well, park city has come and gone and i think all my pics are posted up at flickr now. location was awesome and i can see why with so many trails and chair lifts that take you right past the climbs why so many bike companies hold events out there.
highlights of the few days out there was riding a BH road bike the last day for about 3 hours, getting to ride for hours with Joe Breezer (a ton of bikes now use his rear dropouts) and a chance to ride the new SRAM X0 and Pivot 5.7.
next up for me race wise is going to be some local crits and then a trip down south for the Fools Gold - should be good times.
also getting pretty pumped up for cross the season as everything schedule wise is looking pretty good for me as i will be able to hit up all of the cleveland cross races and throw in a few bonus others like the cap city series.
blog reviews for dealer camp will be up at the speedgoat blog in the upcoming days, so stay tuned for updates and reviews on the SRAM X0, Pivot 5.7, Crank Brother wheels, Spenco gloves - just to name a few.
with that - gotta ride.
sologoat out
8.07.2010
dealer camp wrap up
8.02.2010
more pics being uploaded....
should be wrapped up tonight with about 500+ pics from dealer camp. full write up on stuff coming in the next few days....
check out flickr for all the pics.
reviews and extensive blog write ups from both myself and jim on the speedgoat blog.
for now, time to unpack.
sologoat out
8.01.2010
dealer camp brief update
ah, time was short and my pc was not picking up any wireless.
mucho fun was had, tons of riding done, beer drank and 3 days of bike talk and hanging out.
with that, got to run - but about 500+ pics are currently being uploaded to my flickr account, so check it.
sologoat out
7.23.2010
6 hours of power - longer write up
sorry for the late update, been hectic getting in some miles the past week.
at the start, field was pretty decent sized and included some fast locals, ross clark and mike simonson.
le mans style start always sucks, kind of getting tired of them but i guess it does the job of stringing it out at the start.
mike takes off at the srart of the first climb, ross is in a group in front of me and i am trailing off the back of them.
it rained the night before and the trails were a little slick at the start. i, of course, had pre-ridden when it was dry and had the tire pressure a little too high and it made things slippy. i backed off as i didn't need to take a spill on the first lap.
lap one down, mike had a small lead that would eventually lead to him winning. i eventually caught up to a small group with ross.
that group would all break up and ross parted ways, i caught back up to him around lap 4 on the start climb. by the top, he took off and i settled in. i was playing a chess game, i would hold him close enough to chase him back in the closing laps - i would drill it on the last lap just as i would roll under the start/finish with about 5-10 minutes to go before the cut-off.
next to last lap, my nightmare happened as the gap to ross was about 30 seconds - my chain dropped into my spokes. AGAIN. hate those freaking "shadow" shimano derailleurs. those things suck. adjusitng them is just a pain in the arse.
dejected, i pulled off to the side of the trail, thought about life for a few moments, and managed to get the chain out. estimate my loss of time roughly about 5 minutes.
last lap, i was convinced i lost 2nd place and came around a corner and washed out the front wheel. nice. another lost minute.
would come in third, behind ross by about 3 minutes. not the race i planned out in my head. that's racing though.
this weekend, pain train ride with phatty.
weekend after - little trip out west (more on that later)
sologoat out
7.20.2010
6 hours of power
short version - 3rd place.
longer version up in the next day or two as i try to un-pack, clean and fix up the bikes and get ready for a trip out west in a few weeks.
more on that later - time to sleep.
sologoat out
7.06.2010
7.05.2010
2010 Marathon National Championships
well, colorado offically kicked my arse.
gun went off and the parade start rolled through town. we made a left starting up the first climb of the day and the pace just ramped up slowly and slowy.
soon, i was popped off the back and the heart rate i was seeing on my monitor was no where near my max. altitude hits all riders different, and you can pretty much get your max at sea level, subtract roughly 10 beats and there you go.
