Riding TI style. Lot-o-pics.

Invite went out, 2 others accepted. The goal, to Wabasha and back on the hilliest route that could be done on gravel. Just trying to be all that I can be for the Ragnarok and TI. We'd pass by Millville, Theilman, and Dumfries on our way. BD, J-No, and myself arrive at the prescribed time of 5am despite it being only 24 degrees and roll out,.. BD had a hard time breathing in the cold weather and turned back at Millville, leaving J-No and I to carry the torch. We would climb and descend into valleys over and over again. Leaving our legs tired and our body heat fluctuating from the constant change in speed and effort. It is easy to forget to eat and drink on rides at this temp, and we both full victim to that. All in all a great ride, fantastic training, and a fun time. Now just to put the riding to use.

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The Garmin stayed off as it did not charge overnight, but was there to make sure that we did not get lost (we brought no maps). Thanks to Google Earth, I was able to pull up elevation on our climbs.
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Some stats:
Start temp was 24 degrees.
Turn around temp was 23 degrees.
Ending temp was 34 degrees.
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4 climbs between 400 and 450 vertical feet.
3 climbs between 350 and 400 vertical feet.
Several climbs of over 100 feet.

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Start time 5:00am
End time noon.
Actual ride time about 6.5 hours.

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Total calories consumed, 1500.
Total calories that should have been consumed, about 2000.
Total water consumed, about 90 ounces.
Total water that should have been consumed, about 150.

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Total distance a hair over 90 miles.


Some pics.

About to descend into Millville.

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Then there were 2.

Cresting the top of the hardest climb of the day into the sun rising. This climb was close to 450 feet, and incredibly steep the entire way. I could not sit for more than a couple rpms in my lowest gear, 39-27, on this climb. Stand, stand, stand.

They always hype up these roads in the races, so we gobbled those up as well.

When the riding gets tough, J-No gets rolling.

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A brief shortcut to our next hill had us on 4 wheeler trails...

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...and bushwacking our way through brush only to hop some streams.

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Coming out of our one stop at Wabasha I saw this. At this point it is close to 8:30 in the morning and we have been rolling for 45 miles.

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Saw this jackass.

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Bobcat tracks?

Another climb of 400+ ft.

So that was that. Good times.

BTW.

O.M.G.

Warning: Insanely Cute Link

Non-Bike Frustrations

Alright, so we had 2 units in our rentals getting new tenants. Lots of work needed this week in a rush. So I was up late many nights taking care of this:

Unit #1, One bedroom (+ den), Basement Apartment:
Filthy!! Black toilet (was white), a layer of scum on the floors, and lots of painting needed. The fridge had some type of very thick dark substance that had oozed from the freezer, all through the fridge, covering the seals, and the floor- looked gross, smelled worse. After a couple of hours, 409, and bleach the fridge was done. The floors (all tile) took a couple of cleanings to look good again. Toilet was actually pretty easy with the industrial ZEP bowl cleaner we had.

Unit #2, Three bedroom, Otherside of our twinplex:
We live on one side of a twinplex and rent out he other. The tenant did a good job of cleaning except for getting her dog's hair off of the floor. My list of chores here though included replacing a sink bowl that had been shattered some how, minor painting, steaming carpets (Becky actually did this), and resanding the hardwood floors (needed to be done for a long while, and takes a long time to do).

This was all to be done while working around staying home with Abi, teaching 4 indoor cycling classes, and trying to get my riding in. Needless to say I did not get my full "hours" in, but got pretty close. Sleep was in short supply, but after 11 hours of nappy time Saturday night I feel good again.

The kick in the pants? Both tenants said they wanted to move in ASAP. Well, after working my tail off late into the night to get it ready, the tenant for unit #2 said, "oh, I guess we are going to move in Friday". I could have gotten so much more sleep and not been so worn out, but that is life. Arghhhhh. Both had signed leases to move in about April 1st, but then pleaded to move in early (while paying the prorated rent).

Now, I am chilled, drinking coffee, and watching my daughter sleep in her swing. You? You are reading blogs, wasting time, and avoiding work. Maybe you should get off the internet for awhile.

