute lap time (10-15 minutes slower than each of the previous five) and I sat on the ground waiting to vomit. Amy and Jeff's parents asked me a few questions and gave some good advice and I decided to pull out. I parked the bike, took a shower, ate some food and then took a 30 minute nap until I heard Jeff's voice and woke up. I talked with him during his pits for the next couple of hours to see how things were going and help out if needed. During his pit at around 1:30 he stated that the race director said he was the only solo rider on course and the last one to check in was around 11pm which was only about an hour after my last lap. I felt like I was letting a lot of people down by bailing and Jeff's comment about being the only one on course got me thinking. Amy and Linda made a few subtle comments of encouragement and so I got dressed and headed out with renewed inspiration and entusiasm. My first six laps were completed in four hours and I had 3.5 hours to get in as many as possible. II felt great and everythign was ticking over perfect. Flawless riding like the kind you have when you are out for an afternoon ride with your friends. Tearing through corners at high speed, out of the saddle hammering the pedals for the climbs, and big ringing the nasty rough grassy sections at the beginning and end of each lap. Everything was finally flowing the way a racer always hopes it will and I was able to get in six more laps in 3 hours and 15 minutes. The pit stops were 15-60 seconds depending on what I needed. 15 seconds for water and food, 60 second stop for a quick squirt of lube on the chain and front hub bolt. I inquired with the lap counters at about 4am for placing and was told that I had caught up with two other guys and we were all tied for third. Talk about motivation! I think that I passed like 6 or 7 other racers that lap and again on the next lap. Lap times for the "second set" were between 28 and 35 minutes with three of them being 28 minutes. I finished at 5:50am with 12 total laps and I still felt pretty good. I also felt as though I had accomplished something instead of letting people down. 12 laps was good enough for third place overall which really made me happy. Wow, another podium finish and two Cannondales on the podium to boot, the only Cannondales in the race, again. Jeff won by a land slide as usual with 21 laps. Finishing up a lap in the dark with Rush #2 reflecting the flash Thanks to Amy for running the pit area, to Amy and Linda for getting me going again, and to all of the people that helped to put on the race. Also be sure to check out Jeff's blog for all of the cool pictures that his dad took. A big thanks also goes out to Rob "Deerslayer" Houlihan for allowing me to borrow his new Cateye Doubleshout headlight. I love this light! All things considered, I still had a great time. Here is a picture of me finishing up my last lap as taken by Jeff Kerkove. Man was I flying. :) A big WTF here. I thought that Pringles were in a tube so that they don't end up in little pieces. The guys that put this race on were a hoot. Here they are all dressed up in space blankets for the evening. Yes the one guy is even wearing a space blanket diaper. [link] Posted May 29 2006, 02:42 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Branched Oak 12 Hour - Race Recap

  Mazda Protege5 loaded up with two Cannondale Rush 2000s and ready to go Left Waterloo around 9:15 am on Saturday for the drive to Branched Oak Park which is just NE of Lincoln, NE. Arrived at the park, took a while to figure out where things were but then we started getting things in order. Second endurance race of the year although this one was a night race. Started at 6pm on Saturday and ended at 6am on Sunday. It was pretty warm, around 90 degrees, sunny and very windy with 30-40 mph gusts. Setting up two pit area goes pretty quick whem you have five people there. Jeff and his parents as well as my wife and me were able to get things in order and then Jeff and I got dressed for the 12 hours of fun without the sun, or so I thought. I never did pre-ride the course which usually isn't a huge deal in an endurance race since you have 12 hours of riding it and it will not be won in the first lap. The course is very twisty, dry, some good susstained climbs followed by some pretyy fast downhills. There are very few straightaways on this course which definately added to the fun. Took off on the bikes after the LeMans start, rode through about 1/2 a mile of rough grass and was in third place going into the singletrack. Jeff was setting a pretty quick XC pace and the field was instantly destroyed. About two miles in there were two small groups that I could see. Jeff and one other rider about 50yds ahead of myself and two others. The two behind me got around me in a nice sandy corner were I lost the front wheel but didn't go down, just stopped in my tracks. Got going trying to get back on their wheels when I heard one of them yell "Take a Right!". I then see Jeff coming at me from an area where he and the other rider made a wrong turn due to the