Back on the Bike....a shorty

Saturday: 12 hour race in Milwaukee.

Sunday: Drive home from Milwaukee. Eat. Sleep.

Monday: Clean up bikes from 12 hour race. Work at shop. Eat. Sleep.

Today: Work at shop. 1 hour mnt bike spin around at a very, very, very low HR. Eat. Eat. Eat.

Wednesday: TBA

I wonder how Sloane did at 24 Hour Nationals. Rumor is that Cameron Chambers de-throned Mr. Eatough. Sweeeeeeeeet.

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:03 PM :: ::

1st at the Metro 12 Hour!

Wahoo! First win of the year. Sure wasn't a walk in the park, but I managed to suffer through it. Most of the suffering was my own doing, cause I thought the opening pace was a bit too slow. As with most of the 12 hours races in WI there was no shortage of fast dudes in the solo 12 race....Jim Peterson (2002,2003 World's Age Group Winnner)....Lee Unwin (Salsa Team rider)....Spencer Fulkersun (2003 World's Age Group Winner). These are the guys that I marked as "threats" at the beginning of the event.

The race started an hour late due to overnight rains. It was a good thing, cause the opening lap was very slippery and greasy. The race started with about 100 yard run up the freek'n ski hill to our bikes. We hopped on, and then off we went. The first part of the course was open grass field which then filed into some twisty and tight single track...(SEE IT HERE). After that it was more fast open singletrack, followed by more tight single track, etc., etc. Then came the first hill. This was an open climb to the top of the ski hill via a rocky washed out foot path. Once to the top it was back to more grassy sections and then even more tight single track....(SEE MORE.) Next up was anther climb to the highest point of the ski hill. We would climb, and then it would pitch up with super steep raise...(Mmmmm, Pictures.) Once to the top is was a big section of kick butt downhill singletrack to the bottom of the hill for more singletrack followed by the gravel road back up the ski hill to the finish. Each lap was like 5 miles, and my laps were on about the 29 minute average...(LET'S SEE THAT DH).

As far as the race itself...
Most of the solo guys were riding together for the first quarter lap...Jim, me, Lee, Spence, and others. At about 1/4 way thru the first lap Jim washed out due to slippery conditions. That is when I made my move. Yep, I attack 10 minutes into a 12 hour race. What was I thinking? Anyway, I kicked up the pace and just maintained. I kept my HR at 165 and just kept moving forward. Every lap I was gaining more and more time. At about 5 hours into it I was informed that Jim was only 5 minutes back and gaining fast. He was gaining time every lap. I was thinking to my self should I...

• (A) Maintain and wait for him to catch, then duke it out in the last hour?
• (B) Speed up a bit, and then really pick up the pace in the final hours?
• (C) Sit at the pit and eat Pringles and Oatmeal Cream Pies.

C sounded good, but I chose B. It hurt like crazy! I was gunning at fast as I could go for the final hours of the race. Time at the pit was just enough to slam E/Caps, Hammer, and ELETE. Then it was back out for a 5 mile TT. Well..this went on for like that last 5 hours of the race. In that time I lapped Lee and Spence. So it was really just me and Jim gunning it out for 1st. In the back of my head I though he was going to catch me, cause I was dying out there....but so was he! There were numerous times where we would see each other on different points on the course. That just fueld the desire to ride harder.

In the end, I held off Jim for 1st place overall by 9 minutes. I did 22 laps for roughly 103 miles total. So that means...chalk another win up for Cateye Enduro! Wahoo!

To see other pictures of the event, check out JD IMAGES. For complete results CLICK HERE.

Notes on equipment and nutrition...

• This was the first race on the new bike/build.
• Tires I ran were Maxxis ADvantage 2.1 eXCeption. The eXCeption tires from Maxxis shed mud better than the non-eXCeption. Must be that crazy mojo in the Maxxis rubber.
  
• For wheels I ran Cole prototype centerlock hoops....WAY STIFF!!!!
• FOX RLT 80 worked like butter.
• Combination of ELETE and Hammer/E-Caps kept me fueled and energized. You really need to check out ELETE.
  
• TruVativ's new 31.8 bars and stems are stiffer than the previous years.
• Ergon grips still work awesome. Say it with me...EEEERRRRRGONNN!
  
• Also, ran the new TruVativ Stylo GXP crankset with outboard bearings..traditional ISIS has nothing on this setup. Pushing on the pedals = rapid acceleration.
• My shorts are comfy...but they are getting old and see-through. They are going on their 3rd season. Oh, how I hope for new Cateye Enduro Team clothing soon.
  

THANK YOU SPONSORS FOR THE TOOLS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THIS WIN!

Time to relax!

I wonder how Sloane did at 24 Hour Nationals?

And for your FYI...
The top 2 overall solo 12 hour men were racing on Giant NRS Airs. Innnnntersting.

Jeff Kerkove said at 12:24 PM :: ::

Good to go!

T-Minus 1 full day and some odd number of hours till the start of the 12 Hours of Metro on Saturday. All the bikes are ready to go. I took the new one out today for some trail love after work. Played around with different air pressures in the front and rear FOX shocks. Also got the Ergon grips set to the right angle and the seat close to where I want it. I forgot how much I like hydro disc brakes. The new Hayes feel awesome, and the carbon bling, bling levers are happy when they meet your finger.

Now I am throw'n down some food and a high electrolyte cocktail. Should be good and fueled to go. Tomorrow I will get up pack up the Mazda P5 with all the gear...head to the shop to put my Maxxis tires on my primary race bike...the head off to Milwaukee around 10:00 AM.

So this looks to be all for now. Next post should be after I get back from the event on Sunday in the early afternoon.