even with that rough "science" i was still about 10 beats lower. not feeling bad, not feeling awesome - just feeling like i was kind of stuck in 3 1/2 gear out of 5.
second lap went better, pulled a few riders back, but in the back of my head i was wishing it was another 25 miles.
so with that, i rode out the race and enjoyed it. towards the end, i duked it out with DJ - still can't believe anybody can ride that stuff with just 1 gear. rough finishing spot was mid to back of the pro field.
congrats to all the ergon riders - yuki taking the win in his class, dave 3rd in the pro men, sonya 8th and jeff riding a new PR.
with that - time for some hiking and some riding.
and check out my flick pics when you have a sec - new pics up daily this week.
sologoat out
7.03.2010
last pre-ride
short pre-ride of about 1/2 of tomorrow's course today, partial ride time with mr kerkove.
course is screaming fast, few wet spots here and there but i'll take that instead of the dry pebbles jeff was sketching out on last weekend.
750 riders take the to the start line tomorrow - nothing like starting the race being in a parade. the fun quickly fades as the first major climb starts right out of town and goes about 6 miles up.
50 miles later, you'll end up back in breck to some good food and brews. happy 4th to all - get your bike out and take a spin.
sologoat out
pre-ride at the firecracker
short post up, got to sneak in another ride.
rain bursts have padded down the trails and it's going to be a fast 50 tomorrow. town is hectic with people, trails are loaded up with riders.
chekc out my flickr pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/solo_goat/sets/72157624412880972/
today, pre-ride.
tomorrow, race and post race brews, fun, fireworks.
the 5th - heading out with mr kerkove. he's getting 10 hours, i think i may opt for the 5-6.
sologoat out.
6.28.2010
big bear, lumberjack and the wayne ultra.
Big Bear 2x12 – the best tag team ever
Date: 6/12/2010
Venue: Big Bear Lake at Hazelton, WV
Format: Duo, 6 laps total, 3 laps each
Mileage Per Lap: 11.3 according to my Garmin Edge 500
Team Members: Ernesto Marenchin (Speedgoat.com) and Brandon Draugelis (Cannondale.com)
Course and Weather conditions: Low 70’s with chance of showers later in the day. Course was mostly dry with some wet/slick spots in various spots, but overall riding very fast for the course.
Game Plan: With $1,000 for the win and it only paying one deep, we opted for the quick start and started Brandon so that we would be ahead of the field and would not have to fight through traffic later on in the day.
LAP 1 – Brandon
Brandon starts off for us under cloudy skies at 10am. Starting on the bike on the entrance road leading into the venue was less chaotic then the Le Mans style start and Brandon would be lead into the first section of single track by one of the riders of the eventual single speed class win.
Brandon rips off a super fast start and comes back to the start/finish with the single speed rider hot on his tail. Now it’s my turn.
LAP 2 – Ernesto
I take off with us in the lead. I am pushing the pace, but as soon as I near my limits, I back it off just a little.
Towards the end of the lap, going up the climb, Gerry catches me and soon after, Nick Waite. We are now sitting in second spot – about 45 seconds down by the end of the lap.
LAP 3 – Brandon
Brandon takes off and regains the lead. His pace puts us in the lead again by minutes.
LAP 4 – Ernesto
It’s tight, so I have to push it. At the top of every little climb or whenever my speed slows down, I stand up to pick up the pace – and I’m now pushing the limits of my heart rate. I’m bumping up to my max, but staying under it.
At the top of the last climb, I can’t see Nick and push on – I have about a minute lead on him as Brandon heads out.
LAP 5 – Brandon
Brandon takes off under darkening skies and somehow misses most of the rain and worsening conditions. He puts more time into the team headed up by Nick, but the finish is going to be tight.
LAP 6 – Ernesto
Mud has now engulfed the entire course, but I have ridden on these muddy trails many a time. I had to slow down in several spots, but kept my speed up overall.