marking tape being torn down by a group of "camper kids" as I call them. I moved over to let Jeff by and then rode with the other guy that was with him for the rest of the lap. On the fourth lap, Rush #1 decided to develop a bit of a shifting problem, cable stretch, and so I switched over to Rush #2 which worked flawlessly. On lap five I started to feel over-heated and my pace was quickly dropping off. It was over 10mph for the first four laps and at the end of #5 it was 9.6mph. I figured that I could load up on some fluids to get over it so I took in some Gatorade, replenished my water, grabbed the Cateye Double Shot that was loaned to me by the Deerslayer, and took off for lap #6. The course always looks a bit different when the sun goes down but it is still the same course. It didn't matter though because my body was screaming at me physically and mentally. I pulled into the pit area with a 45 minute lap time (10-15 minutes slower than each of the previous five) and I sat on the ground waiting to vomit. Amy and Jeff's parents asked me a few questions and gave some good advice and I decided to pull out. I parked the bike, took a shower, ate some food and then took a 30 minute nap until I heard Jeff's voice and woke up. I talked with him during his pits for the next couple of hours to see how things were going and help out if needed. During his pit at around 1:30 he stated that the race director said he was the only solo rider on course and the last one to check in was around 11pm which was only about an hour after my last lap. I felt like I was letting a lot of people down by bailing and Jeff's comment about being the only one on course got me thinking. Amy and Linda made a few subtle comments of encouragement and so I got dressed and headed out with renewed inspiration and entusiasm. My first six laps were completed in four hours and I had 3.5 hours to get in as many as possible. II felt great and everythign was ticking over perfect. Flawless riding like the kind you have when you are out for an afternoon ride with your friends. Tearing through corners at high speed, out of the saddle hammering the pedals for the climbs, and big ringing the nasty rough grassy sections at the beginning and end of each lap. Everything was finally flowing the way a racer always hopes it will and I was able to get in six more laps in 3 hours and 15 minutes. The pit stops were 15-60 seconds depending on what I needed. 15 seconds for water and food, 60 second stop for a quick squirt of lube on the chain and front hub bolt. I inquired with the lap counters at about 4am for placing and was told that I had caught up with two other guys and we were all tied for third. Talk about motivation! I think that I passed like 6 or 7 other racers that lap and again on the next lap. Lap times for the "second set" were between 28 and 35 minutes with three of them being 28 minutes. I finished at 5:50am with 12 total laps and I still felt pretty good. I also felt as though I had accomplished something instead of letting people down. 12 laps was good enough for third place overall which really made me happy. Wow, another podium finish and two Cannondales on the podium to boot, the only Cannondales in the race, again. Jeff won by a land slide as usual with 21 laps. Finishing up a lap in the dark with Rush #2 reflecting the flash Thanks to Amy for running the pit area, to Amy and Linda for getting me going again, and to all of the people that helped to put on the race. Also be sure to check out Jeff's blog for all of the cool pictures that his dad took. A big thanks also goes out to Rob "Deerslayer" Houlihan for allowing me to borrow his new Cateye Doubleshout headlight. I love this light! All things considered, I still had a great time. Here is a picture of me finishing up my last lap as taken by Jeff Kerkove. Man was I flying. :) A big WTF here. I thought that Pringles were in a tube so that they don't end up in little pieces. The guys that put this race on were a hoot. Here they are all dressed up in space blankets for the evening. Yes the one guy is even wearing a space blanket diaper. [link] Posted May 29 2006, 02:42 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Branched Oak 12 Hour - Race Recap

  Mazda Protege5 loaded up with two Cannondale Rush 2000s and ready to go Left Waterloo around 9:15 am on Saturday for the drive to Branched Oak Park which is just NE of Lincoln, NE. Arrived at the park, took a while to figure out where things were but then we started getting things in order. Second endurance race of the year although this one was a night race. Started at 6pm on Saturday and ended at 6am on Sunday. It was pretty warm, around 90 degrees, sunny and very windy with 30-40 mph gusts. Setting up two pit area goes pretty quick whem you have five people there. Jeff and his parents as well as my wife and me were able to get things in order and then Jeff and I got dressed for the 12 hours of fun without the sun, or so I thought. I never did pre-ride the course which usually isn't a huge deal in an endurance race since you have 12 hours