conyers write up - long version

the event - conyers 24 hours

competitors - 7 male solo's

weather - near perfect. rain earlier in the week kept the dust down, temps would hit high's in the 80's, low at 40.

trails - local trail builders SORBA done fantastic work on the trail. a lot of trail sections have been re-routed for the better.



start at noon on saturday. rob l (otherwise known as "vegan rob") lines up next to me - he's been riding well this year, 4th at the DSG and 2nd down at the 12 Hours of Razorback.



the start line - not many teams showed up, but those who did had a hell of a time. if you missed it, you missed a good one. stay tuned as this event is going to get a huge ramp up in promotion for 2008.



the start is always hectic and there is always a few riders who can run like hell, this was no exception. i was about 6th or 7th to the bike - and this is where my mad cyclocross skillz come in handy. cross re-mounts really help make up a lot of places -- you may be a faster runner and get to your bike first, but i can beat most to be the first one pedaling.

by the first section of single track, the field is strung out. i lead out to the first section of single track, then josh takes over. i chase, keeping him in sight.



my pit crew was flawless handling my feeds, lights, clothing and time splits. pits are critical - every second counts in a race of 24 hours.



the dreaded 2nd loop rock section - this section eats rides alive. the bumps are rough and the rock itself holds heat. it could be 85 degrees in the pits - on the rock, it feels more like 100.



2:30am - team pit crew member "cousin it" makes an appearance. i have been fighting off josh lapping me for the past 4 1/2 hours. at 8pm, he was 3 minutes behind me.

he passes me shortly after 2:30am, we go back and fourth until about 4:30am, where he passes me for good.

at this point, we now have at least 2 laps on all the male solo riders - josh and i are in the top 5 overall for the race.



after josh passes me, i go into conservation mode. i change clothes, put on some extra clothing and eat some eggs and soup.

by 9:30am, i am figuring that i'll need to do 2 more laps and i head out. half way through the lap, i meet up with my pit crew and rob's wife. i get the word that rob, josh and a few other riders are stopping - this is their last lap. nobody can make up places at this point.



two years ago, i rode the last few laps of this race with rob. this year, i got to ride with him the last mile.

in dramatic conclusion, we "sprinted" to the end.



competitors for the past 24 hours...



and a fellow rider at the end...



so how did i feel at the end of the day? i think this about sums it up.

overall, the body held up pretty good - other then general tightness and legs feeling like they had some water in them.

and - for those of you not on ergon grips - get some now. this is the first race i've done it 7 years that i could actually feel all my fingers after the end of a 24 hour race. amazing, needless to say.

thanks go out to all my pit crew members and for those who cheered me on during the event. see you again next year...


and the next picture, i just couldn't pass up not posting.

taken by my dad, i would like to entitle this one:

STILL LIFE WITH SOAP:



rock on conyers, SORBA and sologoat fans.

sologoat out

brief post race update - conyers

quick recap before packing up.

early pace was stupid fast, josh and i both did 39 minute laps our first two laps. previous course record was 42 minutes.

i stuck with josh for awhile, he pulled away. at night, i kept him at bay. at around 4:30am he lapped me.

josh won, i got second, rob l came in third. mechanicals were huge today, and it left eddie o pulling out early.

pics and longer write up coming by tuesday.

sologoat out

update from conyers 3

last post until sunday.

course conditions dry and it looks like it is going to shape up for a nice weekend.

i am guessing the temps will hit higher then expected, and the rock on the second loop will get screaming hot. i am hoping not.

watch for hella fast laps all day long.

good luck to all out there tomorrow...

sologoat out.

update from conyers 2

last minute run the local bike shop this morning. the old owner has been a bike shop dealer for over 30 years. small shop, old bikes and parts - looked like most of his business was probably repairs.

inside, was this bike:



this bike was built around 1890 - if you notice, no chain. i've only seen bikes like this in a few picture books i have. very cool.

the "chain" is actually a metal rod that runs inside the drive train side of the rear triangle of the frame.



a section of trail on the first of the figure 8 loops...



another shot of the huge rock...



and a shot of one of the new sections. where the arrow is placed is actually where the trail used to run - down and to the right. full of ruts that left your speed very low at the begining of super steep climb. nothing like making a tough climb even tougher by starting it out at basically a stand still.