GO, SLOANE, GO! He's going to be rage'n at 24 Hour Solo Nationals in Spokane, WA. Look for the Cateye Enduro Team to be hang'n out on the podium this weekend.

This is really funny is you are a frequent user of public trail systems...i.e. GW paved trail system. CLICK HERE TO GIGGLE OUT LOUD!

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:33 PM :: ::

Sheep?...As a saddle?...BRILLANT!

One of the many hazards of working at a bicycle shop. Bio-harazd suit is optional. Face and eye protection is a must. Must...wash...hands...

Jeff Kerkove said at 8:12 PM :: ::

What's go'n down today.

Not much happen'n today. Right now I am surfing the net and drinking a pot of the black goodness. In about 20 minutes I am going to head out on the road bike for a recovery spin around GW State Park. The ride will last 1 hour and the HR will be low. Sub 120 to be exact.

After the ride I will head out to Wally World to pick up supplies for the 12 Hour race this weekend. I will need to pick up all the necessities...Oatmeal Cream Pies....Nutty Bars...Clif Bars....Power Bars...ya know, all the good stuff.

Then it is to work till 8:00 pm. After work it is to bed. Yep, into bed at 8:30ish. Sleep is mucho importante before a big day in the saddle, such as a 12 hour effort.

That's all.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:50 AM :: ::

Ambushed by a Tandem

Yep, you read that right. For some reason Kisch and Fry decided to tag-team the group road ride tonight. A mighty fine job they did too. Tonights group ride roster looked like this...Me, Robert, Reed, Fry & Kisch, JY, and Mr. Madone. The group was very small considering the weather was perfect...75 degrees...no clouds...very light SE wind.

We left town on 12th street heading west. The group was riding together well at a 23 mph pace. Then it happened. The tandem unleashed it's fury. Let me now account the numerous times I was shelled out the back.

Shelled #1..heading up the hill by the cemetery near the TT turn around. It was Reed, Tandem, and me. I was shot out the back going up that hill at 28 mph. The Tandem was pulling.

Everyone then regrouped at the "T" intersection for the ride into Dike. Then it happened again. We were all together, then the Tandem just rode away. I was chasing at 31mph and not gaining. That was Shelled #2.

We then regrouped in Dike. We rode out of Dike heading South to Hudson. We all rode together taking pulls until about 1.5 miles from the turn into Hudson. Then it happened yet again. The Tandem attacked on a flat and yet pulled away from the group. I am not sure what speed, but I couldn't keep up. That is Shelled #3.

Finally it was the ride into Hudson. I knew that I had to attack on the hills and then maintain over them to finally beat the Tandem. I waited till Zaneta hill. I attack at the base. I made it 1/2 way up the hill then the Tandem was on my wheel. I then attacked again. I got to the top of the hill first, but not by much. As soon as we crested the hill it was over. All the sudden the Tandem starts dropping gears and pulls away going down hill. I was turning over my 53 x 11 going down hill at 42 mph! They still pulled away from me. That is Shelled #4.

I never saw them again till Hudson. Once we got to Hudson we rage'd down Ho-Chi-Min road till my turn off home to CF.

All in all it was a bastard of a ride. Tandem 4...Jeff 0. Thanks for the kick in the junk guys!

Time to rub down the thrashed legs.

How ya do'n JY?

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:33 PM :: ::

I have a secret...

Say hello to ELETE. This is a pure electrolyte that you can mix in just about anything liquid. I have been using this since I started training for Trans-Iowa. Throw in this product and a solid nutritional program for your endurance racing, and you have a formula for success. This is great cause you can mix it in a bottle...a few drops on your tongue...add it to your hydration pack. So, if you have problems with cramping, I would consider this product. It's available at most bike shops that deal with QBP and through the ELETE website.

Jeff Kerkove said at 2:02 PM :: ::

Product Review.

From time to time, I like to give a bit of feedback on the gear that I am using for this year. Well, It's that time again. Time for a bit of rubber goodness. So, here we go.



Say hello to the Maxxis ADvatage tire. This little slice of heaven is a darn good tire. I have some time on this tire which allows me to give some feedback on it's performance and durability. I did Trans-Iowa and the 12 hours of Sugar Creek on a set of these. Even though the course conditions for both races were complete contrasts, the tire performed at a high level. Below you will find the specs and final thoughts.

Name: Maxxis ADvantage
Size: 26 x 2.10 eXCeption
(Note: eXCeption in the Maxxis line of tire designates a "for racing only" tire. These tires often are lighter in weight and have a softer rubber compound.)
Price: $45 per tire
Pros: This tire is a great all around tire. Its a high volume tire for added comfort and control. The knob design allows for low rolling resistence. Also, the knob design keeps the breaking solid and the high speed cornering with a "riding on rails" type of feeling.
Cons: The dark black dirt of the Midwest likes to stick to the tire when the conditions are wet. They do ball up with mud kind of quick, but as soon as you hit a non-mud area, the mud is shed. Also noted that the tire on super harpacked trails likes to drift while turing at a high rate of speed. This is due to the soft "for racing only" compound. Both of these "Cons" are based on the Midwest riding conditions. The tire might handle different in your neck of the woods. Also it will wear out fast if you use for all around riding in general...if that is the case, opt for the non eXCeption series of tires.
Overall: Good tire if you can only by one set of race tires. Awesome for enduro racers due to the high volume for comfort and handling. The Swiss-Army Knife of tires...meaning it can do it all.

2 thumbs up from me!

Jeff Kerkove said at 12:13 PM :: ::

Day off!

