mountain flyer number 1
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Issue Number 1, Mountain Flyer Magazine - Defining the Rocky Mountain CyclistTRANSCRIPT
Defining the Rocky Mountain Cyclist
Premier IssueAutumn 2004
The Greasy Thumb
The Joe Breeze Story
Training—Keeping it Fun
Mount Evans Hill Climb
Montezuma’s Revenge
Valle Caldera Ride
Onesville
1Mountain Flyer
Iam fulfilling a dream in creating this magazine because I am certain that it will be good for our sport. This will be aregional report. Its focus will be on the people and events of
the Greater Colorado Rocky Mountain region—specifically,northern New Mexico, eastern Utah, Colorado, and southernWyoming, though you will read about adventurous cyclists of the region traveling to farther corners of the world to meet challenges there. This is not an original idea. The East Coast hasa successful regional called The Ride that has, without doubt,helped the growth of the sport in that area. There is no shortageof enthusiasm for cycling in the Rocky Mountains but there is a distinct lack of media coverage for the events. There is noinformation resource for the cycling culture here.
If you think that cycling in this region reached its peak in the mid 90s, get off your couch and go race the train at the IronHorse Bicycle Classic, or pack up all your gear and three of yourfriends to slog it out at the 24 Hours of Moab. Thousands of others are doing it. Enter the Leadville 100, but you’d better planahead. This race is so popular that it’s necessary to register sixmonths in advance. Shave your legs and sign up for the BoulderRubaix, suffer up the Mt. Evans Hill Climb, mix it up in aMountain States Cup event, or just show up for a weeknight“club ride” in Boulder, Fort Collins, Durango, or Los Alamos. It will challenge you. How about cyclocross season? You’d better have some miles in those legs by November.
There are so many cycling events in this region that it couldbe considered hyper-competition between promoters. We canusually choose between several different events on any givenweekend. Promoters are forced to differentiate themselves andoffer a high-quality product. The creativity of events, likeMontezuma’s Revenge, The Great Divide Race, or Ride theRockies, continue to raise the bar in event promotion. I like to view race promotion as part of the entertainment industry. We pay an entry fee, sometimes fairly high, and we expect anadventure, good support, laughter, fear, pain, suffering,camaraderie, and a BBQ or pizza party waiting at the end.
The talent pool in this region is deeper than the far end of a Princeton think tank. Even the people who don’t competeexemplify a level of skill that can only be gained through endlesshours on the bike. Whether it’s the “new school” freeride crowdwho has, in a very short period of time, pushed the limits of thebicycle beyond the laws of physics, or the road racers, or themountain bikers, or the 24-hour soloists . . . the standards arevery high. Some of the best cyclists in the world call this regiontheir home.
It would not be accurate to say that this sport of ours is flawlessly, blissfully coasting along. There are some thorns in our tubes. Races are losing their funding and prize lists areshort. USA Cycling is under attack for its failures. Some race
promoters are finding that they don’t need a sanctioning bodyand create their own corporation and insure themselves. We have multiple 24-hour “World Championships.” Two differentorganizations are running their own licensing systems for roadracing. Corporations are pulling sponsorship for teams andevents. Even pro racers are lucky to get minimal support. Worse yet, we are continuously losing access to trails because ofdevelopment and stricter government policies. As the populationdensity is increasing, most of the roadways in this region havebecome unsafe if not downright hostile to cyclists. It is nearlyimpossible to get a road closed for a cycling event, even if it’sjust for a few hours.
With all these problems in mind, the sport still shows signs of vigor. Even without prize money, event attendance remainsstrong. Maybe we’re just bored with our mundane easy lives.There is no daily adventure anymore. We don’t have to get upearly to savagely hunt down and kill wild game for dinner. Weneed the thrill of the chase and some physical challenge in ourday. For whatever reason, we keep riding and racing. The bikeshop owners I talk to say their sales are good. Every communityhas a handful of people who are dedicated to preserving theirlocal trails. Federal agencies like the BLM and the ForestService are working with local cycling advocates to preservetrails without closing them. We are high in numbers but low onorganization. We do not have a voice in the media.
The purpose of this magazine is to showcase the events,riders, manufacturers, and advocates that define cycling in theRocky Mountains. I believe that it will help to bring the RockyMountain cycling community together in a valuable way.