of riding it and it will not be won in the first lap. The course is very twisty, dry, some good susstained climbs followed by some pretyy fast downhills. There are very few straightaways on this course which definately added to the fun. Took off on the bikes after the LeMans start, rode through about 1/2 a mile of rough grass and was in third place going into the singletrack. Jeff was setting a pretty quick XC pace and the field was instantly destroyed. About two miles in there were two small groups that I could see. Jeff and one other rider about 50yds ahead of myself and two others. The two behind me got around me in a nice sandy corner were I lost the front wheel but didn't go down, just stopped in my tracks. Got going trying to get back on their wheels when I heard one of them yell "Take a Right!". I then see Jeff coming at me from an area where he and the other rider made a wrong turn due to the marking tape being torn down by a group of "camper kids" as I call them. I moved over to let Jeff by and then rode with the other guy that was with him for the rest of the lap. On the fourth lap, Rush #1 decided to develop a bit of a shifting problem, cable stretch, and so I switched over to Rush #2 which worked flawlessly. On lap five I started to feel over-heated and my pace was quickly dropping off. It was over 10mph for the first four laps and at the end of #5 it was 9.6mph. I figured that I could load up on some fluids to get over it so I took in some Gatorade, replenished my water, grabbed the Cateye Double Shot that was loaned to me by the Deerslayer, and took off for lap #6. The course always looks a bit different when the sun goes down but it is still the same course. It didn't matter though because my body was screaming at me physically and mentally. I pulled into the pit area with a 45 minute lap time (10-15 minutes slower than each of the previous five) and I sat on the ground waiting to vomit. Amy and Jeff's parents asked me a few questions and gave some good advice and I decided to pull out. I parked the bike, took a shower, ate some food and then took a 30 minute nap until I heard Jeff's voice and woke up. I talked with him during his pits for the next couple of hours to see how things were going and help out if needed. During his pit at around 1:30 he stated that the race director said he was the only solo rider on course and the last one to check in was around 11pm which was only about an hour after my last lap. I felt like I was letting a lot of people down by bailing and Jeff's comment about being the only one on course got me thinking. Amy and Linda made a few subtle comments of encouragement and so I got dressed and headed out with renewed inspiration and entusiasm. My first six laps were completed in four hours and I had 3.5 hours to get in as many as possible. II felt great and everythign was ticking over perfect. Flawless riding like the kind you have when you are out for an afternoon ride with your friends. Tearing through corners at high speed, out of the saddle hammering the pedals for the climbs, and big ringing the nasty rough grassy sections at the beginning and end of each lap. Everything was finally flowing the way a racer always hopes it will and I was able to get in six more laps in 3 hours and 15 minutes. The pit stops were 15-60 seconds depending on what I needed. 15 seconds for water and food, 60 second stop for a quick squirt of lube on the chain and front hub bolt. I inquired with the lap counters at about 4am for placing and was told that I had caught up with two other guys and we were all tied for third. Talk about motivation! I think that I passed like 6 or 7 other racers that lap and again on the next lap. Lap times for the "second set" were between 28 and 35 minutes with three of them being 28 minutes. I finished at 5:50am with 12 total laps and I still felt pretty good. I also felt as though I had accomplished something instead of letting people down. 12 laps was good enough for third place overall which really made me happy. Wow, another podium finish and two Cannondales on the podium to boot, the only Cannondales in the race, again. Jeff won by a land slide as usual with 21 laps. Finishing up a lap in the dark with Rush #2 reflecting the flash Thanks to Amy for running the pit area, to Amy and Linda for getting me going again, and to all of the people that helped to put on the race. Also be sure to check out Jeff's blog for all of the cool pictures that his dad took. A big thanks also goes out to Rob "Deerslayer" Houlihan for allowing me to borrow his new Cateye Doubleshout headlight. I love this light! All things considered, I still had a great time. Here is a picture of me finishing up my last lap as taken by Jeff Kerkove. Man was I flying. :) A big WTF here. I thought that Pringles were in a tube so that they don't end up in little pieces. The guys that put this race on were a hoot. Here they are all dressed up in space blankets for the evening. Yes the one guy is even wearing a space blanket diaper. [link] Posted May 29 2006, 02:42 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Racing - TT style