Today is my day off from work...Yipee! But I still went in from 8:30 till 11:00 waiting for "Brown Santa" to show up with goodies. He never came...sigh.

Anyway, yesterday from about 1:00 till this morning I felt like ass. I felt how I did at the 24 Hours of Moab. No energy...sore body...just general fatigue. Great, all I need to do is get the sickness before the race this weekend. Anyway, I got home from work and pounded a glass of OJ and Emer'gen-C and now I feel a ton better. I also slept like a baby from 8:00 PM till 7:00 AM. Ahhhhhh, refreshing.

This morning I got up and took the Mazda P5 to get the oil and air filter changed. Also got the tires back up to proper air pressure, and had the tires rotated. The car drives like a million bucks now. Should be good to go for the 5ish hour drive to Milwaukee.

Tonight...
Road Group Ride of Doom! Of course I will join if I feel like I am up for it. Don't want to drag the bodies immune system down. Stay tuned later for a recap. I might just take the camera.

Last night at the shop...
A lady bitched me out on the phone, cause her tires were low on her bike after picking it up 2 weeks ago. She mentioned this is the first time she has attempted to ride this bike since the repair. For the repair, we did a tune up and replaced the tubes cause she suggested it. Anyway, she proceeded to tell me that if she pays $90ish dollars for a repair her tires should never go flat. She also said that in her 35 years of riding a bike that her tires have never been low and has never had to air up her tires. Riiiiiiiiiiight. I told her that tires loose air from just sitting. No matter if it is a $200 bike or a $10,000 bike. It's just a fact of owning a bike lady. Own a floor pump and pump up those tires just like the rest of the cycling community. And please tell the little inner demons prancing around in your skull to chill out. Bitching gets you nothing. Let me do my job. Oh, and a bicycle is NOT a toy.

Rant off.

Ok, that is all. Stay tuned for write up from the ride.

Oh, and don't forget to where your helmet while riding your bicycle. Those of you reading this know what I am getting at. As Guitar Ted said..."Either you know or you don't." I'll leave it at that.

Get better soon dude!

Have you experienced the Soiled Chamois? Check it out!

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 11:13 AM :: ::

The Week Ahead.

Happy Monday!

Had a pretty good weekend. Spent all day at the shop working. The shop was slow due to the freak thunder storms. Sunday was a half day at the shop, and was a bit busier due to the 75 degree temps and blue skies. The only downfall to yesterdays weather was the crazy wind.

I headed out yesterday before work for my training ride. Did some hill repeats and intervals. Felt really good and hope to continue to feel good up to this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend...
I am heading to Milwaukee, WI for the 12 Hours of Metro. This is race number 3 in the 9 race WEMSeries. Looking to pull off a podium appearence again. Should have no problems as long as all the gear, nutrition, and fitness all works in harmony.

My teammate Sloane is making the trek across his home state of Washington to Spokane for 24 Hour Nationals. There are some big names coming. The roster looks like a who's-who of the endurance racing world. It will be tough. Good luck dude! This will also be the first race for the new light from Cateye.

Other than that, I am heading out before work today for a 2 hour tempo ride to keep the legs spunky. Tuesday will be the road group ride to open up the legs one last time. Wednesday is an easy ride. Thursday will be a short ride with a few hard efforts thrown in for good measure. And Friday is the trip to Milwaukee and maybe a course pre-ride.

Ever thought about doing the 24 Hours of Moab? Well CLICK HERE and go along for ride on one of the laps. Very cool video! Oh, the horrific memories. Also note, that this is a dial-up killer.

Time to consume coffee then ride.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:11 AM :: ::

New G-Ride.

Well, I finally got all my gear from my very, very, very generous sponsors. Yeah, it took like 4 months to get everything, but I can deal with it. The final result is one fine piece of carbon fiber machine ready to battle the endurance scene from coast to coast.

And now some pictures!


The final result in all it's glory. It just begs to be rage'd on.



A view of the controls. SRAM X-9 trigger shifters...Ergon grips...Hayes HFX-9 disc brakes with carbon fiber levers...TruVativ Team 31.8 diameter bar and stem. Don't forget the ultra plush FOX RLT 80.



X-9 rear der and Cole center lock wheel. Never mind the non-Maxxis tires. These WTB tires are for training only.



The lead power source...TruVativ Stylo GXP Crankset with the ultra stiff external bottom bracket bearings...Shimano pedals...SRAM chain


The bike is set and ready to go. I need to get out on it this week a few times to make sure everything is dead on...in terms of fit... for the 12 hour race next weekend in Milwaukee, WI.

In other news...
Spent all day at the shop. I used the commute via the Surly as my recovery ride today, since my shortest ride all week was around 3 hours. The shop was waaaaaaaaay slooooooooow today due to the all day thunder storms that rolled through. We stayed busy, assembling bikes and helping the few folks that dropped in for some much need bicycle knowledge.

Tomorrow is an AM hill and interval workout before work at noon. If you care to join me e-mail me before 8 AM for the details.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:00 PM :: ::

Betcha Can't Guess..

What I did yesterday. Let me give you a few clues.
I bet I was the only one in Iowa doing it....
In fact I bet I was the only one not in the Colorado high country doing it...
It requires saftey glasses...
There is a ton of cursing involved....
You get to play with wax and sharp objects...
Finally, it takes a better part of the day...
Give up?
Well here ya go.


Ski picture of doom brought to you by G-Ted Productions.

Yes, I did 7 sets of skis....IN MAY!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! What the crap? Who brings their skis into the shop in May? Well, some nut bag thinks he needs to "beat the rush". Yeah dude, hurry up and get those skis in here before everyone else shows up in November. Oh well.

