thursday course pre-ride

another lap down on the famous moab course today. still not diggin' that whole section of hike a bike where you go down a stupid steep rock, hit the flat of about 5 feet, and then face another short hike a bike up the other side.

think that is the general type of stuff on the course that will break many a rider this weekend. course in general is not technical, but throw in sand that slows you down to a stop, the heat, the vast open areas... what it lacks in technical it triples in having to keep mentally sharp during the whole 24 hour game.

solo nationals field is starting to fill, evan plews and kelly magelky are the latest to add their names to the hat. it's going to punchout for sure.

now - time to rest up and relax while the pit crew take in the sites.

more pics up at flickr - check it out

sologoat out

Ernesto here, out on my way out for my last enduro race of the year, the 24 Hours of Moab which is also doubling up this year as 24 Hour Nationals.

Getting gear to a race is quite a challenge so much so that I actually chose to drive out with my gear and meet up with my pit crew later in the week.

On Sunday, got a chance to ride in Fort Collins Colorado. Weather was cold and raining at the Horsetooth trails, but the climbing and technical riding was great.

Monday AM, the weather was looking the same. It was time to head west, out to the famous trails in Fruita Colorado - the Kokopelli.



Trail system is comprised of loops based mostly off of the Mary Trail and totals up to roughly 35'ish miles.



Fruita also has another set of trails dubbed the 18 road trails - it boosts loops that total well over 100 miles of trails.



And ironically enough, I ran into a friend of friend of Peter from Misfits Cycles riding today - and 3 guys who knew me from the 24 Solo movie.

After today, out to Moab and to start my quest of getting a monkey off my back from a DNF here a few years ago.

Check out all 65 pics from my ride today on my Flickr Account

off to moab

100_2954
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

ok, out west and no pics.

ft. collins was cool, but overcast and wet - and it all started about the second i got on the bike.

fruita is much better - got a ride in yesterday and forgot my camera, so i am heading out today again with it in tow.

fruita wake up call at around 9am was at 40 degrees, but dry and sunny. after the AM ride, off to moab - and it looks like the field is getting a little deeper.

gotta run - coffe to drink, ride to get in and a drive to moab. pics up later today on flickr.

sologoat out

a picture says a 1000 words

packing for moab. heading west. nebraska, through toast mans territory (though not too long, don't like october snow) the into utah for the big dance.

big show down comes the weekend after next & pretty much everybody and there brother are going to be there. will for sure will be the toughest field 24 solo field i have seen in awhile. great way to end up the enduro season.

thanks out to all the sponsors of 2009 - couldn't do it without all your support.

and mucho thanks to all the gang out at the 'goat - think i have talked to them everyday this week. tend to slightly freak out around 24 hour race time.

and - 3 sponsors confirmed already for 2010.

that's it - better run. ipod's to synch up. looks like i'll be rocking out to dj tiesto during the night in moab.

to all my cross pain train friends in cleveland - sorry i'll miss my first clev cross race in about 5 years...

sologoat out

CrossVegas pre race interview

interbike pics up..

IMG_1379
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

ok, i am waaaaaaaaay behind on the blog updates, but i got my pics from interbike up.

ck it here.

new king cages, new moots road bike, new salsa bars and kits, trp disc brakes, and 100 other kewl things.

crossvegas was stupid fast. 45 minutes in, got lapped. not bad all things considered.

focus mares expert bike i road at vegas review up at the speedgoat blog, todays cross race uneventful for me today and ended up around 8th'ish or so with dead airplane legs and fatigue.

time to pack up and rest.

next stop - moab.

sologoat out

sswc - race day

IMG_1089
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

way too tired to post the full write up again - check out my last posts up on the speedgoat.blog.

now - time to rest up. tomorrow i meet up with the 'goat clan in vegas for some business called interbike.

sologoat out

single speeed worlds - thursday

100_2830
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

got into town yesterday for ssw - not racing, just to spectate, train and heckle.

pre-ride excitement included a flat tire (me) and a spectacular wheel smashing crash by fuzzy into another rider. luckily, nobody got hurt.