  I was able to make my appearance for the second MTB TT of the season that the Bike Tech Racing Team puts on. It had rained on and off all day so we were a little curious if they would even happen. Kerkove and I set out and 5pm for a warmup ride to Hudson and back with a really nasty crosswind. We arrived at the south side of the course near the turn around area and ran into Rob and John setting up the course. Well, that answers the question of if they are going to have the race or not. The TT was a test of sorts for me in a few ways. First, make sure that my legs are feeling snappy for the 12 Hours of Branched Oak in Nebraska this weekend. They do. Second, this would be a good chance to really throw down on Rush #1 to make sure that everything is working correctly. It is. Third, I installed flat bars on both Rushes this week to get a bit more of an aggresive XC feel. Definately have that. Signed my forms with John, paid my buck, and then cruised through a warm-up/sighting lap with Jeff and Doug. There were a few spots that were a bit slick or would require some of those tech skills that MTBers should have. Some of these included an off-camber right-hander that was a bit on the greasy side, slippery root in the middle of another off-camber right-hander, a couple of sections of two-way traffic, and quite a few low hanging leaves and branches. I was the third rider to start, following Jeff and Rob H. in that order, and was able to get a pretty good start. The Rush was clicking over smooth as glass and the flat bar definately gave it a snappier, more aggressive feel. Definately happy that I made that change. I made sure that I paced myself during most of the TT so as not to destroy myself before the finish and to make sure that I finish the whole course in a strong manner. All of the areas that I mentioned earlier were no problem whatsoever, always a good idea to pre-ride if you can. I saw Jeff coming out of the turn around area around the mid-point of the race when I was going in so I figured that Rob couldn't be too far ahead. I maintained my pace but never did see Rob. I finished third overall with a time of 15:57 behind Jeff with a 14:15 and Rob with a 15:46. 11 seconds away from Rob H. Rob, you are officially my carrot for next week. :) Some of the riders posted faster times this week in the wet than they did last week when it was dry. My dad even shaved off almost thirty seconds!! That's awesome!! Bidwell made the trip down from Clarksville to rage to a 7th place finish with a time of 17:55...on a Canonndale Prophet. Noteable riders absent from last nights gathering included Super Saul, Jeff Slade, and most of the local roadies. Maybe next week, eh? Hanging out in the parking lot pre-race Bidwell getting into his zone Bidwell, Rob W., Kerkove, myself, and father Pops getting ready to rage Make sure you ride strong all the way throught the finish line. It is a race against the clock afterall and every second counts. Rob W., Bidwell, and John discussing whatever it is that they discuss All photos were taken by the Cheese Queen Thanks to John, Rob H., and Lisa for helping out with the TT last night. It was a good time even with the damp conditions. Results can be seen here. A few more photos can be seen here. [link] Posted May 26 2006, 01:40 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Racing - TT style

  I was able to make my appearance for the second MTB TT of the season that the Bike Tech Racing Team puts on. It had rained on and off all day so we were a little curious if they would even happen. Kerkove and I set out and 5pm for a warmup ride to Hudson and back with a really nasty crosswind. We arrived at the south side of the course near the turn around area and ran into Rob and John setting up the course. Well, that answers the question of if they are going to have the race or not. The TT was a test of sorts for me in a few ways. First, make sure that my legs are feeling snappy for the 12 Hours of Branched Oak in Nebraska this weekend. They do. Second, this would be a good chance to really throw down on Rush #1 to make sure that everything is working correctly. It is. Third, I installed flat bars on both Rushes this week to get a bit more of an aggresive XC feel. Definately have that. Signed my forms with John, paid my buck, and then cruised through a warm-up/sighting lap with Jeff and Doug. There were a few spots that were a bit slick or would require some of those tech skills that MTBers should have. Some of these included an off-camber right-hander that was a bit on the greasy side, slippery root in the middle of another off-camber right-hander, a couple of sections of two-way traffic, and quite a few low hanging leaves and branches. I was the third rider to start, following Jeff and Rob H. in that order, and was able to get a pretty good start. The Rush was clicking over smooth as glass and the flat bar definately gave it a snappier, more aggressive feel. Definately happy that I made that change. I made sure that I paced myself during most of the TT so as not to destroy myself before the finish and to make sure that I finish the whole course in a strong manner. All of the areas that I mentioned earlier were no problem whatsoever, always a good idea to pre-ride if you can. I saw Jeff coming out of the turn around area around the mid-point of the race when I was going in so I figured that Rob couldn't be too far ahead. I maintained my pace but never did see Rob. I finished third overall with a time of 15:57 behind Jeff with a 14:15 and Rob with a 15:46. 