I finally broke down...

...and got me a digital camera. Noth'n fancy, just something to give this blog a bit more flavor. It's the same camera JY is using. It was way cheap, so the picture quality will suffer a bit, but if I launch it out of my pocket on a ride, or back over it with my car, I am not out much. Hell, my electric bill is almost more a month. So here are some pics that I took to "get to know" my camera.



The Cole front hub...like nothing else on the planet.



A view of the cockpit with the Ergon grips, SRAM X9 shifters, Avid brake levers, TruVativ Team stem and bar, and Cateye Enduro 8 custom Giant computer



My NRS from last year. Still waiting on a FOX fork, and SRAM components to complete this years bike. Notice the white-trash way to dry clothes...lay them on your living room floor. I am total ghetto.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:05 PM :: ::

Sweet Singletrack.

Whoa! I missed a day. Couldn't be because we are swamped at work and also busy with training? Actually I am!

We have had some rock'n days in the weather department. Lots of wind and over 70 degree days. This has given me a chance to hit up the local singletrack. Both the Greenbelt and GW State Park are primo right now. Way fast, and supp'a hardpacked. On Tuesday I did intervals through the singletrack and some hill repeats. Took awhile for the tech. skillz to start working again, but after about 1/2 hour I was carve'n with style and felt smooth and great. Got a chance to try the Ergon grips off-road. All I can say is...BUTTER! These things are amazing! Too bad someone didn't think of these sooner. The only down fall to the Ergon grips is the weight. But, I will take a weight sacrifice for comfort. And incase you didn't know, these grips are lock-on. No slip slide'n away here.

Yesterday was the start of Super Sale at the shop. In anticipation of a busy day, I headed out at 6 AM for a singletrack recvery ride. 3 hours of easy spinning on the trails through Greenbelt and the pave trails running through the Metro area. Felt great!

After the ride I headed into the shop. It was busy! I was there from 10 AM till 8 PM and was never short of work. Yippee!!!! Stood around on my feet all day, that explains why my legs are tired. We also had some interesting weather....tornados, wind, rain. It was the first set of storms of the year. Earlier I mentioned it was like 70 degrees, well the cold front pushed through yesterday after noon, and we had sustained 50 mph winds, and tons of rain. So all that sweet singletrack is now wet [insert sigh here]. Looks like the next few days will be on the road. Speaking of the road. I was going to meet up with John and JY for some hill work this morning at 6 AM, but chose to sleep instead. When I am tired, I sleep, cause I rarely sleep past 6 AM. I will hit up the hills after work tonight.

It's back to the shop at noon for more organized chaos, and them some riding.

Have you lay'd down your cash for some Tifosi's yet. Get on it! They rock!

Oh...Edurado, if you are reading this swing by the shop. I got the GU stuff for Trans-Iowa if there is something you want to taste test. We got tons!!!

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:31 AM :: ::

New Stoppers

Wahoo! Got me 'sum new stoppers. Thanks to the fine folks at Hayes for sending over some new HFX9 Carbon lever disc brakes. Looks pretty cool. I ran Hayes a few years back, and they worked awesome.

Here are my first thoughts and reaction...

1. Ohhhhh, light.
2. Ooooooo, carbon bling.
3. Yeeeessss! They are pre-bled.



And now what Hayes has to say...

1. Rotor: 6-inch stainless steel rotor (Mud Cutter Wavy Rotor-Optional as shown)
2. System Weight: 420 gram / 397 grams with optional Titanium Kit
3. Mounts Available: 74mm post mount, Psylo, International Standard front/rear, and 20mm through axle mount
4. Mid-range Cross-Country/Freeride
5. Compact dual Piston Caliper
6. Compact aluminum body and lever blade design.
7. Flip-flop design master cyliner allows lever to be mounted on either side of bar
8. Reservoir system compensates for fluid expansion caused by heat
9. Semi Metallic pads for progressive feel and quiet operation

Stay tuned for a review once I get them mounted.

As for riding...
My ride/T.T. was an azz kicker on Sunday. I actually felt awesome when I woke up in the AM. So I went out for a 2 hour road ride at sub 135 heart rate while maintaining fast and smooth leg speed.

After the ride I showered and hopped on the Surly for the commute to work. Spent 10 AM till 8 PM at the shop...we were busy, plus we finally got some new hoop-d-rides to assemble.

Tomorrow I am planning on hill repeats...sprints, high spinning, and big gear variety. Should be good times since it is supposed to get to 75 degrees! I am going shirtless! Well, not really.

Last thing...
I FINALLY got my tax return back from the US gov'ment....when the state going to show?

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:53 PM :: ::

One huge hard suffer fest effort.

I had no takers on a ride today. So it was just me, a P.B. Clif Bar, Cateye Wireless Computer, Giant CFR road bike, Giant Kit and helmet, and the open road. So what did I do for a workout....a 100 mile T.T. Yep, it hurt. At the end of it I had the ever famous suffer-cough. Well, it took me 4 hours and 18 minutes to go turn out 100 miles by myself. The wind wasn't too bad, but just enough that going South and East required a bit more work. I ended up riding through New Hartford, Dike, Reinbeck, Hudson, Dysart, and then back into Waterloo. Ended with about 5.5 hours of saddle time, sore legs, blood shot eyes, and the look of death...yippee!!!

After the hard effort I went and did a spinning ride through G.W. State Park. I did a lap by myself, and then caught up to our local Lance Fred...Pat Trep. He means well, and is a super nice guy, but he has the build of Lance and all the official "gear" so he is a head turner when in public. Well today he was support'n the new Trek 5900 to comemorate Lance winning is 6th Tour. It has been hanging at Scheels here in town for like a year....he scored a deal. He also has the yellow Lance shoes, and the Lance Giro Atmos with the big state of TX on it. Yep, he is a Fred to the highest standard. All Freds should model themselves after him.