In good news...
My primary race bike is built for the season. I installed everything off and on through out the day yesterday to get away from those gosh darn skis. I will snap some pictures today and give a run down this evening.

Off to work.

I wonder what Squirrel is up to these days?

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:30 AM :: ::

Nice Weather. Nice Ride.

Can't beat this weather...sunny, 70 degrees, light winds. It had all the makings for a great half day in the saddle. I was off work at 2 PM today. So I got home and saddled up at 2:30. I headed out on the road for some hours before the road group ride at 6 bells. I headed west out of town and hit up New Hartford....Dike....Hudson...Waterloo...and then back to CF to spin around GW State Park. The goal of this ride before the ride was to work on leg speed. Mission accomplished!

At 5:45 I headed over to Bike Tech for the road ride. We had a good group due to the nice weather. We headed North out of town to Finchford....Janesville...and then back into to Waterloo on Wagner Rd. We had some good attacks and pulls. I felt like a million dollars, and never once got dropped. People tried, but it never happened. Coming back into town on Wagner Rd, we were taking pulls at 33 MPH all the way back into town. There was only 3 of us left when we got into town....Reed, Fry, and myself.

All in all, it was an awesome chunk of saddle time for me today. Chalked up about 5.5 hours with about 103 miles. Todays ride was fueled by Hammer HEED and Raspberry Hammer Gel.

In non training news...
I finally got my SRAM components...all X-9. This is some top notch stuff. Check it out some time. Works better than Shimano. I hope to have the bike built inthe next few days.

I think for the month of June, I might just do one race...the 12 hour event in the Black Hills of South Dakota on June 25. It has a great course, that looks to be prime training for Worlds.

That's all. Time to stretch out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:54 PM :: ::

What's on Tap...

Yesterday was 2 hours of tempo riding on the road bike. I met up with JY for 1 hour in the park followed by another hour by myself on the trail system within the city limits. Today will be work followed by hill work...sprints...and the local road group ride. Legs feel good, so I hope to do some damage tonight. Rumor has it that the road ride on Tuesday night was lights out. Rarely did the pace drop below 23mph! People made the comments that they were getting shelled out the back of the group at near 36mph! Hmmmmm, I wonder who was pulling. Kisch? Super Dave? Reed? Fry?

Next weekend is the 12 Hours of Metro in Milwaukee, WI. I am ready! Heading over on Friday...might pre-ride....crash at the ultra hip Econo Lodge near the airport...get up Saturday....race. Chuck and buddy are heading over also. Might meet up with them for the pre ride.

Speaking of Chuck...he sent me an e-mail with a link to a 12 hour race in late June. Looks pretty tempting. It's in North Dakota up by Bismark. Lots of money to be had! Check it out!

Then I found THIS. Looks even better! More climbing. Longer laps. Not in the boonies.

Other than that, not much going on. All I am hoping for the next few days is to finally build up the new Giant NRS Air. [finger and toes crossed]

Time to get ready for work.

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

This is Totally Iowa

Jeff Kerkove said at 8:44 PM :: ::

Whipped Good!

Ok, I am back. I feel like I just got ran over by a truck...then backed over...then stomped on...then backed over again. Why? Cause the ride today was long and windy. The distance was not a factor. But throw in a SSE wind blowing at a sustained 22ish mph and you have all the makings for a long day in the saddle.



My original plan for today was 6 hours of solo road riding followed by the road group ride. Well I made it 5.5 hours by myself, and decided that was enough. Go West and North was pretty fun. You could cruise down the road at 25 mph with hardly any effort. But going South and East was another story. I was happy if I saw 17 mph. It was like one huge climb. I am not sure what is harder a 40 minute climb or 40 minutes into a headwind. Atleast a climb you can get into a groove. With the wind you would be going...then get behind a grove...then BANG right back in your face. Ahhhhhhh, will it ever end.

Well, anywho, my ride took me all over the place. I am not sure of mileage, but I think it was right around 120. Here is a list of the towns I passed through or by.

• Cedar Falls
• Waterloo
• Hudson
  
• Eagle Center
• Dysart
• Clutier
• Garwin
• Gladbrook
• Lincoln
• Reinbeck
• Dike
• New Hartford
• Cedar Falls

After I got back into town, I swung through GW State Park for a cool down, and then back home. Now its time for a bit of R and R. I need to elevate the legs while reading the new issue of VeloNews.

Oh, by the way, Lazer Helmets has jumped on as a Cateye Enduro sponsor. I can't wait to get my mellon inside a bit of Euro brain bucket goodness.

Down and out...1...2....3...4...5...6...7....8....9....9.5.....9.8.....10....TKO

Jeff Kerkove said at 4:15 PM :: ::

Schedule of events

Today is Tuesday. Since I worked both Saturday and Sunday, I have the day off...YIPPEE!!! Here is my schedule of events.

Wake up.
Drink coffee.
Eat food.
Work on RAGBRAI T-shirts for Slick Willie.
Shave head.
Blog.
Surf net.
Loooooong ride.
Group road ride.
Eat.
Sleep.

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

Huge Week Ahead.

Today (Sunday) is the start of a huge week of hours on the bike. For the next 6-7 days it will be two-a-days. It's time to stress the system a bit....must...learn...to...adapt. This AM I am heading out for some road miles. I am not sure who is joining me, but I will find out when I swing by Bike Tech on the way out of town. Hopefully atleast one person comes out with me. I am planning on joining Mr. JY in the AM if he is heading out this week. So, if you are reading this JY, e-mail me your riding plans. I will join you. So, as said before, this week will be long and hard with a week easy following the lead up to the 12 Hour race in Milwaukee, WI.