11 seconds away from Rob H. Rob, you are officially my carrot for next week. :) Some of the riders posted faster times this week in the wet than they did last week when it was dry. My dad even shaved off almost thirty seconds!! That's awesome!! Bidwell made the trip down from Clarksville to rage to a 7th place finish with a time of 17:55...on a Canonndale Prophet. Noteable riders absent from last nights gathering included Super Saul, Jeff Slade, and most of the local roadies. Maybe next week, eh? Hanging out in the parking lot pre-race Bidwell getting into his zone Bidwell, Rob W., Kerkove, myself, and father Pops getting ready to rage Make sure you ride strong all the way throught the finish line. It is a race against the clock afterall and every second counts. Rob W., Bidwell, and John discussing whatever it is that they discuss All photos were taken by the Cheese Queen Thanks to John, Rob H., and Lisa for helping out with the TT last night. It was a good time even with the damp conditions. Results can be seen here. A few more photos can be seen here. [link] Posted May 26 2006, 01:40 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Racing - TT style

  I was able to make my appearance for the second MTB TT of the season that the Bike Tech Racing Team puts on. It had rained on and off all day so we were a little curious if they would even happen. Kerkove and I set out and 5pm for a warmup ride to Hudson and back with a really nasty crosswind. We arrived at the south side of the course near the turn around area and ran into Rob and John setting up the course. Well, that answers the question of if they are going to have the race or not. The TT was a test of sorts for me in a few ways. First, make sure that my legs are feeling snappy for the 12 Hours of Branched Oak in Nebraska this weekend. They do. Second, this would be a good chance to really throw down on Rush #1 to make sure that everything is working correctly. It is. Third, I installed flat bars on both Rushes this week to get a bit more of an aggresive XC feel. Definately have that. Signed my forms with John, paid my buck, and then cruised through a warm-up/sighting lap with Jeff and Doug. There were a few spots that were a bit slick or would require some of those tech skills that MTBers should have. Some of these included an off-camber right-hander that was a bit on the greasy side, slippery root in the middle of another off-camber right-hander, a couple of sections of two-way traffic, and quite a few low hanging leaves and branches. I was the third rider to start, following Jeff and Rob H. in that order, and was able to get a pretty good start. The Rush was clicking over smooth as glass and the flat bar definately gave it a snappier, more aggressive feel. Definately happy that I made that change. I made sure that I paced myself during most of the TT so as not to destroy myself before the finish and to make sure that I finish the whole course in a strong manner. All of the areas that I mentioned earlier were no problem whatsoever, always a good idea to pre-ride if you can. I saw Jeff coming out of the turn around area around the mid-point of the race when I was going in so I figured that Rob couldn't be too far ahead. I maintained my pace but never did see Rob. I finished third overall with a time of 15:57 behind Jeff with a 14:15 and Rob with a 15:46. 11 seconds away from Rob H. Rob, you are officially my carrot for next week. :) Some of the riders posted faster times this week in the wet than they did last week when it was dry. My dad even shaved off almost thirty seconds!! That's awesome!! Bidwell made the trip down from Clarksville to rage to a 7th place finish with a time of 17:55...on a Canonndale Prophet. Noteable riders absent from last nights gathering included Super Saul, Jeff Slade, and most of the local roadies. Maybe next week, eh? Hanging out in the parking lot pre-race Bidwell getting into his zone Bidwell, Rob W., Kerkove, myself, and father Pops getting ready to rage Make sure you ride strong all the way throught the finish line. It is a race against the clock afterall and every second counts. Rob W., Bidwell, and John discussing whatever it is that they discuss All photos were taken by the Cheese Queen Thanks to John, Rob H., and Lisa for helping out with the TT last night. It was a good time even with the damp conditions. Results can be seen here. A few more photos can be seen here. [link] Posted May 26 2006, 01:40 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Racing - TT style