Anyway, I rode 2 laps with him, and chatted about everything bikes, then he went home. I did 2 more laps while dodging sktchy bike riders not wearing helmets. I bet 98% of the people out riding today had no brain buckets. I just wanted to pull up to them and say...."You need to get yourself a brain bucket or you'll be the next feeding tube story." Yeah, that is mean, but they need to realize something....$39 dollar helmet or $50,000 doctor bills. Rant off.

Time to finish my tuna melt and cottage cheese, then elevate the legs some more. The so-pro tan is coming along fine, and the weather looks to be prime the rest of the week.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 2:15 PM :: ::

New Tires and Saddle

Just pokin' my nose in here to say that I just purchased some new treads for the Karate Monkey. Got a Maxxis Ignitor on the rear, and a fat WTB ExiWolf for the front. I've got just a few rides in on them, so hold tight for a future review. Also, fresh off the Brown Santa's truck, I have a Very Sweet WTB Street Smart saddle. Thanks to Chris at WTB for hooking me up!!! This saddle is part of a new line of "commuting" saddles that WTB has out for '05. Don't let the "commuting" tag fool you though! This saddle is totally sweet! Tubular Ti rails, leather cover, Kevlar rear corners , and a ScotchLite patch on the tail section round out the features of this "Team" level saddle. It weighs in at a sub 200 gram weight on my wifes kitchen scale, too! Plus, the shape is very similar to my coveted, and much loved WTB SST Ti saddle, vintage 1996. In fact, it looks like a very slightly "shrunken" version of my SST. Should work fantastic then! I'll let you all know soon!

Jeff Kerkove said at 10:59 AM :: ::

TIFOSI 2005

As stated a few post back, I received my Tifosi's for the 2005 season. So far, so good. These seem to fit a bit better than last years. The cool thing with these new shades is that there is NO distortion. No matter where you look, the view is clear and dead on! I will raging in 3 different pairs this year..Kilo with 3 sets of glass, Q2 in black with amber glass, and Q2 in white with clear glass. Look for a more in depth review after I get a ton of time with these stuck to my face.

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:28 AM :: ::

Let's get this go'n again.

It's a new day. Time to start over. Yesterday was a day off from the shop that was supposed to be atleast 6 hours....but turned into about 1 hour. Today, I am at the shop for the long haul. Sunday, I will get in my hours. Seems like the weather the last few weeks has been keeping the riding pretty shady...no consistency. The good news is that starting on Sunday, Sunday, Sunday the highs are to be above 50 degrees. SWEET! I am going to spend every waking, non-working hour out on the bike. I need to start getting in 3-6 hour rides daily. Another item of note, is the fact I have yet to touch singletrack this year. Everything is way muddy or covered in horse dung. I need to get out and work on those skillz. Looks like my first race of the year will be a good kick in the teeth with 300 miles of fun in Trans-Iowa. Got word from Guitar Ted that the right # plates are here....they are yellow. So the folks of Iowa should have no problem seeing you/us coming. I hope the shop is busy today, cause otherwise it will be l-o-n-g. The Super Sale flyers are out and people are now waiting till next week for the sale before they spend their hard earn'd money.

Have a good Easter. Keep the Peeps and Choc. Bunnies out of your pie hole. Out.

Don't get confused. They look so similar.

VS.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:39 AM :: ::

Bad weather = Bad ride

Somebody must not want me to ride my bike too much. Maybe it's fate, and it is for the better of me and my season.

Well, anyway, I got about 10 miles north of town and it began to rain. I got wet....then cold....then really cold. I said "Screw It!" Turned around and came home and sat in the ultra hot shower for what seemed like 2 hours.

So my plan for big hours and miles turned into about 1 hour worth of riding and a core body temp of what felt like 3 degrees. Damn! So...hopefully I can get some time on the saddle on Sunday. It's supposed to be way hot....like 50 degrees!!!

On a scale of 1 to 5 steamy piles of poop (1 being the worst) todays ride earns 1 heaping pile of poo...

Jeff Kerkove said at 4:39 PM :: ::

A Math Lesson with Jeff

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:48 AM :: ::

Hope'n to go.

My legs felt better than I thought this AM after I crawled out of bed. Yesterday, was tough on the legs, but my choice of food and ways of recovery was right on, cause I was feel'n great. So before work I rode out to GW State Park on the road bike and did 2 hours of sub 120 hr spinning. I kept the leg speed way high and managed to keep the speed at 20 mph. All this while expending no effort...YIPEE!!! My plan is to get in some long hours and miles tomorrow. I have the day off from the shop, so we'll see if I can get the ride in. The evil weather man is forcasting highs in the upper 30's and 2-3 inches of the white crap to fall. NOT GOOD! So, I am holding my breath and hoping for the best. The good news is that next weeks highs are to be in the low 60's and lows above freezing. Time to work on that so-pro biker tan next week.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:25 PM :: ::

A bit of the burn

Went out for an AM refresher with JY. He was doing tempo on the road bike, and I need to get in some high intensity work. So I headed to the ride on the NRS Air in full on Trans-Iowa mode. Had the PolarPak filled to the brim with H2O and the bottle filled with HEED. The ride was a tough at first...coffee churn'n in the belly. After about 1 hour my legs started to tick very well. We maintained about 20 mph while we were on the 2.5 hour tempo/rage fest.


Nice PolarPak and Tifosi's yo!
I am also running those ultra-supportive Ergon grips...BUTTER!


Smiling...but really I am hurting. This is just out side Finchford, IA


Rage on the gravel sholder. Bring it!
Notice the tiny gravel rooster tail...sweet!
Location: Just north of the Waterloo Airport


Still go'n. Nice line left in the gravel. I hope JY is hurting after this ride, cause my legs are tender. I wonder how many more rides I am going to have to wear like 4 jerseys, and all the other winter gear in my cycling clothing arsenal?

Tomorrow looks to be 2 hours of sub 120 HR on the road for some recovery. Friday and Sunday are shaping up for H-U-G-E miles and hours.