Up the last muddy slow climb, I take a peek back – Nick is nowhere in sight. I push on and we take the win with about a 2 minute gap at the end.
lumberjack 100
Date: 6/19/2010
stop 3 on the NUE series was the lumberjack 100, a venue i have been dying to get to for awhile now and it is always scheduled the week after big bear. the last time i was there, i raced the 24 hour event and then the lumberjack back to back. not good. i was until about 75 miles in and then my heart rate shot sky high.
so, i was back to conquer my demons, but it was not to be.
dry conditions made for a fast course and just as i was dropping down the backside of the first climb, my front wheel hit something under some leaves and some me flipping over a couple of times and whacking my knee that i busted up last year. instant swelling and pain in that knee made it an easy decision to yank the plug for the day. if it were 7 miles to go, that's one thing, with 70 miles. my heart told me to keep going, but my head was telling me i may be doing some serious damage.
so, i headed back and iced, iced, iced - and drank a pint, pint, pint, pint and maybe a few more. two days later, i would be riding again, feeling rested and calmer since the swelling all went away.
wayne ultra
Date: 6/27/2010
getting there was a fiasco.
not really knowing where i was going, i headed down to marietta ohio only to realize when i got there that the location that was listed on the one website i pulled the address for was the ranger station 18'ish miles down the road.
at 10:22, i am debating to drive back home or to try to make it to the start. having just been ticketed for speeding a few days before, i was not in the mood to be on the recieving end of another one - but, i headed north and attempted to get there.
i got to the venue with literally 1 minute to spare before they shut down registration - and it was a good thing i had prepped all my fueling the night before. i was putting on my helmet just as everybody was ligning up.
field was smaller, but packed with about 10 guys who could take the win.
soon we were out of the parking lot, and soon after that, we were heading up the first demon of the day, a hellishly long road climb.
the temps were screaming and so was the pace, by the first right hand turn i had popped off the back of the lead group and was in a group of 4 - and there was not a soul in sight behind us.
i backed off, thinking the pace was too high with these temps (average for the day was 89!) and i am the early call that they would pay for their efforts.
into the single track, i stay steady and within my limits. i pick a few riders off that i was with and then start heading towards the next main group.
by mile 11'ish or so, i catch the group with gerry and notice 2 riders are not with them. most of these guys are riding rigid's and my pivot eats up the rocks as i inch closer and eventually past them. i now search out the leaders.
i ride by myself the remainder of the race, only stopping once to grab a mountain dew and some water from an aid station.
overall tough course, but well laid out and flowed awesome. can't wait to go back next year.
next up - tuesday night worlds at westlake.
sologoat out
6.13.2010
victory at big bear 2x12
full story tomorrow as i sort out all my goodies from the 'goat and i wash up the bikes and sort out things for next weeks adventure - the lumberjack 100. can't wait to get back out to this venue and it's awesome i can hit up the 100 miler without having a 24 hour in my legs from the weekend before.
saturday - epic battle for the cash saw me averaging a 170 heart rate for all three hours of my riding time and burning up over 2100 calories. we grabbed the lead on the third lap and held it to the end. hats off to brandon for ripping it up.
full length write up tomorrow - check out my flickr account link for 100+ pics.
sologoat out
6.07.2010
6.06.2010
mohican 100
mud was the dish to be served yesterday in Loudonville Ohio, rain soaked pretty much all of the course and left them pretty slick in spots.
gun went off and the field went flying up the first climb for the $200 prime to the top. i stayed with the back end of the first main group and was feeling decent.
around mile 25'ish, was sort of going through a mental funk where the mud was starting to get to me, but after my first feed at station 2, i started coming around.
i was just catching on to gerry when i somehow dropped my chain in between the cassette and wheel - luckily i could pull it out, but i snapped two spokes when i dropped the chain. i bent the spokes so my legs would not get whacked by them and i went on, loosing about 5 minutes and hoping that the wheel would somewhat hold up.