  I was able to make my appearance for the second MTB TT of the season that the Bike Tech Racing Team puts on. It had rained on and off all day so we were a little curious if they would even happen. Kerkove and I set out and 5pm for a warmup ride to Hudson and back with a really nasty crosswind. We arrived at the south side of the course near the turn around area and ran into Rob and John setting up the course. Well, that answers the question of if they are going to have the race or not. The TT was a test of sorts for me in a few ways. First, make sure that my legs are feeling snappy for the 12 Hours of Branched Oak in Nebraska this weekend. They do. Second, this would be a good chance to really throw down on Rush #1 to make sure that everything is working correctly. It is. Third, I installed flat bars on both Rushes this week to get a bit more of an aggresive XC feel. Definately have that. Signed my forms with John, paid my buck, and then cruised through a warm-up/sighting lap with Jeff and Doug. There were a few spots that were a bit slick or would require some of those tech skills that MTBers should have. Some of these included an off-camber right-hander that was a bit on the greasy side, slippery root in the middle of another off-camber right-hander, a couple of sections of two-way traffic, and quite a few low hanging leaves and branches. I was the third rider to start, following Jeff and Rob H. in that order, and was able to get a pretty good start. The Rush was clicking over smooth as glass and the flat bar definately gave it a snappier, more aggressive feel. Definately happy that I made that change. I made sure that I paced myself during most of the TT so as not to destroy myself before the finish and to make sure that I finish the whole course in a strong manner. All of the areas that I mentioned earlier were no problem whatsoever, always a good idea to pre-ride if you can. I saw Jeff coming out of the turn around area around the mid-point of the race when I was going in so I figured that Rob couldn't be too far ahead. I maintained my pace but never did see Rob. I finished third overall with a time of 15:57 behind Jeff with a 14:15 and Rob with a 15:46. 11 seconds away from Rob H. Rob, you are officially my carrot for next week. :) Some of the riders posted faster times this week in the wet than they did last week when it was dry. My dad even shaved off almost thirty seconds!! That's awesome!! Bidwell made the trip down from Clarksville to rage to a 7th place finish with a time of 17:55...on a Canonndale Prophet. Npoteable riders missing last night included Super Saul, Jeff Slade, and most of the local roadies. Maybe next week, eh? Hanging out in the parking lot pre-race Bidwell getting into his zone Bidwell, Rob W., Kerkove, myself, and father Pops getting ready to rage Rob W., Bidwell, and John discussing whatever it is that they discuss All photos were taken by the Cheese Queen Thanks to John, Rob H., and Lisa for helping out with the TT last night. It was a good time even with the damp conditions. Results can be seen here. A few more photos can be seen here. [link] Posted May 26 2006, 01:40 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Final break in

  Rode Rush #1 up to the camp to hit up some singletrack and get the break-in time taken care of. I should be able to make the necessary cable adjustments today and it will be good to go for this weekend in Nebraska. Cleared out some of the low-hanging branches in the newest section of trail today too. Pesky little things are bouncing off of my helmet so they have to go. My friend Kathleen stopped in the shop last night with a minor problem on a bike. Fixed it pretty quick and then went for a test ride to make sure everything was in order. She decided to take a few pictures. G-Ted and Deerslayer can keep their big wheels, I am going with these bad boys. Really quick steering and rear suspension to boot. I have officially started the so-pro tan for 2006. I even have the permanent watch line already. Recovery ride tomorrow possibly on the road and then the MTB TT on Thursday to rage Rush #1 before race day. One last tidbit. During Sunday's group ride at Camp Ingawanis the rebound adjustment knob on my Lefty popped off. I figured that I would just order a new one and be done with it but today I happened to see it on the trail during the final climb. 6 miles of singletrack, nickel sized piece of red anodized aluminum, what are the odds of finding that one? Picture is from cyclingnews This image is stuck in my head Picture is from weightweenies. Now this one is in my head too. Is it too early to say that I would really like to get my paws on one of these? [link] Posted May 23 2006, 04:50 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Final break in