One final note...
If gas prices keep going up (currently at $2.05 per gallon) I am going to have to start riding my bike to all the races. Must be those darn H2's (click link, then scroll down a bit)?

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:49 PM :: ::

Ramp'n it up yo!

Let's try this again. I already tried to post once this morning, but Blogger went retarded on me (kind'a like Timmy on South Park.).

So...

I am finally going to get back on the bike today. I am at the shop till 3:00 today, so I am going sans car and getting Surly on the way to and from work. Look out motorists!! After work I am either hopping on the NRS or CFR for some tempo riding. Nothing hard, just bike time to get the legs flow'n again. Tomorrow, I am hitting up some road time at 7:30 AM behind Bike Tech with JY. Come one, come all. The train leaves at 7:30. Dress warm!

I see a bunch of Iowa'ns and Minnesota'ns placed way high in the Semi-Pro XC at the NORBA National in Arizona. Good to see! I still am a firm believer that some of the fastest cyclists in the USA are right here in the Midwest. Plus, why go to a warm climate in the off-season? There is no need to. These guys are proof!

Speaking of Midwest...
Chuck went down to the Spoke Pony 6 Hr Race. He has pictures.

Cully Todd of Cedar Rapids, IA place 2nd in the 6 hr race. He races for C-Dale. Not surprising, since he his hella fast in all aspects of mnt biking. Dude has placed high at the Leadville 100. Rage on dude!

Did Squirrel race? Either he didn't, or I missed his name on the results list.

Non-Midwest news...
Karl from Ride424.com wrote a little piece for VeloNews. It's great info for the 1st time 24 hour racer and even the season vetran. Check it out in the March 28 issue of the rag. One cool thing is that this issue is mnt bike specific! That is odd since VeloNews has been a very Lance specific rag for the past 5 years.

OK, that is all. Lets try posting this again.

Where is the Salsa Queen? South of the border?

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:13 AM :: ::

Just about over.

No bike time since Wednesday of last week. Finally, I can breathe out of my nose. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having a cold is boring as all get out. I have done nothing but work...sleep...and eat. I have also been driving my car to work, which is also not cool cause gas is $2.02 a gallon! That is the highest it has even been in Iowa. I think today will be the last day of inactivity just to make sure that the green goo will not re-take up residence in my sinus cavity. Down with boogers!

Shop was busy both Saturday and Sunday...EXCELLENT! Working at a bike shop in a winter climate area sucks. You are lucky to get 20 hr weeks from November to Mid-Feb. Well, now it is in full force. People are coming in the get bike fixed, and newbies are coming in to scope out their options. It's good to be busy again.

Found a new link worth checking out. It's for Billy Holmes. He is the head wrench at the NORBA Nationals for Ford-Specialized team. Damn good read!

Well, time to take care of some business.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:54 AM :: ::

"Ghetto" 29er Build and Other Stuff!

Hey Y'all! First, I wanted to say that some of you don't realize that I post on Jeff's site, judging from the comments, but that's okay! I like being on the down low, so when the "poopy" hits the fan, y'all can blame Mr 24! Ha!

Got a trade in bike at the shop the other day. An older Schwinn "Criss-Cross". I already run one of these as a commuter rig. They usually have WAY long top tubes for their size. I think my 17" has a 23" top tube! That's like, MTB geometry! So, when this bike came in, I noticed it had ALOT more clearance in the chainstays than mine did. Well, I got that "look" in my eye! I grabbed my recently acquired Maxxis Ignitor 29" tire, mounted it on the rear wheel of this Criss-Cross, and Whooo-doggie! IT FIT!! So, I tried the front fork, and- NO-GO! Rats! And, it's a one inch steerer to boot! Well, I didn't give up. I found a C'dale touring fork, and whilst it did not fit the Ignitor,(The outermost knobs rubbed) I found out today that my WTB Motoraptor fits fine!!! Yaaay! I'll use Motoraptors front and rear, Hang my old 8 speed XT stuff on it, V-brakes, THUMB SHIFTERS, and, well...a host of other "garage stock" goodies, and I've got a rigid, gearie, 29 inch wheeled MTB! Yeah, 19" seat tube, and a 23 and 3/4ths inch top tube! Rollin' Over Bay-Beee!

This Just In! ( especially for Carlos the Jackal) Went surfin' over to Single Track Magazines site today, and lo and behold! A BMC off-road TANDEM! Now Carlos, you don't have any excuse not to take your "queen" on your next mtb outing! They also had a Hope HID light from a story on a Brit bike show, with a trick stem cap mounted light and battery. Pretty cool, but Cateye's new LED lights are going to blow those Hope's outta the water- stay tuned!

Rode the Greenbelt today, and the trails were pretty greasy! Frost is still coming out of the ground here. Worst thing was, somebody rode their HORSE on it! Good thing the mud was only about 2" deep! Local riders beware! A large deposit of HORSE APPLES on trail in the Ainsborough to Ridgeway section! Can't miss it! It's about half a bushels worth! I've not seen any evidence of horses on this section of trail for YEARS! Man- some people just don't get it! DO NOT RIDE YOUR HORSE ON A MUDDY TRAIL! And they complain about MTB damage- BAH!

Gnomes have invaded Europa Cycle and Ski! Soon to be turned loose out in the Iowa countryside! An EVIL PLOT? Hmmmm..............................



Guitar Ted, Gnome Domination emminent!! BEWARE!

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:13 PM :: ::

Must Have Fuel.

Hands down, the best and most effective fueling source that I have found/used for all of my endurance efforts is the E-Caps / Hammer Nutrion line. If you are interested in the wide range of products hit up their website. If you are a first time customer use code 46035, and save 15% off your order. My favorite items are Hammer Gel, Perpetuem, HEED, Endurolytes, and Anti-Fatigue. For more info on these products visit the site or contact me.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:40 AM :: ::

It's all training.

So we had a few minutes of some down time at the shop later Saturday afternoon, so I figured I would do some sprint intervals. Feel the burn!

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:38 AM :: ::

Maxxis is in.