post ride activities had us at the meet and greet with ned, fuzzy, dj, decker and a few others - and then also a cool little bike show in town at a local pub that was way too overcrowded.

racing action will be nutty - supposed 1,000 single speed riders in town to race, most of them will be in some sort of nutty custome. some will actually race it.

about 30 pics up on my flickr site - ck it.

sologoat out

whiskeytown cross painfest

sunday was the first installment of cyclocross pain, the clev cross series race #1.

the course is somewhat flat with a few hills, typical twisty turnys and off chambers, a sand pit for fun, a small set of triple barriers at hella speed, three turns you really gotta think about and then into the short finish. it is a thinkers course as you got to be on it physically and mentally all the time.

i got there early, debating on tire selection but already having the setup on that i would run for the course. seemed like i'm always hitting stuff at speed so i went with about 32'ish in the front and about 38'ish in the back.



race started, i made the main pack but it slowly started fading away as matt from lake effect was putting in a hella solo attack from a group that included shawn, gerrry, mike, angry andy, and tony. i slipped back to no mans land.



the main group got the gap, but i held onto my pace trying not to think about the numbers game as i rode by myself. i could see some guys were sitting on and hoped that some would eventually peel off and i could leap frog across. i tried to make up ground on the techy stuff that i knew they couldn't be riding as fast as a solo rider on.



it paid off, just as they were backing off, i put out an all out effort across the paved section on the backside and made the bridge just as a few riders popped off. now it was down to five with two to go.



my plan was to make an attack through the triple barriers, but shawn jumped hard and i put down all i had to stay with the group, another effort by steve from pa put me in the hurt locker.



out of the barriers on the last lap, they gapped me. i would roll in 5th place - great day for putting in a long week.

sologoat out

sm100 - part 2

Photo credit ©Bob Popovich

once with aaron, we started picking up riders here and there. we were taking even pulls and sharing in the work.

we rolled through station 4, got new bottles and kept going. this was going to be the hella climb of 20 miles ahead of us.

up and up and up forever, we caught a few more guys and just kept going - nobody caught our wheel as we went by. i was just looking forward to station 5 where i had fresh bottles and another coca cola.

we rolled into station 5, got fueled up and pedaled on. the helpers at the area where somewhat dumbfounded that i didn't want to load up on pizza and all the other snacks, but that stuff makes my stomach turn at this point in a race.

the climb continues on and has several false peaks, enough to make you think the climb is never going to end. we crest the top and stop descending towards station 6, the last feed of the day until the end.

ripping down the backside of the climb, and just before station 6, i manage to both flat my rear tire and loose a bottle. i try in vain twice to pump it up, but it's loosing air badly - but not bad enough that i can't make it to station 6.

at station 6, the mechanic there helped me (along with about 4 or 5 kids yelling about the stuff coming out of my tires) convert to using a tube -- during this fiasco, i end up loosing 4 or 5 spots.

i catch a few of them back, one other catches me - i roll in 18th place, not bad for having come off an injury that had me sidelined for most of the season and watching too many netflicks.

should leave me with good fitness for my next enduro race.... stay tuned...

sologoat out

sm100 - part 1

ok, ok... i've been draggin' out this write up for several days now as i try to sort out cross bike work, my trip to duragngo/interbike, work and riding... just not enough time in the day to do all this stuff so i am going to post it in to parts.

the day before...
trip out with gerry and andy was a hoot, just a long drive of about 7'ish hours total for me. this would be my first real test of legs since my tibia fracture back in june. i've done these kind of hours before with this injury, but it was hard to tell how things would go with 7'ish hours of race pace and major climbing. my weight, power & endurance are on, but with my type of injury it could take major time to heal up and to feel good.


the first 50...
we rolled out at 6:30am with gerry throwing down on the very first climb. my knees were feeling tight (should of warmed up some) and i decided almost immediately i had to race my own pace. soon the leaders slipped away.

i got caught between a group of about 8 riders and a few stragglers behind me after the first climb and descent out onto the first paved road section. as we rolled by what would be drop #1, i got caught by Chris Strout and we rolled up together to the group ahead of us that included Steve Schwartz.