now, the trail basically cuts off the section - the trail circles around in an "S" shape to same climb, but gives you a chance to ramp up your speed a little before it begins.

once again, hats off to the local trail builders. nice job.

sologoat out.

update from conyers

arrived early today to 80 degrees and sun. ohio was 60 and overcast.



got to the course, not many people out though later in the day some riders started filtering in.



trail conditions are dry, laps times are sure to be stupid fast. weather is going to be clear for the weekend - perfect racing weather.



one of the climbs on the first loop of the figure 8 course - for you 24 solo fans out there, jayson filmed a shot of me coming up this climb.



and i think he also filmed the shot of me on this section as well.



one of the new sections of trail on the course - the local trail crew has done a ton of work. any where there was a section that brought your speed down, the trail was re-worked and re-routed so it flows. nice work.



ah... and the rocks.

that's it - gotta run.

sologoat out.

off to conyers

9am - sitting in the akron awaiting departure.

bikes and pit crew are awaiting my arrival in atlanta.

3 pit crew members, one huge tent.... and 24 hours on a bike...

the adventure begins.

sologoat out.

and then there were 7

7 solo's now signed up for conyers - looks like the field is really starting to fill up.

total entries at this point is still pretty slim... too bad, cool temps this weekend should leave race temp's bearable and the rain today should keep the dust to a minimum.



was browsing through some shots from worlds last year - this sequence came out pretty cool.

gotta run - pit crew has now arrived at conyers and is offically holding down the fort, scoping out the trails for twigs, mapping everything out on gps units, taking soil conditions so i can inflate my tires to prime traction pressure...

or maybe just watching tv... thanks for driving down guys - see you tomorrow.

possible updates coming at you live via the sologoat pit... stay tuned!

sologoat out

granny gear - conyers solo division update

1000 watts for 4 hours

is what this sweet baby can do - welcome to the newest member of the sologoat pit crew. should fit right in with our hotel sized e-z-up tent and massive lighting system.

packing has started for conyers, pit crew SUV is coming by and picking up the bikes and stuff later on tonight - sooooooo much easier traveling when you don't have to carry 95% of your stuff.

last year turnout was pretty low for this event and it looks like this year is turning out to be the same - word on the street is that there are a lot of quality events in the general area this time of year, so i don't know if that has anything to do with it.

but, eddie o and josh tostado are signed up so far -- so no slacking at this event, for sure. just hope some other teams/riders sign up.



that's it - gotta roll. t minus 5 days and counting....

sologoat out

wobblenaughted - again

with conyers less then a week away, the final tweaks on the asylums are now finished.

the 2007 build up issues have been worked out by dan the man earlier in the week - had major shifting issues during the dsg race with bike #2 which appears to have been caused by a bent derailler. belive it or not, it was actually caused by the bike falling in my basement on the drivechain side before the first ride on the new equipment.

once again, jim baldasare (cat 1 a&f team member/former cat 1 crit champ/wobblenaught guru) has worked his magic. congrats go out to his team who came up with some big wins the past couple of weeks.

and fast recovery wishes go out to two riders in the cat 3 RATL race yesterday - one guy left with a broken collarbone, the other went away in an ambulance. 'twas not a good site. the crash delay the 1/2/3 long enough that although we got 15 minutes into our race, there was enough craziness (some cars got out on the crit course) going on that the organizer decided to stop the race. it was probably for the better - was one of those times when there was just too many bad vibes going on and something bad was going to happen if we continued.

though, there was enough time for me to try what i have come to call my reverse ekimov move (ekimov is well known for launching an attack in the ending kilometers of a race when the pack is moving at 30mph+ -- the "reverse ekimov" is basically the same thing, but it is done in the open kilometers of the race -- starting when the gun goes off).

there's no better time to start the lactic acid pain other then immediately.

with that thought, gotta ride.

sologoat out

his - and hers

say hello to a 53.5cm moots cross. stock frame geometry, one "customization" - no water bottle mounts. this frame is the real cyclocross deal and will be my main ride during my 2007 cross season which is fast approaching.