My first shipment of Maxxis tires has arrived. Lots of good tires for all types of course conditions. These tires should work on every course from Trans-Iowa to the wet roots and rocks at Whistler.

Introducing......Maxxis


The Ignitor tread pattern was designed for the most discerning professional racers and already has laid claim to multiple World Cup victories. The well-spaced tread pattern fills in nicely to provide low rolling resistance in the straights, while the ramped pentagonal knobs provide excellent traction in the corners and in medium soil. Guitar Ted is running the 29er version of this tire. Look for some "words" from hime later.



The TT works on a vast number of terrains and conditions, which is why it is the favored tread of many of our pro dual riders. The TT hooks up well because each small, square lug in the tread pattern is ramped to roll easily, yet tightly spaced so more knobs are making contact with the ground. Thus, the contact patch is effective on a wide variety of surfaces. Can you say "Trans-Iowa tire?"



New for 2005, Alison Dunlap designed the ADvantage as a high volume aggressive cross country tire that corners great on big side-knobs. It also climbs and brakes with authority thanks to the opposing parallelogram center tread design. Ramped center knobs keep rolling resistance minimal and the wide lug spacing sheds mud easily.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:07 AM :: ::

This sucks!

I hate having a cold. It has drained me of all energy. Right now the only thing I can think about is wanting to race the Spoke Pony Race, ride my bike, and be active, but...my body just wants to sit and be still till this sickness leaves. Since yesterday all I have done is blow my nose. It's hard to sleep when you can't breathe out your nose, so I resort to breathing out my mouth which sucks cause this nice film then forms on your grill by morning. Seems like I drank an entire bottle of NyQuil...about 100 proof...the closest I have been to being drunk. It help'd a bit, but still was up on and off during the night.

So, today, I am going to chill out. Need to run to the shop to pick up my pay check..which should be the highest amount of bling I have seen since September. Then it's off to pick up the Trans-Iowa cue sheets from the printer....a whole $45 dollars worth.

Got a phone call yesterday from former Europa employee Kris Wilson. He is in Moab. He wanted to know if I, or anyone else, wanted to come out to Moab and "wrench" for Posion Spider. Would be a super cool gig, but I have too much going on here with the race and stuff. Moab is a great place to ride every once in awhile, but I wouldn't want to live there. Just think of it as living on Mars....but with a McDonald's and a crap load of bike shops...and hippies.

Still looking for a financial sponsor for Trans-Rockies for the Cateye Enduro Team.

I am proud to say that I do not use steroids. I figure since everyone else is saying they don't, why not me?

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:28 AM :: ::

Green Goo.

No racing for me this weekend. Over the last few days I have been feeling the on comings of a bit of the sickness, and sure enough this morning it has arrived. My head feels like it's about ready to explode and the green goo is flowing like a fine wine.

Todays theme song.....HERE.......Crank it up Beeeeatch!

Training has been right on, so I know that I am not overtrained. This is that stupid head-cold crap that has been going from person...to person...to person....to person. Anywho... the sickness isn't that bad. I can still function like a normal person (well, atleast what I think is normal), but it just doesn't lend itself to racing a bike for 6 hours at a competitive level.

Not a big deal really. It's only March. I will have plenty of times to race this year. Just going to half to put a delay on the start of the season.

I was reading the Salsa Cycles blog. The latest post about having cycling in our lives is 100% right on! Who knows what I would be doing, or living, if I never got that Diamonback Sorrento from the shop back home about 10 years ago.

Time to drink a ton of OJ and rest up.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:41 AM :: ::

Cateye HL-EL500 Light Review by Guitar Ted

Trans Iowa riders, listen up! Here is some verbiage you will find interesting. The review of the Cateye LED powered HL-EL500 is at hand!!!

First- the pertinent info! Cost: about $50.00 or slightly less. Power: 1 watt single LED. uses 4 double a batteries,(not included! GRRR!!) Waterproof case to 30 meters. ( has ANYBODY ridden at this depth!!?) magnetic switch, handlebar mount with swivel function, light quickly detaches from the mount for "flashlight" duties, and "Power Opticube" technology.

Now for the performance! This light was puchased by myself as a replacement for the Planet Bike light that I reviewed a couple of months back. As you may remember, I was less than thrilled by the performance( or lack there of) of that light. Well, I can say that this Cateye light definitely "outshines" the competition! (groan!!!) At the very first, it was obvious that this light was going to be good. But first, I would like to comment about a few nits I had with this particular design. The Planet Bike light had a great QR type mount that was SUPER easy to remove and replace on any handlebar. The Cateye light is woeful in comparison, with a mount that must be futzed with to get it from one bike to another. Added to this is the nut and bolt that help to secure the mount are not "captured" in the mount, and can be easily lost. Beware of any nightime, or feild removal of this mount, because you may lose these critical parts! That said, the mount is extremely secure and does grip the bar like a vise. Whilst I'm talking about the mount, I'll say that the slight swivel adjustment allows you to center the light patch in front of you, even if you have to mount the light off center on your handlebars.

The light itself is a great light source for commuting, bike path riding, or very light duty offroading. The light stays lit for 30hrs! No more worrying about where I'm going to plug in my recharger at! The switch is easily activated, even with a gloved hand. Very cool! With it's waterproof case, I don't have to give a second thought about rain or snow. `

The light beam is WAY better than the Planet Bike light in intensity, and in color. The Cateye light produces an intense bluish-white light that made the PlanetBike light look yellow in a side by side comparo. The beam is intense, and focused. ( Is it just me, or does anybody else think the beam pattern looks like Cateye's logo?) The beam can be focused out to about 25- 30 feet, with a width of about 3-4 feet. Outside of this "zone" there really isn't much light to be had, except for some concentric "half rings" of light that trail backwards toward the bike. It is the Power Opticube technology that keeps the 1watt beam so intense and focused. Also, because of that, I really could ride along at a good clip through the city streets with good ability to see any debris or potholes in my path well before I arrived on top of them. I felt totally comfortable, as long as the surfaces were smooth. When things got rough, the intense beam patch bounced up and down with my handlebars, making navigation difficult. Of course, I was on a rigid bike and sussy riders may not have such a hard time. But, I would think that this light would not work all that well in the woods, in singletrack. The beam is just too narrow and intense for that. Now if Cateye could rig up a helmet mount for this bad boy- that'd be a different story! It would be a great compliment to a nice HID bar mount system. Anyhoo! I really like this light!