through some jeep trail and out, chris, steve and myself rolled onto checkpoint #2. chris and i grabbed a bottle, steve stopped to fill his hydration pack - we rolled on.

up another climb or two, i dropped chris and rolled on. hit the fast downhill section rolling good into checkpoint #3. grabbed my drop bag and a coke i had in it and then rolled out with andy applegate and matt ferari in tow. i gave them some of my coke sugar goodness and we rolled on.

we would hit a steep hike a bike and eventually i would drop them both by the end of the climb and when we circled back to ride by checkpoint #3, i could see two riders in the distance. time to hammer.

up the climb, i eventually catch up to the two riders - including Aaron Oakes. we all took pulls and on the next climb we dropped the other rider. aaron and i would now ride the next 40'ish miles together.

2009 season, take two

next up, the shenandoah 100 this coming sunday. hellishly long fire road climbs. dry, dusty, open roads that just go up and up. the kind of stuff i love and the kind of stuff that will test my comeback fitness.

will be making the journey with fellow speedgoat teammates gerry and andy, both of which are having good results in the NUE series this year.

gerry decided the sm100 is a bit too tough and has decided to race with some gears (he's got the NUE single speed series win wrapped up already) and andy should be wrapping up the series in the top 10. overall great season for speedgoat this year and cross hasn't hit yet.

project pink bike is up and raffel tixs are available now at the 'goat website. i've had several good karma things happen to me in the past few weeks so support a good cause and get a chance to win a hella cool bike.

coming up, trp carbon cross brake and lever review thanks to the guys at TRP. hands down, best cross brakes out there. doubt me and it may come to fisticuffs. or maybe just a minor scuffle.

and, off to single speed worlds at durango the week before interbike. will not be out there to race, but mainly to train, catch in some great sights and hang out with justin from princeton tec and dj and fuzzy from niner. i just need to figure out the best way to cheer/heckle them on. any way it turns out, it is going to be epic.

then, off to the full week of interbike. a little bit of fun work, hanging out and catching up with friends, an hour at full out 190 heart rate effort (and loving every second of it), then back home for another cross race on saturday afternoon.

i am so happy and thankful to be back in the game

sologoat out

project pink bike - not project runway

dan the man on the next speedgoat project pink bike.

sologoat out

195 heart rate

last tuesday was a first for me, the tuesday night RATL race up in cleveland - otherwise known as the world championships because it is well known that many a rider will kill themselves for a burrito prime. on a course that is flat (but with many a bump and a few turns) average speeds fly upwards toward 30mph - and with it being the last race of the year, it was going to hurt.

race started out fast and the pain train was rolling full tilt for the full 15 laps. at the beginning i thought i would throw down one of my solo stupid attacks but the speed was just too crazy and i thought it would be better to hang on with the group. this was confirmed as i glanced down at my heart rate monitor and saw 195 on more then one occasion.

with about 8 to go, i moved up to the front to keep out of the danger and to keep from having to chase back on in the corners. while going stupid fast, paul martin launched an even more stupid fast attack. at that point i decided i would go with all of paul or shawns attacks. from that point, paul attacked every lap until we had a 7 man break with about 3 to go.

a few more attacks, 2 are shed. we are all pulling hard and into the last corner, i laid down an early sprint attack from waaaaaaaaaaay out - had the gap of about 5 bike lengths until 200 meters to go. would fade back to 5th to collect a few $$ and some assurance of my fitness for the remainder of the season.

felt good getting back into the game. time to work on some bikes.

sologoat out

stop - hammer time

chris from niner smacking the crap out of a fork that fuzzy or dj has to ride next weekend. just joking.

and now for some randomness:

- in racing news i have decided to bail on the racing this week and give the leg a little bit of a break. in a mad rush to get back into fitness, i haven't taken a break in about 5 weeks.