Today is another day at the shop. Yesterday was way slooooooooow. It was because of the gale force NW winds and sub-50 temps. Everyone around here is a fair weather cyclist.

I am trying to find a 24 hour event to do in June. The only races close are in Colorado and New York. Why are there no 24's in the Midwest till late in the year? Makes no sense to me. I really want to go to the 24 Hours of Steamboat. What are your travel plans Kona boys? Are the parental figures interested in driving to Steamboat, CO? It's crazy, that course has 3,000 ft of climbing per lap...DAMN!

Well, it's time to finish the pot of the black goodness, then suit up in some warm cycling gear...it's 37 degees as I type this. Gots to get in the 3.5 hours of bike time in this AM before work. Does anyone else say THIS when they take that first refreshing sip of coffee inthe morning?

Ti frame frabricator, Matt Chester, made a mention and write up on his thoughts of Trans-Iowa. CHECK IT OUT.

I wonder how Solo Goat did in the 8 hour race in Michigan?

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:15 AM :: ::

It Takes About A Week...

...to recover from a 12 hour effort. I am finally starting to feel 100%. It no longer hurts when I squat down to pick something up then stand up. Wahoo! This weekend will be a shop weekend for me. Hooooooray for more hours, but boooooo for more hours on the weekend. Oh well, because I am working Sat and Sun, that means that I have all day Tuesday to beat myself into the ground on the bike. Tuesday's bike time goal is 8 hours. I need to get back on the bike asap! I know recovery time is key, but this 2 hours here, 1.5 hour there stuff is making me feel lazy.

Next race for me is the Metro 12 Hour Challenge. This is part of the WEMSeries, and is located in the suburbs of Milwaukee, WI. This is a great course. The last time I raced at this venue, I won. I remember it being nasty hot and humid. I hope for that again. Bring it!

I can't stop thinking about the SRAM parts and the new Cateye Enduro Team kits. Could they show up today via snail mail? I have a complete pimp'd out Giant NRS Air hanging at the shop, and all it needs is a rear der, cassette, and shifters.

Lets see what else is there...

If the weather is better this week...meaning no rain...I am going to get some more rides in with the new light from Cateye.

If you have not experienced Guitar Ted via the web you better CHECK IT OUT!

Anyone want to ride on Sunday morning from 8 AM till say about 10:45 AM? E-mail me or call the shop at 319.277.0734

I am still not sure when my first 24 will be this year. I want to find a race in June, but all the 24's in June are either out West or East. That means one full day worth of driving and many days off work. So my next option is late July at the 24-9 in Wausau, WI. Sloane, are you coming out for the 24-9?

I am not the type of person to promote a product if I don't feel it performs to my liking. I am am very, very lucky to ride products that perform to my liking. On that note, as a first time Maxxis tire rider this year, I am very happy to say that all the tires that I have received from them are top notch. I have yet to find any down falls. Maybe that is why Kabush is so dang fast. I only wish they would make the Ignitor in a 2.1. Which, I hear is in the making. Sweeeeeeeeet.

If it is not raining after work, I might head out for a night road ride on the trails to Hudson and back. Sounds like a good time. It's good to do things different from time to time to keep from burning out.

Gas prices are starting to drop around here. The cheapest I have seen while out riding around is floating close to $1.95.

Solo Goat is racing an 8 hour in Michigan. Go Goat Go!

I am going to throw on the NEMA threads and be all surly while riding the Surly to work today.

The rabbit is still dead.

Time to get ready for work.

Out.

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

Killed a Wabbit...

Well...I didn't kill the wabbit, I mean rabbit. But I was with the 2 others who did. More to come on that in a sec.

I got off work at 4:30. I drove home from the shop. Put on the superman outfit. Stuck some Hammer Heed in a bottle. Mounted the Giant NRS Air. Then headed to Look Out Park Hill. I did one hour of pyramid hill work on that damn climb. Up and down...up and down...up and down. After enough up and down for one day, I head over to Bike Tech to meet up for the 6 bells road group ride. There was only 3 of us...Reed, John, and myself. They were on road bikes and I was on the fat tire goodness. We headed south to Hudson through Waterloo. At the south edge of Waterloo, we contected to Ho-Chi-Min road for the 3 miles to Hudson. Reed was raging...from a guy on a mnt bikes perspective. He was cruising down the road close to 30 mph, and I am sitting at the back gritting my teeth trying to stay on. Once we were about 1/4 mile from Hudson, I was shelled off the back...DAMN! We re-grouped once we got into Hudson. Leaving Hudson we headed back to Waterloo on the newly paved trail along Hwy. 63. After about 1 mile on the trail, I got shelled again....DOUBLE DAMN! Trying to push a mnt bike at 25ish mph in a cross wind is tough! Anyway, we took this trail all the way back into CF going by the European Football Fields....Ace Fogdall...and then to Prairie Lakes. We continued into the city limits of CF. We conected onto Main St. where it happened. The day that live in hearts of bunny lovers everywhere. We cruising down the road in a pace line...John...Reed...Myself. All of a sudden a rabbit bolts across the road running in front of John. John hits it. The rabbit flops to its back. Then Reed rails it at 20+ mph. I sat back and watched the whole thing. Needless to say, the rabbit is still laying on Main Street in CF. Dead. It happened so fast. It was said and done before anyone even tried to react to the rabbit running out in front of us. After the rabbit incident, we all parted ways to get home ASAP, as the rain was starting to move in.

On a happier note...It's raining. Like crazy! Oh Joy!

Guitar Ted tells all the meaning behind his name. READ IT.

