Due to snowy roads in the AM, the Saturday Oval Ride got moved to Sunday. So on Sunday I did a nice 4 hour tempo on the mtb on the road. Yeah, it might have been a bit much, but it is February and I am building my engine for the 2011 season. So today at the Oval I was running at about 85%. Definitely not a high enough percentage of spunk to have a good day at the Oval....especially when everyone rolls at such a high level. The first 60 miles were a given....but once we hit Carter Lake I was cooked when the road started moving up. I lost contact and was forced to chase any riders that might fall off the pace all the way back to Fort Collins. I had some help from Forrest (SPIKE)....but it wasn't enough. Both of us were toast. Eventually Forrest fell off my pace up the climb to Horsetooth Mountain Park. I caught Ian Holt at the top....and rode back to town solo....digging....never giving up.
Frames are starting to arrive in Germany. My teammates and co-workers are teasing me with these photos they keep sending over from the team headquarters in Koblenz. Seriously, cannot wait for these bikes to arrive here in the USA. I really can't wait to see what the FS bikes will look like!
After a marathon trip to Minneapolis for work which kept me in town a few day longer due to a huge snow storm.....I am back home in Colorado with warm air and dry trails. Was excited to get back to CO to test out the new Ergon HX2 gloves and GX2 gloves. The past few days were great with temps from the mid 40F's to the high 50F's. With now sign of moisture lingering here in Fort Collins, I took advantage of the trails and got out on the mtb to 'test' some new 2011 product.
Looks nice doesn't it? Well, as I type this, it is snowing again. Everything is white. We were supposed to get a light dusting...but we have more like 4 inches on the ground. The wrench has just been thrown into the weekend riding engine.
Might have to break out the singlespeed for today's training.
Minnesota is sort of nice this time of year.....in that North Pole kind'a way. Even got to spend 2 extra days in the great white north because flights were canceled. It was all good! Was surrounded by good people.
Big 3 week block of training complete. Now time for some rest/recovery and a trip east to Minnesota for QBP Frostbike. Then it's time to start the next phase of the 2011 season training plan.
Good look at the equipment needed to run a 12 person mountain bike team! This is only part of the wheels and the drivetrain components located at team headquarters in Germany.
On May 2-4, 2011, Team Topeak-Ergon USA will descend on Sedona, AZ for 3 days of training and preparation for the 2011 season. During these 3 days, the 6 members Team Topeak Ergon USA will test their bodies and sponsor equipment over this unforgiving and technical terrain. Not only will the six-team members be tested, but also 1 male rider and 1 female rider will join the team for the 3-day training camp. These two selected riders will go through the same daily routine as Team Topeak-Ergon in this all-inclusive prize package brought to you by Team Topeak-Ergon and its partners.
So, how do you get selected to join the team in Sedona? You will need to produce a 90 second video and post it on the team Facebook page telling us why you deserve to join the team in Arizona. Have fun! Be creative! Can you work in Ergon or Topeak product into your video? That will earn you bonus points! Tell your friends and family! Having them ‘LIKE’ your video will also better your chances at being selected by the team members and management.
Prize package for each rider is valued at nearly $1300 and includes the following:
- Flights to and from the training camp.
- Food and drink during training camp.
- Lodging during training camp.
- A prize package from team partners Topeak, Ergon, Magura, Continental, DT Swiss, SRAM, FRS, etc.
- The opportunity to train and ride with Dave Wiens, multiple Leadville 100 champion and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member.
- Mechanical and nutritional support prior to and during all training rides.
On April 1, 2011 members of Team Topeak-Ergon USA and team management will select these two riders and make their announcement.
2. Post to the team Facebook page your 90-second video telling us why you should attend team camp. Be creative and original! Video can be a direct upload to the team Facebook page using your web cam or you can host your video at YouTube or Vimeo and post the link on the Topeak-Ergon Facebook page.