- i will be heading out to durango the week before vegas to watch justin from princeton tec and a few other hundred people or so compete in the single speed world championships. i raced it years back and at the starting line some dude was smoking a cigarette and just downed a beer bong about 30 seconds before it started - and the night before a few guys got hurt as they were somehow involved in a fire jumping contest behind the bar where registration was at. i think alcohol was somehow involved in the injuries....

- on the cross schedule, gary dugovich has 2 planned this year along with another somewhat affiliated race in the area - and freddy fu will also have their race as well again and i am hoping like hell my fingers won't feel like falling off from the numbness.

- another cross bike added to the stable. this one carbon. stay tuned.

sologoat out

pivot mach 429 build up

complete build up of my pivot mach 429 up on the Speedgoat Blog. check it out.

rest week in store for me, racing coming up soon.

congrats out to gerry for taking another single speed win without having to eat people. check out his blog for the details of how to pedal for 100 miles with one gear and end up beating all but 4 of the geared guys in the field.

sologoat out

2009 cleveland cross series dates - UPDATED (again)

Cleveland cross series dates and races announced a few days back. See dates below, updates/directions to be posted later on the bike authority and lake effect cycling websites.

hats off to julie and the bike authority gang for developing the series - great to see the list of races expand out to 8 races all within an hour or so cleveland.

and - especially pumped up about the kent university races. should be pretty sweet to actually do a race in my neck of the woods, literally about a 5 minute car ride away.

dates are tentative - check back as the dates get closer.

now.... which carbon cross bike should i race this year.... hmmm...




2009 BIKE AUTORITY/LAKE EFFECT CYCLOCROSS SERIES SCHEDULE (AS OF 08-18-09)


1. Sept 13(Sun) Wendy Park, Cleveland Lake Effect Racing

2. Sept 26(Sat) Kent State University, Stark Campus Stark Velo

3. Oct 4(Sun) Leroy Township Cross Chagrin Valley Racing

4. Oct 17(Sat) Cross My Heart and Hope to Die, Willoughby Spin Bike Team

5. Oct 31(Sat) Chagrin Cross Weekend Solon Cycling Team

6. Nov 1(Sun) Chagrin Cross Weekend Solon Cycling Team

7. Nov 14(Sat) Kent State University, Kent Main Campus Cross Lake Effect Racing

8. Nov 22(Sun) Kirtland Park, Cleveland Lake Effect Racing

9. Dec 6 (Sun) Boughton Farm - Copley Lake Effect Racing (series finale bash!)


The Promoter will calculate the overall Series prizes using each racer’s highest points from 6 of the 9 Series Races. NOTE, HOWEVER, that you must race in 3 of the 4 Series Races (# 1, 7, 8 and 9) promoted by Team Lake Effect, and 6 of the 9 Series Races to be eligible for the overall prizes.


for full detail, check out the Team Lake Effect website - check it out HERE.

pivot demo weekend wrap up

back from the weekend pivot demo - everything went well, including the weather and we got a good turnout for saturday. even got to catch up with an old friend from back in my 'burgh days of racing the ACA wednesday night crits don mosites.

and - got a few tidbits of secrets of upcoming interbike stuff. very cool stuff. guess some of it could be predicted based on what's out there already, but either way - very cool.

also had some good talks with chris cocalis with pivot - very interesting guy with a lot of knowledge. and a former fellow accountant.

more pics up on my flickr account.

that's it - gotta roll. haven't been home in 3 days and i got to relax a little.

sologoat out

08/06/09 update - tired

been a hectic week at work and on the bike - finally starting to get in some good miles and efforts. still finding it odd to be in the gym in august. low key racing should start up next week as i make my first ever appearance up at the local road racing training circuit up at west lake.

the speedgoat pivot demo is this saturday - come out, ride a pivot, meet pivot owner chris cocalis and walk away with some free schwag. starts at 11 on saturday.

also - cross season just around the corner and plenty of parts to obsess about, including the new super kewl chain guide made by pauls. and belive me, it is as cool as you would think as any part ever made by pauls.

also - thanks goes out to lance at TRP Brakes - i'll be running the euro x carbon's this year along with the carbon cross levers.