i would ride mostly alone for the day, but did end up waiting for two other riders to get me through the long hike and bike sections that are flat, long and full of nice gritty stuff that likes to get in your eyes.
at drop 4, i was able to get out before them, but not before dunking my head in water and getting a cold can of coke.
the second time through drop three, disaster hits again - i get a flat, and decide to pump it up and hope it holds rather then fix it right at the stop. bad mistake.
i make it another 4 miles or so and i am just catching back up to andy applegate whom i caught in the last section of single track - and my tire is going flat.
get my first tube in, hit it with the co2 and it somehow pops my tube instantly. my inflater, full of mud, jams and releases all the c02.
i get my second tube out and repeat, this time my pump is full of mud and not working.
great.
a random rider stops, hands me his pump, i inflate and take off. conservatively, i most of lost at least 10-15 minutes and was just about to go into 11th spot.
i get rolling, ride great over the remaining sections, but lost too much time to make up my lost spots.
when it rains, it pours i guess and that's mountain biking. think i finished up about 14th'ish or so.
epic day with the rain and mud, lets hope i get to race sometime when the sun is actually out.
oh - and got the full ride on my garmin edge 500 - worked beautifully, but for some reason only registered about 90 miles. working on getting my ride info up later this week.
sologoat out
6.04.2010
one day to mohican
ah, mohican is coming up and what better way to distract your mind from 100 miles then with a new a toy that will save every second of your journey.
the Garmin Edge 500 is the newest accessory to my lineup of bike stash, purchased with the intent to give me a way to analyze my ride data and to get me another method of recording/saving my ride data other then with a calendar and a piece of paper.
first ride with it and i think i am hooked. we'll see how it goes recording my mohican race - should be pretty cool to look at after.
staying with my old posse members gerry and angry andy - and meeting up with about 500 other friends to try to beat the crap out of each other tomorrow. should be good times.
with that - must roll. keep the rubber side down.
sologoat out
6.03.2010
next up - mohican
100 miler next up on the race schedule, and this one is close to home which is always good.
work and riding has been hectic, not much free time at all these days to fit in extra stuff like cutting the grass and minor bike repair - but my home theater system is nearing completion and i am making a drastic upgrade to a garmin 505 power/heart rate monitor thingy so i am going to be on overload here pretty quick.
in local yocal races, i have also hit up the westlake worlds and plan to do so a bunch more times this year - somehow had a good race up there last weekend without ever doing a sprint for the past 6 months.
that's it, better roll - maybe another post before race day, we'll see - if not, see you at the finish line with a cold Great Lakes.
sologoat out
5.18.2010
dsg 12 hour - longer write up
course was dry - for now.
john was in with matt from moots - always good to catch up with them. and everybody is always in car envy when you pull up in a sprinter.
friday was more or less the same, except i got to ride with the toastman.
saturday am, the weather was looking good, but the rain was coming. i think having lived through last years event, i was a little more prepped mentally for what was to come.
gun goes off, brandon and josh and the eventual 3rd place rider would all take off - i was in chase.
soon, the rain hit - and the mud came - and i soon caught 3rd place.
it was odd, but the south side of the course was dry and the north side was muddy as all heck. i switched bikes but was still having some issues with the clay like mud.
and, with less then 4 hours to go - i overshift and place the chain in tightly between the spokes and the cassette, lodged perfectly under a pin in the cassette so i couldn't pull it out.
in a panic, i start back tracking the wrong way - 4th place catches me for third.
i turn around, make it back to the pits - probably loosing easily at least 25-30 minutes. very disappointing to say the least.
i would battle back into 4th place overall.
josh would wind up in second after battling through some nasty cramps.
and brandon would take home the well deserved win.
and i would like to entitle the above pic as "i am about to kick your ass - with a smile"...
that's it - thanks to the dsg crew for a stellar race and an overall well run event. and thanks to mother nature for delaying the hellish rain downpours until the next day.