3. Get your friends and family to ‘LIKE’ and comment on your video.
4. Sit back and wait for the team’s announcement on April 1, 2011
2011 Team Topeak-Ergon USA team members
Dave Wiens
Jeff Kerkove
Sonya Looney
Yuki Ikeda
Namrita O’Dea
Eddie O’Dea
Contest Rules and Regulations
- No purchase necessary.
- Contest open until March 31, 2011.
- Open to residents of the USA and Canada only.
- Selected riders must be able to attend during the dates of May 1-4, 2011.
- Riders should be in good physical shape and have advanced bike-handling skills.
- Team Topeak-Ergon will select the 2 winners at their discretion.
- Team Topeak-Ergon owns the rights to all event video and event photographs.
- Team Topeak-Ergon will cover all contest winners flights, hotels, and food.
- Team Topeak-Ergon will provide gifts from team sponsors.
Dang near 70F here in Colorado today! With the warm weather the only option is up. Get as high as you can on snow free roads to suck in some thin air. Sonya Looney drove up from Boulder and joined me for a nice mellow base mile tempo ride up to Estes Park and back to Fort Collins. The route was exactly 5 hours and just over 80 miles.
It felt great to be out there with hardly any layers for once! Best part, is the rest of the week is looking warm and sunny!
Starting off on a road that doesn't see much sun this time of year.
Sonya leads the charge up the canyon. Only 23 miles to Estes Park from this point.
Beat'n with a stick! That is what I feel like typing this. Hard effort today with some very fit cyclist right now....especially Nick Frey who just got back from the Tour of Chile. Honestly, legs did feel that great today...about lost the group after the first big climb outside Windsor, CO. Wasn't until about the 2.5 hour mark that the engine kicked in. It was good timing, as this was the hardest part of the 80 mile loop......Carter Lake. Crazy part of the ride was the 2nd to last curve riding into town....where a huge gust of wind blew the 3 of us lead riders across 2 lanes of traffic. Thankfully no cars were coming from either direction. The video below does a good job a summing up the ride.
I am heading to Seattle in early March for the Seattle Bike Expo. Yes, I am running the Ergon booth with Sonya Looney. I am also having a hand in promoting and running this fun little bowling event called VeloBowl. Check it out!
What are you doing following the first day of the Seattle Bike Expo? Do you have mad bowling skills? Do your friends call you King Pin? Now is your chance to put those skills to the test! Come join us for an evening of bowling, beverages, mingling, and massive amounts of sponsor swag! Your bowling score equates to swag. The better you bowl, the bigger and better the swag will be you take home! Expect to see swag from the VeloBowl 2011 sponsors: Ergon, Nuun, Topeak, NORCO, Dirt Rag, Bicycle Times, Magura, UVEX, and Vaude.
We will have 6 lanes reserved at Garage Billiards in Seattle, WA for 4 hours. With the purchase of your bowling shoes rental, you will be able to take a crack at the lanes....bowling for prizes...for FREE! VeloBowl partners encourage you to donate your lane fee to Bike Works of Seattle who builds sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling.
Arrive early! We will have a LIMITED amount of free drink tickets, which can be redeemed on-site towards beer, wine, and well drinks. Also those arriving first get first crack at the lanes!
Fact: I don't ski...and every time I get the bug to go try we get a 70F degree day. That pretty much kills my lust for strapping long sticks to the bottom of my paws. We'll it is not 70F today in Colorado....but it is above freezing and we did get about 1/4 inch of snow last night. Perfect conditions to get the mtb out on the road. Plus, with the Super Bowl going down today.....vehicle traffic was pretty low. So, I suited up with a bunch of layer....including 3 layers of booties...and hopped on the mtb and headed west to get some climbing it.
First up was Poudre Canyon. Roads....for the most part were just wet. A few spots in the shade that had the rear tire jumping to the side.
Next up was the high point in the ride....a north facing road...which means no warm sun to melt the snow. The northern end of Buckhorn Canyon was a real treat! No standing here....the rear tire would spin out.
Topping out right around 7,200 ft, it was a tad chilly as expected.