For something like Trans Iowa, this light would be awesome! Small, lightweight, and 30hrs operation make it a no- brainer! Better yet- get two for a wider veiw of the gravel at night! Plus, in the event of a feild repair, you can quickly, and easily dismount the light body for trailside repair visibility. I highly recommend this light to all commuters, and night time pavement riders!

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:30 PM :: ::

All Kinds of News.

Howdy Hey!

Today is my day off from work. It's has been a while since I have had a day off...which doesn't bother me one bit, cause I need the money. So I went out for 50 miles of gravel and did some short interval work to open up the legs. Actually have some great weather today....about 45 degrees. A lot better than the 20 degree crap from the other days.

The Tifosi swag showed today at the shop for Trans-Iowa. Plus I got my gear for the 2005 season. All registered racers will be getting a set of the Synapse in the lovely shade of amber. Great set of shades for style'n and chill'n at the 'bucks coffee shop.....right Sologoat?

Speaking of Sologoat....
Check out the blog over on Speedgoat Cycles. Nice picture of the Quam 1.5's and a great review from the Goat himself.

For me, I will fly'n the Kilo in silver with 3 sets of lenses...The Q2 in white with clear lense...and finally another set of Q2's in black frames with amber lenses. Check out Tifosi's website for the latest info on the new 2005 models. Plus, make sure you thank them for the free swag!!! THANKS JIM!!!

Also for Trans-Iowa...WTB has signed on to offer gear, plus I just received 2 sweet Camelbak's. One for the Men, and one for the ladies. These are huge too....like expedition style.

So other news regarding Trans-Iowa that just came in this AM is Ergon wants to get as many people in the race on a set of those grips I have been pimp'n. So if you are racing Trans-Iowa, and are looking into those grips...WAIT!!!! You might get a free pair. Stay tuned to your e-mail freaks.

Anyone need a new ride? The one and only, Carlos The Jackal, has his Trek Fuel for sale. Lots of Chris King add ons!!!! Check out his site for the info and how to contact him.

That's all for today. Time to work on some advertisements for the shop. Oh, a big thanks to the folks at Blue Collar for the interview.

FYI...
2 Hour tempo road ride at 8 AM on Wed. morning. Meet behind Bike Tech.

Jeff Kerkove said at 2:14 PM :: ::

Gnomes, and Future Surprises!

A quick post to let all you loyal blog readers know that I have located some PERFECT GNOMES to be used as course "re-assurance" markers for Trans Iowa! I can't let on any details just yet, but you'll find out! Also- news is rumbling about the "copy-cat" event to Trans Iowa. Looks like it's going to happen. A representative of that double-triple secret event is going to attend Trans Iowa as an "observer". We better do a good job then! That way you nut-jobs can suffer crossing a yet-to-be-named state besides Iowa! Stay tuned for more updates as they become available!!!!

Jeff Kerkove said at 9:21 AM :: ::

PRODUCT REVIEW.

This is my first year on Maxxis products. So far the Re-Fuse 700x25 tire that I have been running for road training rocks! The rubber compund is hard enought to offer tons of durability, yet soft enough to give a good smooth ride and great hook up. I have ridden down gravel roads...ripped out 7 hours rides...and turn'd out some roller rides. The tires still look like the day I put it on. I talked to the Maxxis rep at QBP Frost bike, and he said that the HealthNet team runs these things hard...all the way down to the Kevlar belt. So, if you are looking for a good year round durable training tire, look no further than the Maxxis Re-Fuse. Retail on this tire is right around $25 per tire.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:42 AM :: ::

Marketing Mania!

Hey!

Well, I survived the shop yesterday. We did pretty good for a 30 degree day and crummy weather. People are getting the fever!

I got the Ergon grips installed on my back-up NRS. Holy sh#&! These things are amazing. Granted I only got to commute home (5 miles) on them, but there is a huge difference. Carl, even demo'd the bike around the shop. He liked them! He said he wanted to lick them. That was weird. So, if you see me at a race and want to see/try the grips, just come up and say hi. One word....Butter! Or should I say Olive Oil? That just doesn't roll off the tongue as smooth.

Right now I am waiting for it to warm up a bit (12 degrees out) before I take the NRS out for some race specific training. Today we go back to summer hours at the shop, so I need to be in at 11:30.

So to take up some time this morning, I sent out all the press releases for Trans-Iowa. All the way from Omaha...to Orange City....to Algona....to Forest City....Mason City....Des Moines Register....Decorah....and a whole bunch on little towns in betweeen. I think I sent out like 45 e-mails. Gotta pimp the sponsors and give the nut bags do'n this race some props!

Time to layer up for some rage'n

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:38 AM :: ::

Hello Moto.

Ok, I will admit that was a bad blog title, but oh well.

First things first...
CONGRATS to Eduardo the German Speaking Cabana Boy and family on the recent birth of their daughter. Rumor has it that the kid is already signing contracts with top Tri-geek companies.....Cervello....Zoot....etc.

Second....
Got my Ergon grips yesterday. Hope to get a pair on my NRS today. Butter!

Third...
Took yesterday off and used the extra long loop to work on the Surly as an active recovery day. The interval session that we did on Thursday night was a good kick in the junk. I felt really strong during the ride, but now my body is feeling the effects.

Fourth...
Looking to do race specific workouts on Sunday before I have to be at work at 11:30....hills, sprints, etc. Anyone in the Cedar Valley care to join. Start at 8 bells?