it was interesting watching 2008 cross worlds last year and to see a comeback of the cross levers on some of the bikes. i can bunnyhop pretty good but never really felt all the confident with my hands on the brake hoods or on the drops - the trp levers will now let me adjust my speed and keep my hands in a position where i could attempt to hop over the barriers.

prepare to watch me hop with grace or take a tremendous header. should be fun either way.

with that - gotta roll. see you on the trails.

sologoat out

win some princeton tec lights

you can submit a photo of your princeton tec light setup and win some new product here.

check it out.

and - don't forget - pivot demo on saturday with pivot at speedgoat. special guest chris c from pivot will be on-site.

i'll be leading some of the group fun rides/intervals. get ready for linn runn uphill time trials, or just chill out on some of the sweetest single track PA has to offer.

sologoat out

see you in vegas

07.24.09 update

well, it's been about a week and 4 days or so back on the bike and i'm starting to turn the pedals over better every day as i can finally put in a good amount of hours in on a daily basis.

physical therapy started up as well for me and is going great. feels kind of odd to be in a gym working on the legs during july, but after weeks of sitting around, i was really just looking forward to doing some type of workout. i think the physical therapy people get a kick out of watching me do leg workouts for 2 hours.

are you tired yet? ah... no. ok - do another 4 sets.

so, instead of writing about heading out to nine mile, i am writing about leg press workouts and getting some juice shot through my knee. good luck to all who are racing..

but things are getting better everyday and i expect to do some road races in about 10 days. and maybe drop that guy that was riding around my neighborhood on an moped again.

and - pivot demo day in speedgoat's backyard coming up on august 8th. i'll be heading out to help out and will be the lead on some rides - or we could head out for some 30 minute hill efforts up linn runn. whichever you prefer.

sologoat out

great post up...

over at molly cameron blog, "training versus talent" - check it HERE.

molly is one of the top US cross riders - raced in a two man group with him a few years ago at cross vegas as he was taking sips from a can of pabst. during the race.

three laps later, so was i.

sologoat out

caffelatex blog entry up at the 'goat

caffelatex_01
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

check it HERE

sologoat out

back on the bike

full blog write up on the speedgoat blog. you can check it out HERE.

sologoat out

071009thisisofficallydrivingmecrazy

not too mucho going on these days, but offical rehab to compliment what i can do on my own starts up next week. in order to avoid jinxing myself, i prefer to not speak any more of when i can get back on the bike full time.

contemplating a full week training camp based out of the home and maybe a trip or two details are kind of open at the moment.

in the meantime, back to setting up the basement for the trainer - sucks to think i'll be riding stationary when it's 85 degrees out in ohio.

as the saying goes - whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.

sologoat out

070209 update

070209 LEG
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

still not much going on these days, busy with work, reading and getting stuff ready for some intensive rehab back on the bike. i keep hoping that tomorrow i will wake up and this nightmare will be over.

everyday it's getting better - got a ton of movement in the knee compared to just a week ago.

with june and some of july being a wash of no racing, i'll save up some cash and spend a little more time out west this year and stay at interbike for the full 3 days of the expo. and crossvegas is a must this year.

latest hobby for me lately is looking for new techo toys - latest one is the roku player which lets me stream my videos from netflix straight to my tv from my wireless setup. pretty sweet so far.

next up will more then likely be the western digital wd tv. hook it up like a vcr, then plug in your external hard drive with the video you loaded up from euro cross videos and ride away. looks like a pretty cool device.

and - other hobby is checking out the 2009/2010 cross bikes. i've been a fan of redline bikes and they have come up with some new paint and build ups for their 2010 Pro and Team models which are now running SRAM. what is looking suuuper hot is the new 2009 Ridley X Night and X Fire. very nice completes, also running SRAM, and the with the X Night running4RZA brakes and Alex Tubeless wheels.

also got a few new additions to the sologoat garage - most noteably, my custom vicious mootivator painted in speedgoat colors is back up for sale. check it out.

that's it - gotta rip some old radiohead singles, drink a beer, and dream of the day i get to ride all day.