  Rode Rush #1 up to the camp to hit up some singletrack and get the break-in time taken care of. I should be able to make the necessary cable adjustments today and it will be good to go for this weekend in Nebraska. Cleared out some of the low-hanging branches in the newest section of trail today too. Pesky little things are bouncing off of my helmet so they have to go. My friend Kathleen stopped in the shop last night with a minor problem on a bike. Fixed it pretty quick and then went for a test ride to make sure everything was in order. She decided to take a few pictures. G-Ted and Deerslayer can keep their big wheels, I am going with these bad boys. Really quick steering and rear suspension to boot. I have officially started the so-pro tan for 2006. I even have the permanent watch line already. Recovery ride tomorrow possibly on the road and then the MTB TT on Thursday to rage Rush #1 before race day. One last tidbit. During Sunday's group ride at Camp Ingawanis the rebound adjustment knob on my Lefty popped off. I figured that I would just order a new one and be done with it but today I happened to see it on the trail during the final climb. 6 miles of singletrack, nickel sized piece of red anodized aluminum, what are the odds of finding that one? Picture is from cyclingnews This image is stuck in my head Picture is from weightweenies. Now this one is in my head too. Is it too early to say that I would really like to get my paws on one of these? [link] Posted May 23 2006, 04:50 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Final break in

  Rode Rush #1 up to the camp to hit up some singletrack and get the break-in time taken care of. I should be able to make the necessary cable adjustments today and it will be good to go for this weekend in Nebraska. Cleared out some of the low-hanging branches in the newest section of trail today too. Pesky little things are bouncing off of my helmet so they have to go. My friend Kathleen stopped in the shop last night with a minor problem on a bike. Fixed it pretty quick and then went for a test ride to make sure everything was in order. She decided to take a few pictures. G-Ted and Deerslayer can keep their big wheels, I am going with these bad boys. Really quick steering and rear suspension to boot. I have officially started the so-pro tan for 2006. I even have the permanent watch line already. Recovery ride tomorrow possibly on the road and then the MTB TT on Thursday to rage Rush #1 before race day. One last tidbit. During Sunday's group ride at Camp Ingawanis the rebound adjustment knob on my Lefty popped off. I figured that I would just order a new one and be done with it but today I happened to see it on the trail during the final climb. 6 miles of singletrack, nickel sized piece of red anodized aluminum, what are the odds of finding that one? Picture is from cyclingnews This image is stuck in my head Picture is from weightweenies. Now this one is in my head too. Is it too early to say that I would really like to get my paws on one of these? [link] Posted May 23 2006, 04:50 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Final break in

  Rode Rush #1 up to the camp to hit up some singletrack and get the break-in time taken care of. I should be able to make the necessary cable adjustments today and it will be good to go for this weekend in Nebraska. Cleared out some of the low-hanging branches in the newest section of trail today too. Pesky little things are bouncing off of my helmet so they have to go. My friend Kathleen stopped in the shop last night with a minor problem on a bike. Fixed it pretty quick and then went for a test ride to make sure everything was in order. She decided to take a few pictures. G-Ted and Deerslayer can keep their big wheels, I am going with these bad boys. Really quick steering and rear suspension to boot. I have officially started the so-pro tan for 2006. I even have the permanent watch line already. Recovery ride tomorrow possibly on the road and then the MTB TT on Thursdayto rage Rush #1 before race day. [link] Posted May 23 2006, 04:50 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Riding Rush #1

  Went for a spin through George Wyth yesterday just to make sure that everything was working okay on the Galvanized Rush. Stopped at the shop to make a few minor adjustments and I feel that it was about 98% ready to rage. Just needed a few tweeks here and there mostly for comfort. Headed out at 7:30 am with Jeff, Super Saul, Rob "Deerslayer", John, and Dylan. Saul ran into a slight mechanical problem on his Fuel EX7 before we even rode out of Cedar Falls so he headed back home and the rest of us continued towards camp. Into the wind all the way top camp made for a great resistance workou before we even got there. John peeled off and headed back to Cedar Falls when we reached the southeren edge of the camp property. Thanks for the escort John! Rob, Jeff, Dylan, and I continued on to the North entrance, signed in, and ripped off a couple of nice laps. I even had the opportunity to watch Dylan endo in slow motion. Always cool to watch as long as the rider is not hurt, which he was not. Heck he was even laughing when he got up. The trails are super sweet and it looks like Casey has been up there to finish off the newest trail which bypasses the open grass field during non-racing rides. Couple of low branches to be trimmed and one section of trail