sologoat out
5.16.2010
dsg 12 hour short write up
dry start, 4 hours later rain and then it turned to clay.
sitting in 3rd, got the chain caught between the spokes and cassette. i ran down to the pit area, lost a ton of time but got it fixed and got back out.
salvaged 4th place and got to drink some cold yazoo brews to top the night off.
brandon rode super strong and took the win, the josh the toastman rolled in second.
long write up tomorrow - time to unpack.
sologoat out
5.14.2010
dsg - friday
setup and some bike prep out at the dsg venue today as racers are starting to head in.
heat and humidity have gone up, and the wet stuff has stayed away.... for now. weather forcasts have about a thirty percent chance of it hitting.
course this year is running counter clockwise which makes for a more flowing course and new sections near the end make it a longer loop then compared to years past. overall, i think it rides a lot better years past.
some more pics up with my ride with the toastman.
with that, i'm out - time for food and rest.
sologoat out
dsg 12 hour - thursday
drove through the rain to get to dryness, course is prep'd and ready to go. rain? we'll see if that stays away.
new sections laid out on the backside which is a little fresh, but fast rolling and fun. the pivot setup with the conti mountain kings were hooking up sweet.
in town - the toastman, dj, brandon and the matt and john from moots. field is looking small, no doubt the result of last years mud fest.
that's it - gotta sneak in a lap and some rest.
pics up on flickr - check them out.
sologoat out
5.04.2010
cohutta 100 write up
better late then never, eh? work lately has been kind of crazy, so sorry for the delay. good news is that my client went live this past weekend, so the end is near.
drove down early friday AM and was able to get to get to the venue at around 3'ish after roughly a 9 hour drive which included a short stop for lunch and to pick up some fat tire ale (can't get that stuff up north).
hit up the beginning climb and single track with billy a, richie rich, matt and a few other friends whom i was supposed to stay with. long story, but my directions got hosed up somehow and i ended up staying with josh the toastman which was cool since i haven't seen him in awhile and as bonus, he cooked dinner and i supplied the krispy cremes.
woke up saturday AM to the sound of rain which quickly cleared by start time, but both josh and i started the race with vests and arm wamers as i think we both feared the rain that was about to come. and, incidentally, i think we were the only two riders with arm warmers on in the front five rows of riders.
race started, i got dropped off the back of the main group just before the top. could of made it, but i didn't want to peg it that early in the race. by the first single track, i caught the back of the main group but some slower riders got in between me and the main group - they slowed me down and the main group went away. it was totally my bad, just a lapse in aggressive position holding at a super critical time.
about half way through that first single track, i passed the slower riders and slowly started making my way to catch the main group.
caught the first guys before the stream crossing as they made a mess of the little root section right before it (as i have made a mess of it my first year). the pivot 429 ate up the roots and i rode by.
think the next main group i caught was with eddie o and antoher rider on the flat road section. we rode together for awhile and then i parted ways as the road went up.
next group i caught was with john p from ohio and 2 other riders. we rode together for awhile but i again lost contact with them as the road went up and they stopped for food.
next up was with garth with whom i would ride with for awhile but would loose on the feeds, the last of which i saw him was in between food stop 5 and 6 as we caught up (and got dropped) by matt who was freakin' riding a single speed. garth would sneak away too.
after food stop 6, it's all mostly single track that looks like it's going down on the topo map, but it doesn't really seem like it. very similar to the sm100 where just when you think it's done, the race kicks you in the gut again.
i roll through it, keeping up good speed and keeping pressure on the pedals as i have lost places in this section before. i pick off one rider in my class with about 6 miles to go that looks like he's seen better days and then i pick off another rider literally a few hundred feet from the finish line.
ended up 11th on the day. good start to the 100 miler series.
next up, the dsg 12 hour (let's hope for no rain) - and a mucho thanks out to steve for finding me an entry for the lumberjack 100.
sologoat out