I have added the link to fellow Tifosi sponsored athlete Heather Mosley. She is a super freak chick on the bike! She won the 24 Hours in the Old Peublo solo womens category this year. Check it out HERE.

I am done.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 8:19 PM :: ::

Look Out!

Hide the kids!
Lock the doors!
Bring in the pets!
Shut off the lights!
Why?
CLICK HERE AND SEE WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT

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

Just Some Random Stuff

I raced for 12 hours on Saturday.
Didn't ride Sunday 'cause I worked.
Did a 2 hour light road ride with John Adamson on Monday AM.
Did 1.5 hours of light road riding before the group ride rode about 500 yards in the group ride before I realized I was not recovered.
Made a U-turn and came home.
I am now drinking coffee.
Guitar Ted has mapped out a course for the 2006 running of Trans-Iowa.
All I can say..."Very, very Evil!"
Sloane has a set of lights for 24 hour racing for sale at a crazy cheap price.
Sloane also has a Cannondale road bike for sale.
Rumor has it that the SRAM parts are in route to the shop.
Bike #1 should be up and running by weeks end.
I hope!
Bike #2 is still special, and I will not show more love for the new ride.
Not.
Kona Enduro Team is planning a trip to the Steamboat 24 Hour Race.
I want to go.
I don't like racing at 9,000 ft.
Plus, I can't pay the entry fee of $150...financial sponsor needed.
I need to keep working on my climbing.
The new light from Cateye is crazy bright.
The rest of the details on "the light" are top secret.
I need to go get some bananas and bread.
It's raining...and supposed to rain for the next 3 days.
Sloane might be heading to the Midwest for the 24-9.
Think you might want to start enduro racing?
Check out this awesome site...WWW.RIDE424.COM
I am starting to run out of things to write about.
OK, I am done.
Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 6:43 AM :: ::

Some Pictures!

Here are some pictures from the fine folks over at the La Crosse Velo Club who put on the 12 Hours of Sugar Creek. I just took a few of the many they have on their site. To see more pictures CLICK HERE.



Love'n every minute of the sweet singletrack



Still going!



Get back, or eat dirt with your grill.



Climbing yet again. It continues even further beyond the top of what you see here.



It burns!



Solo 12 Hour winner Ray Coyle climbing.....notice the choice of the granny gear.



Wahoo, I am done! When do we start again?

There is also a short video clip at THIS LINK of me flying down one of the big down hills. Oooooo, how the Giant NRS Air is soooooo plush.

Out.

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

12 Hours of Sugar Creek...The Hill

That's me in the way back. If you squint you might be able to see me coming around the corner. Yeah, it burns.


Yield to me walker. Here I come. Yep, it's still burning


About 1/2 way up this freek'n climb. Getting way steeper now. Let me check...yep, it's really burning now.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:08 PM :: ::

Back On The Podium!

Chalk up another podium finish for Cateye Enduro! I rage'd to a 2nd place in the Solo 12 hour race at the 12 Hours of Sugar Creek in Wisconsin. Overall, I was pleased with my performance. I was consistent and never had any problems with nutrition, gear, and the mental aspect that goes along with enduro events.

The race started at 8:00 AM. The weather was pretty sketchy...was it going to rain? The course was a hair over 4 miles per lap with 700 or so feet of climbing per lap. It had a mixture of everything...rocks, roots, bridges, tight turns, 5 minute climbs, paved road, etc. So this course was well suited to the well rounded rider. There were some great solo riders that showed...Lee Unwin (Salsa Rider and Solo World's Racer), Ray Coyle (Top 20 Leadville 100 finisher), and Spencer Faulkerson (Age Group Winner at Solo World's). I knew that myself and any of these guys could pull out the win. The race started with a 4 wheeler lead out on the paved road to the big climb. The climb is huge....700 ft with way steep pitches! Myself, Ray, and Lee took the lead in the Solo race. Climbing in 2x1 we reached the top in like 4 minutes. At the top we continued to push the pace. I was running 150ish on the HR. The 3 of us rode together for about 3 laps. On the 4th lap, myself and Ray dropped Lee on the climb. Now it was just me and Ray. We rode the next 8 hours together setting a good tempo. I would set pace through the singletrack, and Ray would set the pace up the climb. Around noon o'clock, we got some rain. This made the course pretty sketchy in spots. The rocks were getting slippery, and so where the roots. I could see Ray was having troubles with his Bontrager tires he was running. So I up'd the pace a bit and made him have to work a bit harder. I was running the Maxxis ADvantage tires, and was having NO problems with hook-up. The rain lasted about 4 laps. After the rain ended, the sun came out, and then it got pretty warm. The larger climb of the day was like a sauna. I would be climbing, and the sweat would be dripping off my arms. With the warm temps and all the other racers on the course, the course became hardpacked. It was way fast. It was like a video game. There was no pain, no worries, no suffering. Just flying through the tress at a fast pace having a good time!

By about the 12th lap or so, we were climbing the big climb in our granny. This climb was starting to take its toll....atleast on me. At about the 8.5 hours into the race, Ray attacked on the climb! He took off, and I had nothing to match it. Ray is an excellent climber...it is his strongest skill on the bike. That was prett much it. For the next 3 hours I would be chasing him. I started pushing it a bit harder. I was running 5-10 beats higher on the HR, and taking riskes on the course. There was a few times that I over shot corners, and got a bit out of control on the downhills. Every time I came through for a pit stop my parents would say..."He's 3 minutes up...He's 7 minutes up...He's 13 minutes up." Damn! This guy was still making time on me. I was running out of time. I was pretty much racing for 2nd place. So I keep the pace high and just finished out the 12 hours.