in the low areas to be mowed and everything will be primo. Ran into Super Saul when we were leaving camp. He rode up on his Cannondale Cyclocross bike to escort us home. Awful nice guy he is! Gravel grind back to Cedar Falls and sprinting for the 'Stop Ahead' signs. Jeff and I each took three signs which gave Cannondale the edge over Gary Fisher 6 to 0. Maybe next time guys. I think that Rob's wheels must be too big or something. He was also "sprinting" like a chicken, wobbly legged and all. 43 miles of gravel & singletrack fun for me in about three hours 15 minutes. The Rush just eats it up. Gravel, singletrack, you name it. The Rush just rocks!! I will add some pictures a little later today. [link] Posted May 21 2006, 07:14 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Riding Rush #1

  Went for a spin through George Wyth yesterday just to make sure that everything was working okay on the Galvanized Rush. Stopped at the shop to make a few minor adjustments and I feel that it was about 98% ready to rage. Just needed a few tweeks here and there mostly for comfort. Headed out at 7:30 am with Jeff, Super Saul, Rob "Deerslayer", John, and Dylan. Saul ran into a slight mechanical problem on his Fuel EX7 before we even rode out of Cedar Falls so he headed back home and the rest of us continued towards camp. Into the wind all the way top camp made for a great resistance workou before we even got there. John peeled off and headed back to Cedar Falls when we reached the southeren edge of the camp property. Thanks for the escort John! Rob, Jeff, Dylan, and I continued on to the North entrance, signed in, and ripped off a couple of nice laps. I even had the opportunity to watch Dylan endo in slow motion. Always cool to watch as long as the rider is not hurt, which he was not. Heck he was even laughing when he got up. The trails are super sweet and it looks like Casey has been up there to finish off the newest trail which bypasses the open grass field during non-racing rides. Couple of low branches to be trimmed and one section of trail in the low areas to be mowed and everything will be primo. Ran into Super Saul when we were leaving camp. He rode up on his Cannondale Cyclocross bike to escort us home. Awful nice guy he is! Gravel grind back to Cedar Falls and sprinting for the 'Stop Ahead' signs. Jeff and I each took three signs which gave Cannondale the edge over Gary Fisher 6 to 0. Maybe next time guys. I think that Rob's wheels must be too big or something. He was also "sprinting" like a chicken, wobbly legged and all. 43 miles of gravel & singletrack fun for me in about three hours 15 minutes. The Rush just eats it up. Gravel, singletrack, you name it. The Rush just rocks!! 58cm Cannondale System Six ,that's my size :) by the way, will be here for the Cannondale Epidemic Tour on June 2nd. I wonder how long it will stay here? [link] Posted May 21 2006, 07:14 PM by cbuchanan with no comments

• Riding Rush #1

  Went for a spin through George Wyth yesterday just to make sure that everything was working okay on the Galvanized Rush. Stopped at the shop to make a few minor adjustments and I feel that it was about 98% ready to rage. Just needed a few tweeks here and there mostly for comfort. Headed out at 7:30 am with Jeff, Super Saul, Rob "Deerslayer", John, and Dylan. Saul ran into a slight mechanical problem on his Fuel EX7 before we even rode out of Cedar Falls so he headed back home and the rest of us continued towards camp. Into the wind all the way top camp made for a great resistance workou before we even got there. John peeled off and headed back to Cedar Falls when we reached the southeren edge of the camp property. Thanks for the escort John! Rob, Jeff, Dylan, and I continued on to the North entrance, signed in, and ripped off a couple of nice laps. I even had the opportunity to watch Dylan endo in slow motion. Always cool to watch as long as the rider is not hurt, which he was not. Heck he was even laughing when he got up. The trails are super sweet and it looks like Casey has been up there to finish off the newest trail which bypasses the open grass field during non-racing rides. Couple of low branches to be trimmed and one section of trail in the low areas to be mowed and everything will be primo. Ran into Super Saul when we were leaving camp. He rode up on his Cannondale Cyclocross bike to escort us home. Awful nice guy he is! Gravel grind back to Cedar Falls and sprinting for the 'Stop Ahead' signs. Jeff and I each took three signs which gave Cannondale the edge over Gary Fisher 6 to 0. Maybe next time guys. I think that Rob's wheels must be too big or something. He was also "sprinting" like a chicken, wobbly legged and all. 43 miles of gravel & singletrack fun for me in about three hours 15 minutes. The Rush just eats it up. Gravel, singletrack, you name it. The Rush just rocks!! 58cm Cannondale System Six ,that's my size :) by the way, will be here for the Cannondale Epidemic Tour on June 2nd. I wonder how long it will stay here? [link] Posted May 21 2006, 07:14 PM by cbuchanan with no comments