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The Bikeman Blogs section is our collection of blogs from our Team Bikeman members and friends of Bikeman. Contributions from regular riders and commuters, bike aficionados, and world class racers.
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Howdo. My name is Zach Magoon and I have been commuting year-round by bike for the last 7 years in both Boston, MA and Portland, ME. Because each day brings new challenges, whether it be changing weather conditions, crappy drivers, sore muscles or mechanicals, I think my ramblings will be, at the very least, moderately amusing. | |
Commuter Files Archives. |
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Greetings and salutations. My name is Rick Nelson (no, not that one damnit) and I am a rider for Team Bikeman.com. You can check out my profile in the team rider section. “Racin Rick” covers my trials and tribulations as a mountain bike racer, commuter, new father etc. In truth, its just a way for me to kill time at work and to see pictures of myself on the web. So here are some excerpts from all my blogging, hope you enjoy. | |
Racin Rick Archives. |
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Welcome to Tales From The Soiled Chamois. This is going to be an online journal taking you through my season of training for and racing marathon, 6, 12, and 24 hour solo endurance races all while working a full time job, being married with a two year old son. I'm no pro, even though I do occasionally race against them. I'm just out there having fun pushing myself. | |
The Soiled Chamois Archives. |
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Not to be confused with the time-trial and women's-specific 650C wheel, the 650B wheel is all about comfort, versatility, and speed over varied terrain. The key to this is all in the tires. A 650x38B setup is about the same diameter as a 700C wheel with a 19mm tire... | |
650Blog Archives. |
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Season (of Stank) Update |
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Written by Jason Mahokey
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Monday, 21 July 2008 |
Season (of Stank) Update
 | | Lap #1 of only 3 stank filled Big Bear Laps. Grrrr!!! Photo: GrannyGear.com |
It's been a while since I submitted any race reports to Bikeman.com World HQ (also known as Big Al). You see I've been racing, but it's been mired in such stank (stank is my code for lack luster endurance racing with a twist of bad luck, bonk, dehydration, and suffering beyond my normal tolerance) that I've not been real motivated to share too much beyond my regular posts on thesoiledchamois.com. But it's now time to let go of the "stank" and move on with the season. So here's a small breakdown of how my past few races did and didn't happen...
My bad luck sort of started the week of the M.A.S.S. 4 Hour Endurance Race out in Delaware. I was looking forward to racing this since it was put on by my friend Fat Marc. Also, my friend, Brent (1/2 of the creative duo behind Twin-Six Alternative Cycling Apparel) was coming out from Minnesota for the race. We would all get to race, drink beer and talk bikes. Well, 4 days before the race, I was loading my Salsa Campeon in the back of my Soob so as to keep it out of the rain all day while I was at work. Bike went in, I stood up and BAM! The mother of all back spasms. F-Bombs were dropped. I was down for a week. Pain, etc., etc., and NO race to be done. Frig!
About a month later was the 24 Hours of Big Bear. The BIG daddy of 24 Solos in my area. I was super stoked to be racing it again. I invested a lot of time, and if you've ever done a Granny Gear race you know MONEY In doing this race. The week of the race we were treated to heavy thunderstorms early in the week. Mid week it cleared out and left West Virginia with soggy trails and temps in the mid 90s!!! Good grief!!!
I was still geeked to race. The plan was to keep a low key pace during the day and try to make up some ground at night when it cooled down. I wouldn't even make it that far! By lap three I was toast. No power, no desire, no nothing. I could barely make it up a smallest climbs. That was it. Fin. Done. Kaput. I'm currently enjoying a poorly designed $330 race T Shirt. HA!
Three weeks later was the 12 hours of Cranky Monkey down in Virginia. I had taken this off my schedule this year since I knew I could not recover from a Solo in time, BUT since I only raced 3 laps at Big Bear, I made the mistake that many an endurance athlete has/will make. I figured I could race myself back to good legs and good mojo. WRONG! What I needed was time off the bike to recover and get my mojo back. NOT traveling 5 hours to race a 12 Hour Solo in 96 degree heat!! It was like racing inside a pizza oven. This time I made it 5 laps before the stank set in. By lap 5 I could not move without cramping. Forced to my granny gear and walking by lap #5.
I tried to stop and take a break. But every time I tried to get up, I ended up rolling around on the ground like a fat man trying to get out of a bean bag chair. Good times. Good times. Hey at least I got to see some race buddies and ride 50 miles of single track.
I've made some mistakes this year. I won't make them again (yeah right!!). As I mentioned earlier I'm done until late August. I need to get some legs back. I'm feeling good and having fun on my bike. As the weekends of no racing add up, I continue to get MORE motivated to do well at 24 Hour Champion Challenge this year. I've already got some course pre rides in and can feel my legs AND my mojo coming back. Stay tuned as I try to end the stank.
Jason
"The Soiled Chamois" |
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; "Lap #1 of only 3 stank filled Big Bear Laps. Grrrr!!! Photo: GrannyGear.com")