Useless update.

Just arrived back from the land of cheese last night. Abi wanted to see her Mom's side of the family.

Got my first true road ride in. Did my best to redline it with those that can hammer on the "drop the doc" ride out of Dousman, WI. Got to meet and then work with fellow mountain biker Nathan Guerra (5th overall in WORS). Together we tried our best to hurt those that claim the road as their stomping grounds. Gotta say, I was not hating how hard I could push it for this time of the year. Nathan and I would extend the ride by ourselves, hold hands, and talk about our feelings afterwards. He is a good guy to know.

What else, what else? Ummmmm, weather is supposed to be in the 60's today. Abi, Nina, and I plan on rocking the Bob stroller this afternoon. The trails might be rideable this weekend. Gotta get the taxes done today. Need to pick up a printer. Groceries have to be gotten. Are you bored yet? It's your own fault for reading this waste on work time, so BTW.

Other thing

Guess who is in the Ragnarok 105 now?

A lot of begging, bribes, and sob stories go a long way. I honestly had missed the cutoff for the postcards because I was to preoccupied with my new child. Been trying to contact them for a long time, finally got through. I was signed up last year, but had to DNS because of a knee injury.

Looks like a stacked field. Ready to ride?

BTW

I am cooler than I thought.

I am cleaning the house and I knew the best stage of Paris-Nice is on. Got the laptop to pull up streaming video, then plugged that into the TV. Poof, I am watching bike racing

BTW

Velonews again?

Looks like I made Velonews...again.
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Velonews Race Feature
Tri Takes Heated Classics Win



By Darryl Philbin







Paris-Nice, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège are often what comes to mind when spring classics are mentioned. Riders can make or break their season with good results here. We caught up with Charly Tri after an astonishing win in another spring classic.
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Velonews: Charly, how do you feel?
Charly Tri: I am tired. I have been riding a lot.
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VN: So I am guessing this win was a shock.
CT: Oh yeah. I was actually not planning on racing much less doing well, but a teammate encoraged me. I couldn't be happier with the result.
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VN: Tell us a little about you latest victory.
CT: Well, it was the first group road ride I went on this year. There was about a group of 8 that had been shrunk to 7 by the finish; the world famous Salem Corners Town Sign. Two riders started to ramp the speed early and I just wanted to test my legs. I launched with a long distance left to the line. I accomplished my goal of surprise and got a gap. I was able to hold that gap despite a hard charge for the riders behind. I had good sensations for the finish.
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VN: You say this without mentioning your unusual ride.
CT: Yeah, I was rolling the big wheels.
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VN: The big wheels?
CT: I was rocking out one of my Gary Fisher 29'ers.
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VN: That seems unusual for a road ride.
CT: Well, we have been doing a lot of testing. It seems that 29'er's ability to crush it is not limited to the dirt. That, combined with a studded front tire gave me loads of confidence for the sprint.
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VN: A studded front tire?
CT: Yeah Darryl, you got a problem with your hearing? There are big lugs on there to chop up the air. My goal is to make as much "dirty air" behind me so that others have a hard time drafting. That is why I was more upright then the others as well. It is all about creating dirty air.
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VN: Wow, never heard that one. So your schedule this year is not focused on the road, and we suspect we may not see you there much of the year. Assuming a heads up sprint, how do you think you would fare against the likes of Boonen and Cavendish.
CT: Well, let's put it this way. Until they start riding a real bike, they better not race against me. Just like the guy who got second at this race. I think his name was Kuske or something.
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With that Charly went back home to watch his daughter, but we were able to get a picture of his race winning ride.

Some tech highlights:
Frame: Gary Fisher Rig, but with gears. Charly kept mum on why.
Rear wheel: Lower level bontrager hub with a cheapy rim. "It was a recovered tacoed wheel", says Charly. "I am surprised it is not destroyed yet".
Front tire: Nokian Studded tire. Designed to chop up the air to make it dirty. Charly's theory is that the dirtier the air is behind him, the harder it is to draft.
Yellow No Name housing: Charly says that was a key as well. It is so cracked and corroded that he was afraid to take it out of the smallest cog for the sprint. It takes him a good 30 seconds to get it to shift in the back.