Ray ended up winning, and I got 2nd. We both did 23 laps, while all the other solo racers were 3 laps or more behind us. You can see the results HERE. For the first race of the year, I was pretty pleased with my performance. All my gear (THANKS SPONSORS!!!!) work perfectly, and my nutrition didn't let me down. Looks like the next race on my list is the next WEMSeries race in Franklin, Wisconsin at the end on May.

Other bits from the weekend...

• Thanks to my Nutrition Distribution Manager (my dearest mother) for another job well done. And HAPPY MOM'S DAY also.
• Thanks to Chuck for the hookup at the Holiday Inn and breakfast in La Crosse. I owe you dude!
• Congrats to first time 12 hour solo SS speed racer Kraig. This dude came to the race with Chuck. He built the bike up last week...he is in the process of quitting smoking...and he did the entire 12 hours solo on a singlspeed with platform pedals and regular street shoes! Keep at it man and continue to pimp those sponsors!
• This was one of the best 12 hour race courses I have ever done!

Stats from the race...

• 16,000 feet climbed during the entire 12 hours.
• Approx. 95 miles raced.
• 11,000 calories burned.
• Average HR of 154 for the race.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:20 PM :: ::

Friday: Late Edition

Hallo! Got some good feelins for the weekend. One- It's finally acting like May out there! While that means the threat of T-storms are high, I'll take it! Two- It's the end of the work week. It's been nutty at the shop! Three- Jeff is ready to rage at Sugar Creek. I saw him before he left today, and he is really itchin' to lay down some smack. I think that he is in really good condition mentally, and physically, so I expect a good result. We'll see! It may rain there as the probability of T-storms is 60%. This race got cancelled last year due to a raging downpour. Let's hope it doesn't do that!

My plan is to get my rear wheel repaired this weekend so I can return to riding the Karate Monkey. I've finally got to the point where all the parts and tools are at my disposal. Also, I will be busy playing the guitar this weekend, so that is good. Finally, a loooong ride is in order. I think it better be offroad, as the weeds are definitely on the rise around here, and before long the nettles will take over. Then it's road riding for me until fall. Well, that's not entirely true. I will be re-conning the '06 Trans Iowa course over the summer, so lots 'o gravel grindin'!

Hope ya'all are ridin' an smilin' this weekend! Go Jeff! OUT!

Jeff Kerkove said at 9:17 PM :: ::

Gearing Up to Get Down.

Well, I am going to give it a go. Saturday will be my first "official" endurance race of the year. I am heading up to Ferryville, WI in SW Wisconsin to get a good healthy dosage of the 12 Hours of Sugar Creek. This race should be a good test to see where I sit in this early season of racing. Being that the race is in SW Wisconsin you can bet that it will be tough....steep climbs...short climbs...rocks....rocks....rocks....roots....creek crossings...you get the idea. This, in my mind, will be the most demanding course in the whole 9 race WEMSeries. The winner of the solo mens race is going to half to find a speed and stick it. The course is too demanding to rage for 12 strait hours. It will be interesting to see how the body and gear holds up to the demanding course. Looks like I will be meeting Chuck and friends at the race site for pre-ride at 3 on Friday. After the pre-ride I will be riding up with them to LaCrosse, WI to crash in their hotel room. Chuck booked the Holiday Inn. I think he has stock in the place and gets free rooms. Otherwise he just likes to say..."No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night."

So last night I got some of my gear lined up. It is funny how much planning goes into just getting to the start line. It's not like a XC race where you just throw your gear in a duffel bag and go to the race. There is much more planning in terms of clothing...bike(s)...nutrition...hydration pack / no hydration pack...etc. For example, take my food shopping list for the event.

• Assort. Clif Bars
• 4 1 Gallon Jugs of H2O
  
• Assort Power Bars
• Peanut Butter
• Honey
• Flour Tortillas
• Pop Tarts
• Hammer Perpetum
• Endurolytes
• Anti-Fatigue
• Assort. Hammer Gel Flavors
• Oatmeal Cream Pies
• Pringles
• Ramen Noodles
• Power Bar Endurance Sports Drink
• Pain Killers...assort drugs
• Ensure

So when was the last time you packed all that food for a XC race. Geeeez, life was much simpler back in my XC days. Also for this enduro event, I will only be bringing one bike...Sigh. All I need is my gear from SRAM and I will be good to go.

Looks like good weather....FINALLY! Highs are to be in the mid-70's. Ahhhhhhhh. Today is to be warm also. Near 73 degrees. I work from 8 till 2. After work, it will be some bike time. Might hit up the nature trail and maybe the group ride. Get some saddle time in....open up the legs....achieve nirvana...repeat as neeed.

Have I told you how great FOX forks are? Ask me sometime.

OK, that is it for now. Next post should be either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

I wonder if the Dirtram will be working the 12 Hour race?

Need more coffee!

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:47 AM :: ::

Got some new gear!

Yipee! It's always a good thing when "product" shows up with your name on it. Thanks to Jeff Wu at Cateye Boulder for UPS Overnighting the gear! You rock dude!

So what showed up you ask? Well I got my FOX F80 RLT. Very sweet! Last year I ran the F100X with the intertia valve technology. This year I am forgoing the high end technlogy cause I found it to not be really needed for the enduro stuff. I mounted this fork up after work today and got in 3 hours of hard ass single track on it. It's soooooo smooth. FOX makes the best forks. They are stiff and, like I said earlier, smoooooth.


The 2005 FOX F80 RLT. Ya know ya want to lick it.