Fifth...
New shorts kick ass. As stated in earlier post, I received some new gear from Giant. Nothing like a fresh chamois to bring nirvana to the nether regions. Ahhhhhhhhh. Butter.

Sixth...
Who is going to the Spoke Pony Showdown? Never-Rest? Squirrel? Others?

Seventh...
I did an interview for the folks over at Blue Collar. Check it out. They should have it up soon. These guys have a great site. I wish they would have been around when I first started riding. Great site for the newbie to get into the sport and find great deals on gear.

Eight...
I find it funny that most of my hits come from a roadie site.....So Pro Jones. Are these roadies wanting to leave the dark side and come over to fat tire heaven? Oh well, at least the dude rages on a Giant.

Nine...
How is the Trans-Iowa training going? Got word that the Tifosi Optics have been shipped for all the racers, and that Giant has signed on also for gear for the event. Looks like everyone will get something for suffering.

Tenth...
The best part of working at a bicycle shop is seeing the face on a 10 year old as they walk out the door with a new bike and helmet. That is what it is all about. Butter!

Off to work!

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:00 AM :: ::

ViVa La 29er!

Ok, this is way off topic from the normal stuff that I spew on this blog, but I can't help but be drawn to the whole 29er mnt bike revolution. My co-worker, Guitar Ted, has one and swears by it. Nat Ross and Cameron Chambers both race on one...plus a handfull of others. Plus, the largest, most viewed board in the MTBR Forums is the 29er thread. I WANT ONE! The one that really catches my eye is the Surly Karate Monkey in black, singlespeed, and rigid. Not only does it have a cool name, but it's a good fool proof design that just plain works...as does everything from the fine folks at Surly. From what everyone says, this is the way to go. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to dump my Giant's, cause I LOVE THEM. But it sure would be sweet to get some offroad time on one. I wonder if Surly has a demo program....hint, hint, hint.

Rant off.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:53 AM :: ::

Hmmmmm.

So it looks like my Dad really does have it tough being principal. And I thought racing a bike for 24 hours was tough work. See the rest of the story here.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:51 PM :: ::

Ergon supports!

Ergon has just confirmed it's sponsorship of the Cateye Enduro Team for 2005. Sloane and myself will each be running the Ergon grips shown below. Stay tuned to the site for product reviews. Hope to have them by next weekend so I can get a solid 6 hours of racing on them. Thanks Ergon!!!

Jeff Kerkove said at 11:42 AM :: ::

Chilly gravel rage'n

Half way thru the the week....YIPEE!

Just got in from 2.5 hours of glorious single speed'n out on the New Hartford hills. It kicked my butt! The temps didn't help any either. The warmest it got during this ride was about 20 degrees....plus throw in a 15 mph NW wind, and it becomes even colder. Overall the ride was a good "resistence" workout. The entire ride was a fight against the elements...and gravel.

Anywho...
My legs were not very spunky during last nights roller ride, so I just spun the legs out for an hour while the rest of the group did 15 sets of 2 minutes on followed by 1 minute recovery. I think I am officially done riding indoors for the year. I just can't take it anymore. I look back a few years ago, an I can remember do a few 6 hour roller rides in the basement of the Iowa Cat 1 State Road Champions basement. That was insane! We must have been really hard-core.

I am glade I just did some spinning last night, cause today's ride was better for my type of training. I am the only one in the area, that does endurance racing, so I have to tweek my training while everyone else is training for crits, and XC mnt bike races.

Got back from the ride and made one of the huge pancakes...plate size. I always add protein powder and bananas to it. Tastes really good after a long ride, plus you feel full through out most of the day. I also burned the pancake a bit today. Now my apartment smells like IHOP.

Well, it's off to work. It's becoming chaotic at work which is good! That means more $ in my pockets and fast days at work.

I wonder if Cameron Chambers is going to the Spoke Pony Showdown?

Jeff Kerkove said at 11:29 AM :: ::

Funds Needed....Please.

So Sloane and myself have been chit-chatting via e-mail. We have come to the conclusion that we would like to team up to pimp our sponsors and compete in Trans-Rockies. This 7 day stage race through the Canadian Rockies sure would be epic. Rumor has it that the Kona boys are interested in going also. Anywho, it is the entry fee ($1350 per person) that is keeping us from going. So, with that said, we are now on the look out for a sponsor(s) to financially support us. If you are interested, send me an e-mail.

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:49 PM :: ::

New Threads

Well, it's Tuesday, and there really isn't a whole lot go'n down.

I went to the YMCA this morning and lifted. The is the last month of gym time. Can't wait to just start riding daily. On the way to the YMCA I went down fast on the Surly.....again! I figured since we had the 70 degree temps on Sunday, that most of the snow/ice would have been melted on the trail. Well, I was right when I say it melted....but then it froze again. It was a nice sheet of perfectly smooth black ice. I came rage'n onto the trail, and as soon as I hit the ice I was on my butt and sliding. My bike flew about 10 ft in front of me and then slammed into the fence, and I slid on my arse for like another 10 feet. It was like the slip-n-slde. I even caught myself giggling, cause I was just sliding...and sliding...and sliding. Good thing I was wearing my Giro E2, cause I smacked the back of my head when I went down. Don't worry...I am OK. No damage.

Got into work yesterday, and sitting on my work bench was a box from Giant. I wasn't expecting anything from them, since I already got my frame. I opened the box, and inside was 2 sets of bib shorts....2 jerseys...and 1 long sleeve jersey. SWEET!! Guess, the word on the street is that these are the clothes we are supposed to wear till out Cateye Enduro Team clothing comes in from Sugoi. Thanks Steve!!!

Looks as if the Spoke Pony Showdown 6 Hour Race is a go! Chuck and buddy are picking me up next Friday on their way down from Minneapolis, then we are heading to KC. I should try to talk Chuck into stopping at Arrowhead Stadium so I can spit on the Chiefs logo....right Chad? Go Vikings! Anyway...I am going to use this as a "test" race and test run for Trans-Iowa. I am going to do the entire 6 hours self-supported if possible. I want to be able to get through the 6 hours with out stopping once. Meaning, I will carry all water and food during the event. That is my plan...we'll see if that happens.