sologoat out

update

062809_leg
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

not much has been going on the last week or so other then rest and getting ready to get back on the bike. ordered up a stationary trainer that will be first used for rehab and then for cross season as i normally just use rollers for my winter training.

last x-ray has the fracture healing up good, swelling is going down, i can move the knee quite comfortably now but feels a little funky if i try to walk on it. rehab will start within the next two weeks, though i've started some rehab on it without trying to put weight on the bone.

new kits are finally in. we came up with something a little different this year and i will be running two colored kits, same layout. the ergon green kit will stay and we added the speedgoat orange kit as well. should be pretty sweet. and - hoping to possibly get some of the green in skinsuits this year for cross season.

the past few weeks has been as much pain on me physically as well as mentally - very odd not to be on the bike every day. but, i am making some progress in the house projects as i hope someday to officially have a kitchen table.

sologoat out.

sitting still, going crazy

2009 Big Bear - 10
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

2nd weekend in a row off the bike and i'm going stir crazy. trips and races cancelled, i'm getting a very rare opportunity to catch up with work, family, and life in general.

good news came this week in the shape of a clean MRI. bones heal, but busted up ligaments don't. at this point, i can bear weight on the hairline tibia fracture and bend to some extent as well. next good news is when i can get the hinged air cast which i am going to push for sometime this coming week. believe it or not, the cast i have now is actually causing more discomfort from cramps in my leg then the break. i used to think lactic acid hurt, but this is an new extreme level of pain.





so, if all goes well, maybe back on the bike trainer by the end of the month. we'll see - i'm not going to push anything as i need to focus my efforts.

thanks for all the well wishes - more updates as they come.

sologoat out

mid week update

2009 Big Bear - 05
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

still no official 100% word from the doc until i get my MRI tomorrow AM, but the word from the doc is i got a hairline fracture in my left tibia. so small in fact that i can't even see it in my x-rays.

at this point, swelling is all gone and i can stand on it. racing endurance, i've come to learn with pain, but the mental pain of just not being able to walk across the room is starting to wear on me.

race schedule has changed and i'm waiting until next week to plan out the rest of the year. i am most bummed out not to be at the firecracker 50 and being able to hit up the post race ride and training with the toastman.

so, no breck - instead, a netflix subscription and a roku box to wirelessly stream it to my flat screen tv.

pass the brews

sologoat out

2009 Big Bear - a DNS

2009 Big Bear - 03
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

it's friday and i'm back in ohio very disappointed.

thursday pre-ride was going well. got at the venue early and headed out for a ride around 3pm.

course was wet, but holding up well as usual. after the first downhill where you started climbing after climbing a stream, laird re-routed the course to go away from the mud and water and up to higher groudn on an old service road.

after that, past the run way, was a 100 foot section that was typically super muddy - they added crushed stone making it rideable even in the worse conditions.

lap was going smooth unitl i decided to try some different lines right before the big downhill about half way through. i went to jump a log paraelling the trail and my front wheel sunk down and shot me closer to the log - i stuck out my left leg to catch myself and i basically stiffed armed the ground my left leg.

the pain and the thought of what i just did nearly had me puking right there. i rode out the rest of the lap in pain, barely able to get my left foot out of the pedal.

i then went back to the hotel, elavated, iced and compressed -- all with the thought that if i couldn't walk normal in the AM, it was a no-go on saturday.

8am today, i decided it was a no-go. with about 30-40% of the movement back and about half the swelling down, i decided to see the doctor instead of the start line on saturday. better to be sure and not race, then to chance it and only do more damage.

at the momemt, i am feeling crushed - it's hard to take in all the thoughts of training for a race i couldn't start in.

thanks for the well wishes already coming in. with that, off to watch the pens and elevate the leg.

sologoat out

060709 ride

060709_ride
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

ride, work, sleep, eat, repeat. various hours, various intensities.

been about my life the past few weeks as i prep for what i consider my home town 24 hour race, big bear. it's in WV, but it is where i got my start and somehow will always be home. i can still remember back at my first 24 solo at snowshoe where there laird knight had fireworks going off over our heads at midnight. by far, the most surreal moment of my life to date.