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BTW

Pictures

Riding the trainer together. Oh, and you looked.


Yup, still got the original Jo Mama jersey circa 1996. Nothing like making up a team and then proclaiming you are on the midwest regional squad. The hands? They are "gang letters", M and W (for Mid West). I was not the only one rolling around in this jersey. Gotta have teammates.

All stars gotta have a number on the back, right? Note the pins still on from some race.

And welcome Lilah Kurke into the world. Regionally, we are trying to breed the next generation to take over for the Luna Chix. Abi's training is much farther along though.

So this week is a "rest" week. My body thanks me. My sore throat thanks me. My wife thanks me. Now, hurry up and read those other blogs before the boss sees you.

Another Garage Sale

Prices include shipping to lower 48 states. No shipping? Then you'll get a better price. charlytri at yahoo dot com

I have a Cannondale Road Tandem with about 500 miles on it from 2001. I have to get it out of the garage, dust it off, take pics, and price it. I think it is a md/sm. E-mail if interested.

EDIT: THE CASSETTE, DER, AND SHIFTERS HAVE BEEN SOLD.
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Bontrager Race Lite Seatpost. 27.2mmX400mm. 5mm setback. $40





New, never mounted Continental Mountain King Tire with Supersonic casing. 26X2.2. I believe the weight was about 475 grams. $40

Bontrager XXX lite riser bar. 630mm wide. Some use. Small scratching where the brake mounted. $90

Trek 2008 69'er geared hardtail. $1,050.

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Frame, size 17.5"Alpha Red Aluminum w/internally and externally relieved head tube, hydroformed top tube, bi-axial down tube, wishbone seat stay, hydroformed chainstays, forged and relieved disc ready dropouts Some scratches on non drive side down tube from transporting, see pic.

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Front Suspension, Fox F29 100RL w/air pressure, rebound, lockout, alloy steerer, 100mm, 51mm offset
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Wheels, Bontrager Race; 29" front, 26" rear, Tubeless

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Tires, Maxxis Ignitor 29X2.1" front, Bontrager ACX 26x2.2" rear; 120tpi, folding Some wear on the rear, both set up tubeless

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Shifters, Shimano Deore LX, 9 speed

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Front, DerailleurShimano Deore LX

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Rear, DerailleurShimano Deore XT Low Normal

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Crank, Shimano FC-M543-SK, 44/32/22, Hollowtech arms, integrated pipe spindle Brand Spanking New

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Cassette, SRAM PG970 11-34, 9 speed Brand Spanking New

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Pedals, n/a

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Saddle, Bontrager Race Lite, superlight hollow cromoly rails Brand Spanking New

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Seat PostBontrager Race Lite Brand Spanking New

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HandlebarsTitec Pluto 1.0 Carbon Bar, superlight
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Grips, Bontrager Race Lite Brand Spanking New
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Stem, Bontrager Race X-Lite, 7 degree, 31.8mm, 110mm

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Headset, Cane Creek ZS-2 w/cartridge bearings, sealed

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BrakesetAvid Juicy 5, hydraulic disc, 160mm front (optional 185mm), 160mm rear rotor

B. T. W.

Hey there

Too lazy to double post.

I jacked up my wrist/finger/hip after sliding out on some black ice. Nice swelling and large bruise. Pretty sure nothing is broken. Got sick at the same time so took sometime off the bike.

Rant#1
Went shopping yesterday. I hit up Sam's club. It was busy, but damn! All those fat people just hone in on any samples. I seriously had to ask 4 people to move just so I could get by one stand. Once they see a sign of food they put their blinders on to everything else going on around them. Not sure what they were serving, but I am sure it was deep fried.

Rant #2
I have watched the TV show "The Office" way too many times. TBS is rerunning older shows, but here is the rub. They edit out a second here and there in order to put in more commercials. It is sad when I know every line in the show.

Rant #3
There are way too many cool races I want to do this year, primarily this fall.

Later, now back to work.