Off to work...then roller mania!

Jeff Kerkove said at 11:20 AM :: ::

Ass Nirvana

Here is a little product review for ya folks. This is the Fi'zi:k Nisene mtb saddle. This is my personal choice for long hours on the mnt bike. If you like stiff saddles, this is the route to go. Please note, that if you run a set of shorts with poor chamois quality, this saddle with hurt you. To compliment this saddle I run the Pearl Izumi 3D bib with its 3D ass pad. After hours and hours on this saddle, it holds its flat shape, so it always fits the same. It also has a bit of a padded nose for added comfort when the time comes to have to sit on the nose for steep climbs. Another cool feature is you can custom build this saddle on Fi'zi:k's website. For me, I just stick with the stock black saddle. To play around with the unlimited options that await you CLICK HERE. Other saddles that compare in craftsmanship and ride quality that I have had long hours on are the WTB Shadow V and the WTB Rocket V Stealth. Just keep in mind that all saddles are different, and that all people like different saddles. I just hope your saddle gets you to ass nirvana. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:20 AM :: ::

Mission Complete.

My goal was huge miles and hours today....DID IT! Got in just under 7. 5 hours for a total mileage count of approx. 146. We had one one of those "once-in-awhile" days. I got up to 70 degrees today! That only happens every once in awhile, so I took full advantage of it. Even got my so pro tan lines go'n again in full force. The only down fall to todays weather was the SW wind blowing at a sustained 25ish mph. This was a good kick in the chops. Just ask Carl. I hope to have this wind for Trans-Iowa....out of the same direction, cause it will blow us all the way to the finish line. Just hope to God the wind isn't out of the SE.

I went out this AM for 3 hours by myself and did some structured work....intervals....sprints....hill work. After that I meet up with Carl for another 3.5 hours of ass kick'n wind riding up to the fine town of Shell Rock. The wind was unreal! Sand was smacking us in the face. Thanks to Tifosi for making a product that keeps the sand out of the eyes! I had to ride on the hoods of the road bike, cause the wind was blowing us all over the place and you needed the leverage to hold the bike steady. The speed into this wind on the bike was like 13-16 mph....if you were lucky. It was like a huge 3 hour hill climb. Just had to find a good tempo and go with it. Oh, yeah....there was no drafting! Both of us pushed the wind. We are freaks!!!!

After the ride with Carl, I rode him home, then did an out-and-back to the "T" intersection West of Cedar Falls into the hellish headwind. Did an average of about 18mph into the gusts. The ride back was fast. 30 mph with no problems. Now it is time to recover and elevate the legs.

Hope you got a good ride in today if you live inthe Midwest. Temps are hardly going to reach 35 next week. One day of 70 degrees....followed by 6 days of 35 degrees....only in Iowa!

I wonder if the Salsa Queen got the Salsa outta the basement for a little sunshine?

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 4:17 PM :: ::

Saturday, Sunday, and the first race.

Yipee! It's Saturday. Today, is my scheduled day off from organized training, so I am working all day a the shop. Might spin the legs out with a commute to and from work via the Surly 1x1. Weather is supposed to be warm, so we will be swamped a the shop. That is always a good thing. We go back to normal summer hours soon also. That even more of an added bonus, cause now I will actually have a bit more money to try to live off of.

Sunday, the shop is closed so I am going on a huge ride. It's either going to be gravel to Traer or silly road miles. Have to go out and suffer. I agree with Sologoat 100% when he says....you have to teach your body to suffer. Should be good times.

I have pretty much committed to doing the Spoke Pony Showdown 3/6 hour race down by Kansas City. Supposed to be a super technical course...rocks, root, gnomes, etc. I am ready to test my fitness, and see where I sit. This race looks to be a good one to try. Anyone want to ride with me...share gas costs....maybe hotel costs on Friday night. Going to make it as cheap as possible.....cheaper is better. E-mail me if you are interested.

See on Cyclingnews.com that the Trek crew is on fine form. Bishop and Eatough went 1,2 in the Marathon. Is anyone going to beat Eatough this year in an endurance event? Only time will tell.

Off to work to sell stuff and dream about World's

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:08 AM :: ::

Holy warm one Batman!

Good lord! It's like 50 freak'n degrees. I started this morning at 7:30 with all kinds of layers....booties....skull cap...etc. About every 30 miles I would have to shed a layer. By the time I got in my 5 hour ride up towards Tipoli, IA and back I looked like a pack rat. I had all my layers shed and stuffed in my rear jersey pockets. You see those guys in the Tour that go back to the team car, then load up with like 20 water bottles. Yeah, that is what I looked like. Freak'n Hunchback of Notre Dame go'n on.

Wind was a pain. There was no wind when I started, but as soon as I turned to start heading South, BAM! It was right into my face. Come'n at ya at like 19 mph. The whole way back to CF. We don't have the elevation in Iowa, but the wind more than makes up for it.

It was nice to finally do 70% of a ride outdoors with no skull cap and nothing but cycling socks and shoes...No booties Yipee!!! Tomorrow is all day at the shop, so there will be no structured riding other than the commute via the Surly. Sunday looks to be warm again, so I am aiming for the 6-7 hour mark. Do I have any takers for a ride on Sunday? Carlos? Ed? John? Robert? Tinker Fry? Super Dave? Kisch? Can anyone hear me? Hellllllooooooo.....

To celebrate todays ride, I am going to make one of these....one big one...the size of my head!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 11:12 AM :: ::

TruVativ has arrived.

Just got my TruVativ gear for this season. Thanks to Dillon and the rest of the crew for the help this year. A lot of the gear that they sent isn't even available yet. I looked on the net for pictures, but none. So, I scaned them out of the catalog I picked up a few weeks ago.

Introducing TruVativ 2005...