bikes are just about done, caffelatex going in tomorrow. blog posts up on the 'goat blog this week - cane creek, tifosi, limar, jagwire... hats off to all the sponsors this year - sh*t is tight in the sponsorship world and they came through. can't say enough thanks to all of them.

big bear wil be a challenge - the field is more deep then ever before, the rain is a comin' and i'm looking forward to going back to my roots of racing and hopes of catching a ride on one of those rigged up golf carts they have down there with the base kickin, the dub wheels, neon lights and everybody on board with a cold miller in their hand.

hells ya west virginia - see you soon.

sologoat out

pivot buid up pics

2009 pivot 01
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

are now up on flickr... only one more thng to switch out - going to run a twist shfiter for the front derailleur to eliminate the chain rub.

now - gots to run. must ride. thinkin' of WV and a bear.

solgoat out

mohicanand pivots

060109_pivot_ride_s
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

short update - pivots now built up, mohican in the books.

mohican started out hot, but i rolled out steady. kept within the limits of not killing myself but the pack kept a rollin.

soon, at 30 miles in, i was by myself. i would roll in a group of 1 for the next 70 miles.

nice course - first time this ohioian has ridden the mohican. looking forward to getting back down there.

pivots - pics up tomorrow if i don't get slammed at work for the 100th time. build up's went great but i think i am starting to loose my patience with xtr's inability to adjust the front derailleur so i think i'm going to resort to sram twisty grips.

anyhoo - off to sleep.

sologoat out

lazy monday

05.29.09 - goat group 10
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

in the spirit of a lazy monday, a short post.

mucho bike work in progress, drinking way too much coffee and enjoying the day off.

so should you.

sologoat out.

day off

IMG_0405
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

whew, been a few hectic weeks as i am getting in some miles and building up and repairing bikes.

few melt downs last week trying to fix and repair bikes. never fails. at some point during a hectic week, my training bikes decide to act up. drives me nutz. now i'm back in business. just remember, 'when in doubt, switch it out." i should remember that more often.

this weekend - long recon mission at the shop and few other spots. should be good to get out on trails and not have to freak out about getting back into town for the joby job.

all parts in on the pivots - and dan the man is taking top secret blog pics as i type away at the shop.

have a good weekend, get in some miles, drink some good brew and coffee.

sologoat out

i'm feeling tarty

new video passed along by past fellow irma street posse member tris - tarty bikes Danny MacAskill showing off some skillz.

warning - when watching, prepare to have your mind blown away at 3:10 into it. unreal.

sologoat out

Ernesto DSG interview on CyclingDirt.com

full write up on the SPEEDGOAT BLOG.


sologoat out

dsg 12 hour - short write up

100_2550
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

mud - and lots of it.

pulled out after two and half of laps - 1 1/2 of laps of pure mud hell. offical result - 6th place.

1. jb
2. harlan
3. andy a (offically not an ohio resident, but that's OK)

congrats to all that finished and who completed a lap - it's an epic that will be talked about for years to come.

now - gotta catch up on life. longer write up in the next day or two - until then, chekc out flickr (about 25 pics up)

sologoat out

DSG 12 hour pre-ride

IMG_0523
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

at the dsg and hoping the rain won't come.

pre-rode today and yesterday - course has new sections which are holding up good, but the existing trails are pretty soaked and holding lots of water from the week worth of rain dumpage.

lets just hope the rain stays away - potential rain coming in tonight.

write up coming sometime sunday - for now, time to rest.

sologoat out

next up

2009 cohutta 01
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

dsg 12 hour

sologoat out

cohutta write up

2008 cohutta 100 - 08,
originally uploaded by solo_goat.

now up at the Speedgoat Blog.

for now - getting ready for the wobblenaught fit on pivot #01.

see you at the crits tomorrow if there's no rain as i stay faaaar away from wet sketchy pavement and twitchy bike riders.

sologoat out

cohutta quick recap

2009 cohutta 01,
originally uploaded by solo_goat.

hot in both pace and temps. 7:12 was my finish time, 21 minutes faster then last years. i placed top 15 but not 100% sure of exact placing as i took off for the drive home.

pace was hot, temps were even higher. i and most of the 100 field were dealing with cramps as early as 50 miles in.

gerry won single speed, andy came in 15 minutes behind me.

sorry for the lack of pics - been a hectic work week and i was soaking in the sun time which has not come often this year for this ohio rider.

full write up coming in the next day or two on the speedgoat site.

sologoat out

i like latte's so much, i run it in my tires

just in...