Remainder of this 4 hour base mile ride was mostly down hill to Fort Collins....a few brief climbs. Of course, the roads we a little sloppy....left me with a 2x10 system that was forced by ice into a 1x10 system. Good thing there was no steep climbs today.
Sketchy weather in the forecast for the Oval Ride. High of 45F with rain and snow. I woke up to cloudy skies and warm temps (36F). While fueling, drinking coffee, then doing Core Performance....the skies turned dark and the snow began to fall. Meh. Though for sure that would kill the ride. Nope.
At 9 AM it stopped. I suited up and spun over to the CSU campus on my mtb decked out in fenders thinking nobody would show up and that I would be heading out on a solo mission on sloppy roads. Well, about 20+ riders showed up and it was 'game on'.
With ominous clouds rolling off the mountains, the route was changed up today. We headed north into a nasty headwind. The mtb was OK....as long as I kept my butt out of the wind. Riding in the wind pegged my redline.....no bueno. By the time we got to our furthest point north of town out group was cut in half. The wind was brutal....and was hand picking riders mile by mile to send home.
Heading west past the Rawhide Powerplant....the group still battled the wind...now coming from our right side. This section didn't last long...then it was time to head south back to Fort Collins.
This is where I got into trouble. Rolling south we had a 20 mph tail wind. To keep up with the group....who was rolling down the road at 32 mph....I had to turn over my SRAM XX 39-11 at like 120 rpm. Needless to say, it didn't last long. POP!
I was simply under geared. I rode hard the rest of the way home and over the dams. Mission accomplished for the day. I wanted a good hard effort today....as the weather is going to throw a wrench into the training over the next week. Sunday looks so-so.
We finally saw it! Winter that is. The riding in St. George was fantastic with temps in the 60Fs for the 3 days. Monday, the weather was to fall out with cold temps and ice/snow. So, immediately after finishing the last ride in St. George, myself and a few other CO based riders high-tailed it back to our respective homes. For me, that was 10 hours of driving after 5 hours of riding. I walked in the door at midnight...was in bed by 12:30 AM.
Me driving back to CO at mach 80.....which is top speed for das sprinter van, jah!
Good thing a few of us drove back, as Monday was a mess on the roads in Colorado. Temps at 0F and ice/snow covering the roads made for dangerous travel. The rest of the week....at least up until Thursday and today....was cold....VERY COLD! By cold I mean temps during the day around 1F.....and windchills near -30F. Schools closed. Pipes freezing. My neighbor driving his car into my other neighbor's parked car. Yeah, that happened. Winter chaos by Colorado standards.
Anywho, as for the training? On the down low. Carrying some fatigue from the hard 3 days in the desert. Cold temps meant easy spins on the Kinetic Trainer. If being coached by LW Coaching the last 3 years taught me anything....it is how to identify when to ride easy...and when to ride hard to get faster. This week was easy. Huge block....then rest. A great recipe for fitness come Spring and Summer.
Today was the first day of good feeling legs, so a 90 min tempo at 270 watts was in order.
Tomorrow is the weekly Oval Ride.....Epic Cam in tow. Riding along until I have to dig too deep.
2005 Results
12 Hr Sugar Creek :: 2nd
12 Hr of Metro :: 1st
12 Hr of Thunder :: 2nd
12 Hr of Winter :: 3rd
24 Hr of 9 Mile :: DNF
24 Hr of 7 Oaks :: 1st
24 Hr in Japan :: 1st
2004 Results
Stump Farm 12 Hr :: 2nd
24 Hr of Rapelje :: 1st
12 Hr Nationals :: 3rd
24 Hr of 9 Mile :: 10th
24 Hr Solo World :: 12th
24 Hr of Moab :: DNF
Bio
NAME: Jeff Kerkove
NICKNAME: Mr. 24
COUNTRY: USA (Colorado)
TEAM:Topeak-Ergon DOB: 2.7.1978
HEIGHT: 6 ft.
WEIGHT: 165 lbs.
RACE CATEGORIES:
Pro (XC & Endurance) Click for full Bio