This is the new Stylo GXP Crankset. GXP stands for Giga X Pipe external bearings. These cranks now follow the same idea behind the Shimano XTR, XT, LX, etc. There is no bottom bracket...in technical terms. The bearings are outboard the frame. Looks to be way stiff. Can't wait to stomp on it.



Not really new for 2005, this is the Team bar. The only new feature is the 31.8 handle bar clamp diameter. Once again....way stiff!!!



Here is the Team Stem. Nothing new for '05 but for the 31.8 clamp. TruVative really has this stif thing go'n on this year.


That is all I have for now. They did not send a seatpost. Either the seatpost is not ready yet, or they forgot. No biggie, I have a Thomson one sitting at the shop. Sloane, did you get a seatpost? Check back for product reviews and thoughts.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:05 PM :: ::

Feel awesome.

After yesterdays 3 hour power ride on the Surly 1x1, I officially feel great. Legs are strong, and the motivation is high. This morning I singlespeeded to the YMCA and lifted. I even stared down a few machines while I was there. I think they fear me. My leg workout that I love to do is starting to show the effects. I do 3 sets of 150 lbs 60 times fast....one leg at a time. None of that 2 legged sissy stuff here. Yeah, it burns. It really teaches lactic acid tolerance.

Cycling News posted the Trans-Iowa press release. Hmmmm, I wonder who sent them that? It's at the bottom of the page. Gotta pimp the sponsors!

Today, my TruVativ parts should show. They come from Cali, so it takes like 4 days to get them here. In anticipation for the new parts, I went in early yesterday and applied sponsor decals to my NRS Air frame. Once again...Gotta pimp the sponsors!

Got an e-mail from the fine folks at Ergon. They caught wind of how much I have been pimping their grips on MTBR and on this site, that they are going to be my grip sponsor this year. Sorry, no link but here is a picture. Thanks guys!


Ergon Performance grip. Touch it. Hug it. Lick it. Grip it. Did I say lick it? Nevermind.

Carl is speaking German on is blog. I am confused. Reading his blog now, was like going to Spanish class in college. Makes no freak'n sense.

Planning a huge ride on Sunday on the road rocket. All and any are welcomed to join me. Look'n for 6 hours or more. E-mail me if you are interested. Weather man says heat wave....45 degrees. Shirt optional.

Tonight is House of Pain roller workout. Long intervals are on tap. Bring it!

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 10:58 AM :: ::

I'm Baaaaack!

Just a hair over 3 hours on the single-speed. It was rough. Did a lot of riding through GW on the frozen grass and through Greenbelt on the frozen dirt and ice. The ice kicked my arse once. I went down hard....ripped out the zipper on my Craft bootie. DAMN! But my Nike thermal windfront bib tights survived the fall. I landed on my knee and slid like 10 feet. My right knee looks like I got a golf ball lodged under the skin. I also hit up some of the snowmobile trails north of town. These are pretty fun. They are hardpacked from the snowmobilers, but a bit rough. I felt like I was riding down the middle of the railroad tracks. My arms went numb, plus my knuckles started to hurt. Oh yeah, feel the pain. But, I sucked it up. The single speed is a great training tool. No suspension. No gear. Just you, the bike, and the pain.

FYI....
All residents of the Cedar Valley need to go out to Greenbelt and ride. It's purdy sketchy. Lots of ice and deep ruts. Great for the technical skillz.

Time to recover...then work.

Jeff Kerkove said at 11:26 AM :: ::

A quickie

Just posting a short blog before I pull on a crap load of layers to go out and beat myself up. Yesterday after my weight workout, I felt a bit of the "sickness" coming on....headache and all the other fun stuff that goes with it. So I started loading on the Raspberry Emer'gen-C and OJ. Now I feel like million bucks. So this AM before work, I am going to take out the Surly 1x1 to the frozen land of the Cedar Valley and rage. No suspension, plus frozen rutted dirt equals total ass kicker. This will get my body used to the beating that is will take in an endurance race. Bring the pain. Time to gear up....1 layer.....2 layers.....3 layers....4 layers....5 layers.....Bring it!

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:07 AM :: ::

Blogging....short form.

I felt awesome after the ride on Sunday.

It took me 1 hour to clean all the sand and brake pad poo off the road bike yesterday. Oh, how I lust for a clean, and happy bike.

There was bike carnage at the Snow Bike Race in Fort Dodge last weekend....and there was no snow. SEE IT!

Solo Goat likes new tats, green beanies, and long rides. SEE IT!

TruVativ product was shipped to me on Friday. Hope to have it soon. GET IT!

Tifosi Optics kick ass! GET 'EM!

I wish it would warm up so I can start getting in huge rides daily. Right now it's 12 degrees with -1 windchill.....and it's freak'n March 1st.

I am going to blast a Guns-n-Roses album I haven’t listened to since high school and scream every single lyric with Axl-esque head swings. (got that from Donny at QCP)

I am going to single it to the YMCA to stare down weight machines, then grunt like a freak, and then ride home. I am such a beast. Well, not really.

I still have my tan lines on my arms and legs from last year. I am so pro.

Almonds are good.

The Iowa House shot down raising the speed limit to 70 mph. Damn!

Trans-Iowa is getting out of control. Wahhhhhhhhhh! Down boy! Down!

Ordered the number plates last week. They are yellow. Like a banana. Like my road bike. Like Lance's fav jersey.

I just consumed a pot of the black goodness within the last hour.

I wonder if Scott Cave is still alive.

Sloane posted a few pictures of himself at Old Pueblo.

I wish my Fox Forks would show up. Tick toc.....tick toc....tick toc.

Think you're smart? Try this.

I regards to Guitar Teds post below....I like to get my $$$$ worth. You can race the WEM Series for $35 (12 hours) or a local XC race for right around $20ish (2 hours). Hmmmmm? Which is the better deal? XC races are still great to go out and throw down. It Buuuuuuurn!

I am off to the YMCA. Thanks for swing'n by.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:55 AM :: ::