CaffeLatex will be now running in my tires. as a replacement to running stan's seaslant, caffelatex foams up within you tire to make for effective sealant.

stay tuned for install instructions and how to replace your current stans setup with caffelatex.

now - time to sleep. cohutta in the AM - fast and dry. pain train to commence at 7am.

all aboard!

sologoat out

RATL race 1 video

Race At the Lakes #1 from Mark Gorman on Vimeo.

video shot from a camera mounted to my bar at last weeks RATL - a lot of butt shots and it's a bit jumpy as the course is kind of rough. thanks for mark over at ohio outside for letting me borrow his camera and for the editing.

for video junkies out there, it was shot on an oregon scientific ATC5K camera - runs about $250'ish or so.

next race, we are going to try running it on the helmet to see if it steadies out.

check back friday - may put up some video later in the day going up the opening climb at the cohutta course.

sologoat out

bike work 101

pivot01_ride1,
originally uploaded by solo_goat.

the past 4 days have been a long excercise in my bike wrenching skills. never fails - always when i am putting in big hours, something is bound to break. in an effort to save cash, i run things into the ground.

this past week - had a chain/cassette go out, snapped a spoke nipple (but luckily the spoke and rim are OK) and had a mavic rim sidewall wear out. nice.

that - and i somehow managed to get the pivot together - but i am missing a few parts here and there, so no full blown pics until i got the complete package together.

last week - my "suprise" attack at the local crit did not go un-noticed and i somehow managed to find 2 other partners in crime with me on my attack from the gun. about 50 guys started, about half got lapped. average speed for the first 45 minutes was around 26-27mph - finished up lucky number 13.

this weekend - slower and waaaaaaaaaay longer. the cohutta 100.

sologoat out

friday

041709_combo,
originally uploaded by solo_goat.

ride, work, ride, eat, sleep, repeat.

mucho thanks going out to the speedgoat gang and the following new sponsors...

JAGWIRE
Setting me up with HyFlow housing and disc brake pads to help me stop when I need to stop (which is always a good thing).

ALPHA Q
Will be setting up the bikes with ProLite post and stems and the XROC 3 degree oversized bar.


LAZER HELMETS
will soon be running the lazer genesis road helmet which runs their new Rollsys fit system for a super snug helmet that fits super nice.

build up pics and possible video coming soon!

sologoat out

another night ride in the bag

IMG_0391
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

pivot build up number 1

pivot01_01
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

is now complete - somewhat.

few parts to be finalized after i get my wobblenaught fit and we are waiting for a few others to come in. final parts and full coverage of the build ups by dan the man will soon be up on the speedgoat blog after frame #2 arrives in a short bit.

i9's, king ti cage xtr, foxl are just a few of the brands you'll see on the final builds - weight is actually around the same area as the asylums.

thanks for dan the man, jim, don and the whole speedgoat crew for pulling together a great build up for 2009.

now - off to sneak in a long ride before sunday dinner with the family.

sologoat out

long days

IMG_0254
Originally uploaded by solo_goat

last night ride ended at 9:45pm as i snuck in both a long day at work and on the trail.

not mucho to report on these days as the meat of the season is fast approaching, but i am really looking forward to heading out to speedgoat shop to build up and pick up pivot #1, meet up with the guys and then get a good ride up linn run to hit up some of the local 'goat trails that i don't get to see enough of.

local road races are starting soon - hope to hit a few of those up to remind all of those roadies how mountain bike races start.

120% effort at the gun.

with that in mind - i'm out. possibility i may actually get a long ride in without having to use my lights.

sologoat out