frame is already a collectors items of sorts - the sl (super light in their terms, stupid light in my terms) shaves about 1/4 pound off from their standard frame.



now, say hello to my little friend - a ybb. in the 16 inch version of this frame, it is an option to get the curved top tube for greater stand over clearance. this will be my other half's top bike for the year and will be set up with a sweet dt swiss wheelset, a rock shox sid with remote lockout and a kewl mango chris king headset.

stay tuned for the build ups - for now, i gotta get a short ride in and then go mess with the roadies at the local yocal crit.

sologoat out.

ride with ernesto

on may 26th and 27th at SPEEDGOAT. demo days are here again, and on these two days you can check out bikes from BMC and one of my favorite bike companies Salsa Cycles. One day is dedicated to road bikes, the other day is for the mountain bikes.

check out the site for details - my personal dream for this day is to have a sweet azz medium salsa mamasita waiting for us to ride. there may just be a fight for that first ride.



also got to check out speedgoat mike's new PINK BIKE RAFFLE PROJECT in the form of a custom painted pink bmc mountain bike, with a sweet pink fox fork.

you have to be fast to ride a pink bike, so here's your chance to win it for 10 bucks.

that's a bike for the price of a venti latte, a choclate chip cookie and 4 dollar tip to the cute girl working behind the cash register.

time to ride - 85 and sunny in ohio. finally...

sologoat out

the times are a changing in ohio

lately, as some may notice, gas prices are rising and people are freaking out. optional modes of transportation come to mind.

bikes, of course are a good example. if you follow dave on the speedgoat.com blogs, he offers up several blog entries in reference to hauling groceries and such.



and then, there is walking. just food for thought on a sunny tuesday.

sologoat out

one of those days

happened on saturday. local yocal RATL crit was a complete disaster.

big ring decided to wear out on me at approximately 2 hours into my AM ride, which happened shortly after me almost getting hit by some dork in SUV which happened shortly after my car not passing inspection due to a hole that needs fixed in my fuel line.

sweet. a fantastic saturday.

today, things are much better - put on an a "new" old big ring and todays ride was skip free. new drive train is ordered - after much debate, i went with the FSA's. next crit, expect my classic off the gun attack. roadies take warning.

that's it - gotta run, lots of work to do today as i have a client going live with their system tomorrow AM. this marks the first Great Plains software client that i have taken from zero knowledge of the product to a full blown live install. should be exciting stuff this week.

next up on race wise.... hmmm... usually i like to build a little suspense... this time, we'll make it a guessing game.

clue #1 - i am heading south

sologoat out

back to basics

remember the days of when it didn't matter what bike you were riding, as long as you were riding?

there was a time not so long ago when the majority of my bike parts came from kmart. my dad helped me take off 3 piece cranks with a wedge, a block of wood and a hammer.

my first ten speed was an experiment - i tore it apart, only to find that i couldn't figure out how to put it back together.

my first real bike was a bmx bike from haro called the fst (freestyle, street, track) - long story on this one, but my family still tells stories about this bike every christmas as my dad kept insisting i was getting a pinball machine and not a new bike.

after opening every present (except the "pinball machine") i opened up the box and couldn't of been more surprised.

i rode that thing into the ground - no suspension, no titanium, one gear.



skip forward a few years - a salsa mamasita 29er single speed. no suspension, some titanium (saddle) and one gear.

back to the basics - pedal, pedal, pedal.

sologoat out

dsg post two - pics and links

these photos are coming at you from mr ergon, jeff kerkove.

more pics can be seen at his site

or his mass postings of pictures here

justin from princeton tec also got some pics up on his site living on the dash which includes a pretty cool one with tinker in tow...



here's the race start - sologoat in 2nd chasing a flying nat ross, brett davis right behind.



ernesto, sloane and brett on the first lap - all riding in comfort. why? must be those ergon grips, hells ya.



dan the man contemplating the next 12 hours of bike repairs, sleep deprivation and deep conversations with my dad questioning his repair techniques and my racing tactics.