So what else came? I finally got my hands on the new light from Cateye that I tested while out in Moab. I am not going to disclose any other info, until I get the OK from Cateye. I don't want to leak any top-secret info. All I can say, is right now, there is nothing like it in the cycing market. Stay tuned!

Today after I got done with my 3 hours of mnt bike rage'n, I came home and swapped the mnt bike for the road rocket. My legs were a bit fried, cause I only lasted about 40 minutes. And who says Kisch hasn't been training? Liars! You can't pull at 26 mph into a headwind if you are "not training"

Anywho...
Tomorrow is an easy mnt bike ride to get the setup of the bike dialed in for the 12 Hours of Sugar Creek. Might also head out after work and test the new light...shhhhhhhhhhh.

Out.

Jeff Kerkove said at 7:12 PM :: ::

Some Random Stuff.

There is a new Trans-Iowa racer write up HERE. This is great! It's also loooooooong.

Trans-Iowa gets national coverage HERE.

The new NRS Air should be race ready by tonight...I think?

Tonight is the road group ride.

We are currently in a freeze warning. As I type this, it is 22 degrees out. Ouch!

My teammate, Sloane, got beat up by a tree at his local XC race. SEE THE BATTLE SCAR.

I love Maxxis Tires and Ergon Grips.

I have to go refill my coffee mug.

Time to get ready for work.

Jeff Kerkove said at 5:25 AM :: ::

Open for Bizzness Yo!

We're open foo! As of yesterday, Bastard Bikes is open for all your ghetto bike needs. Need a 29er...no sweat. Need a comuter with 700c rear wheel and a 20 inch front wheel....we got ya covered. Want 7 sets of barends mounted to your drop bar on your mnt bike? We can do it. Really think that 18in wheeled kids bike in the garage collecting dust would look better with 29er hoops mounted under it...that's easy!

We are here for you. No matter what you have in mind, G'Ted and myself can pretty much cobble something together for ya. As long as we get to use a torch...hacksaw...big ass hammer...screwdriver...all this while wearing flame resistent clothing, we give you are personal guarentee your bike will be everything...and more...than you expected.

Look at our first rig to come out of the factory....



Meet Bastard Bike #1. This bike has it all...29er tires...Schwinn CrissCut Frame....Cannondale touring fork...drop bars...non-matching guy cable housing...bar end shifters...and good 'ole reliable Suntour compontents with a dash of Shimano thrown in to keep it "real"



We give all Bastard Bike the factory test before you, the consumer, get your hands on it. First we assemble it. Second, G'Ted commutes on it in the harshest of conditions. Third, we tip it over repeatedly to make sure it WILL crush a small child or pet if it falls on them...heavy and beefy is better here folks! And finally, we leave it out by the dumpster over night. If it is still there in the morning, then you know it truely is ghetto.



So, if you are in the hunt for that one-of-a-kind G-ride, give us a call at 1-800-GHETTO-HOOPS. We will talk with you and discuss the wide selection of options that await you. Notice the bike in the back ground going through the final testing phase. If it is there when I go to work this AM, then it, along with all our bikes, really are 100% Bastard Bikes. CALL NOW!
(Please Note: Bike pricing based on the amount of cursing needed to complete the project. More cursing...more money.)

Jeff Kerkove said at 4:43 AM :: ::

Global Warming?...Riiiggght!!

Hate to beat a dead horse but........MAN! IT"S COLD!!! Rode around this am. as I didn't have to go to work till the night shift checks in. It was in the upper 30's during the entire ride. Stopped by Cup a Joe's for a yummy Highlander Grog. It's the best coffee on a cold day! Tooled around Geo Wyth, which was eerily deserted. Wound my way home for a nice 4.5 hour ride. Junk miles is what you racer types call it, I think. Spent some quality time on the Bastard 29er. Rides pretty nice, but I'm going to have to make a few more slight modifications. No biggie, just tweak it a little. I forgot how well a good set of well tuned cantis can stop. As well as V brakes! Awesome! Well, gotta get ready to go to the shop to work with Mr. 24. Should be a riot, what with all this cold weather. See Ya!

Jeff Kerkove said at 11:49 AM :: ::

Blown away...again!

What is up with this weather? Is it May or late November. It has snowed the last 2 days! Good Lord!

Anyway...
This morning the coffee pot finished brewing at 4 AM. I crawled out of bed...slammed some java...and ate some oatmeal. I geared up with all the warm clothing and stuck on the Cateye EL-500 and headed out for some gravel. The start of the ride was chilly...34 degrees. I headed West out of town to complete the Parkersburg gravel loop, then hit up the XC race course at the race up north of town. I was going to race, but the fee was $25. I figured I could use that $25 towards the 12 Hr race fee next week.

During my ride I got to watch the sun come up...the clouds move in...and the temp go from 50 degrees back down to 39 degrees. Also, there was a 20-25 mph sustained NW wind. Ahhhhhhhh! To mke things even better, I even got rained on and snowed on. WTF?

Even did part of a lap with Carl on the XC race course. The course up at Ingawanis rocks! The single track is soooooo smoooooth. The amount of work that has been done is insane! After I saw the Expert/Pro field take off, I rode home.

All in all, I got in 6.5 hours of enduro training...or as Mike Curiak would say..."It's resistence training" Thats for sure. Next Saturday is the next race in the WEM Series at Sugar Creek. Lots of rocks! Lots of steep climbs! It will be one of the hardest races this year.

Also saw while up at the race, that on Oct. 8 there is going to be an adventure race up at the camp. I think it included trail running, mnt biking, and canoeing. Sounds cool. Maybe Carl, Slade, and myself should form a team.

Time to pay the bills...sigh.

Jeff Kerkove said at 2:12 PM :: ::