(dad advice/race tactic #107 - to win, you just need to pedal faster then everybody else)



shot of the hammer nutrition fuels and bike parts one needs to get through an event.



since i have a smile on my face, i must be enjoying the event. thanks to race organizer grant, this event was top notch.



hammering on - jersey unzipped to cool me down. temps hit in the mid 80's - that's sweltering compatred to the mid 50's i have been riding in.



all business through the pits.



this gets the cool shot award.



since the course doubled back in some spots, double and triple feeds on one lap was an option.

here, i get some much needed water on a un-typical flat spot on the course.

or, was this just an opportunity for ergon to get a great shot of the much desired green grip i have come to love?

sologoat out

dirt sweat and gears write up

pre-rides on friday were not out of the ordinary - scan for the best lines, check for trouble spots...



and ride with some local ohio riders - brett davis.



Start of race day was cool with temps in low 70’s, by mid-race, the temps would hit in the mid 80’s.

Trail conditions were excellent – the rain held off and what moisture was in the ground helped traction.



Start was hectic as usual, Nat got on his bike first, I was right behind him. Couldn’t have asked for a better start. Soon into the woods, things started filtering out pretty quickly. Roughly ½ way through the first lap, Tinker flats and Rob L comes to his rescue with a tube.



By the end of lap one, it was clear that the pace was pretty fast as I came through the pits – I could see Nat and Josh in front of me, but not a sole was behind.



This was to continue on for the next 5 or 6 laps until Tinker caught up to me.



I got a second wind when Tinker caught me, and we ended up riding about a lap and a quarter together. He stayed nice and smooth, really consistent pace the entire time. The entire time together, people kept cheering Tinker on.

I have raced Tinker plenty of times, this surreal time I was holding my own with a legend.

Rob L was 10 minutes ahead of me at one time, now it was down to 2 minutes. The heat and the Cohutta 100 were getting to me, my pace slowed and Tinker road away with the same consistent pace he was riding before. Rob’s time on me continued to grow again.



I continued on, staying with my standard nutritional game plan relying solely on Hammer Nutritional products and basically no stopping in the pits. I felt I was not riding that fast, and soon Sloane ended up catching me.



I pressed on, and when the heat went away, I felt better and my laps got faster once again. I held onto 6th, with Nat Ross flying and taking the win, Josh Tostado in 2nd, Tinker 3rd, Rob 4th, Sloane 5th and myself coming in for 6th.



Overall, the race venue was setup nicely and there were great prizes for everybody – cash all around (including single speeds!), prizes included 3 bikes and 4 frames and swag from princeton tec, tifosi and ergon. Great race that is definitely worth coming back to - you definetely missed a good race if you weren't here.

That’s it – gotta catch up on some much needed rest.

Sologoat out

less then 12 for a 12

pre-rode the DSG course today with mr 24 himself - check out jeff's page for some pics

going to be hella fast tomorrow - tinker, nat, rob l, eddie o, sloane.... going to be nutz.

single speeds freaks should show up in masses tomorrow - pay out is good for all. turning out to be a cool venue overall - very impressive for a first year event.

course has a ton of ups and downs, nothing really sustained. rocks here and there, nothing really major.

rain may happen, i am hoping not - this is the type of mud that will turn slippy and into peanut butter thickness in no time.

lap times will probably run around an hour, guessing we will be running 13 laps - less if there is any mud.

that's it - gotta rest.... pics/results up tomorrow night.

sologoat out.

heading south - again

this time, it's for a little bit of dirt, sweat and gears.

one of the NORBA enduro series, the prize money is sure to pull in a few tough guys. tinker and nat ross are already on the list, so it is going to be hella fast no matter what.

course looks to be a roller type, lots of ups and downs - not sure on the technical stuff.

weather looks to be kinda cruddy today, then clearing out tonight - nice the rest of the weekend. should be good racing weather and a nice warm up for me and the first venture out for my pit crew team.

race is from 8am saturday and wraps up 12 hours later, just in time to grab some dinner, pack up for sunday, then hit the hay.

ERGON will be at race and will have demo grips to try out, so check that out.

also...

PRINCETON TEC will be hosting a night ride on Friday night. I don't know how many lighting systems Justin will have available, but stop by early if you want to check them out. Website says that everybody is meeting around 7pm on Friday.

That's it - gotta run. See you at the races.

sologoat out