This is a grassroots effort. Please take the time to recognizethe writers, photographers, editors, and designers who have contributed to this issue. They all volunteered their time, talent,and enthusiasm to make it a reality. It would not have happenedwithout them. And, once you have reviewed the contents, feelfree to email me at [email protected] with any ideas,suggestions, or comments you might have.
Editor’s Note
Front cover photo by Mike TittelBack cover photo by Xavier Fané
EditorBrian Riepe
Art DirectorGloria Sharp
Mountain Flyer Logo Design Donald Montoya
PhotographersXavier FanéDean HowardPaige MillerJames RickmanMark RidenourMike Tittel
WritersGloria Beim MDJefe BranhamDan CreanSusan DeMatteiMarc GullicsonJennifer Hopkinson-SmithTerrell MacSusan MedvillePaige MillerGregg MorinChad OlesonCaroline SpaethJohn Weirath
Copy EditorCaroline Spaeth
PrinterCrested Butte Printing and Publishing
PublisherSecret Agent Marketing Group, LLC
Mailing AddressMountain FlyerP.O. Box 272Gunnison, CO 81230
Web Sitewww.mountainflyer.com
Advertising [email protected]
Who’s Who in This Issue
Contents Premier Issue Autumn 2004
In the SpotlightJesse Swift—Dean’s Dedicated Multitasker by Jennifer Hopkinson-Smith 6
The Greasy ThumbAre You Ready to Meet Stan? by Dan Crean 10
The Mountain Bike Hall of FameThen, Now, and Into the Future—The Joe Breeze Story by Susan Medville 14
TrainingKeeping it Fun by Susan DeMattei 18
Health and Injury PreventionWater Intoxication—A Life-threatening Condition by Gloria Beim, MD 20Learning to Drink—Misdiagnosis and a Case of Water Intoxication by Angie Lortie 22
Racing Action 2004Carter Lake Road Race 26Tour of Canyonlands 28Iron Horse Bicycle Classic 30Teva Moutain Games 32Wild Flower Rush 34Great Divide Race 37
New Crop—Great Products 20
Mount Evans Bob Cook Memorial Hill Climb by Paige Miller 40
Montezuma’s Revenge by Paige Miller, Mark Ridenour and Brian Riepe 44
On Safari— Getting to the Cape Epic Magical and Untamed Mountain Bike Race by Chad Oleson 52
RAAM 2004—3000 Miles of Intensity by Terrell Mac 58
CyclocrossGet Yourself Fired Up—Cyclo-cross Season is Almost Upon Us by Marc Gullicson 66
Biking Into the Volcano by Caroline Spaeth 70
Appreciating Observed Trials by Greg Morin 74
OnesvilleJefe’s Single Speed Tale—The Suffering Must Continue by Jefe Branham 78
Contents
6 Mountain Flyer
In The Spotlight
Icaught up with Jesse Swift while sittingon the grass during the prize-givingafter the Tour of Canyonlands, the
Mountain States Cup opening race. Hewas relaxing with teammates and makingplans to ride the Slickrock trail at 7 p.m.that evening and the Porcupine Rim trailthe next day. My initial comment was toask how he got time off, as it was aSunday night, and that meant he wasgoing to be riding on Monday. He said ina joking tone that he’d worked 100 hoursin the past two weeks and his boss wasrewarding him with a day off.
Dean Bicycles, where Jesse works,started out of a Boulder, Colo., garage in1991. Several buildings and 13 years later,Dean is a thriving, independently ownedand operated company that specializes incustom titanium bikes.
Jesse is a rare find. He deftly jugglesan assortment of occupations into his jobdescription while most of us would con-sider each one a full-time career. Jesse’smain focus at Dean Bicycles is designingframes and welding custom titaniummountain and road bikes.
Since Dean is a small company, Jesse’smany facets include web design, framebrazing, sales, frame warranty, producttesting, phone answering, cleaning thebathrooms as well as choosing the shop
music. Finally, Jesse manages and directsTeam Dean, races professionally on thedirt (cross-country and trials), cyclocrossand road.
Jesse is married to Jennifer Andow(professional racer supporter), loves musicand techie stuff, his apple G4 computerand collects Star Wars movies and actionfigures—enough of them to fill a room.
Mountain Flyer: How did you get yourstart at Dean Bicycles?
Jessie Swift: I started at Dean in mylast year of college. A friend was workingthere as a web designer and he said theyneeded some help. I started with decalsand shipping. As the year went on, Johnkept me on and utilized my engineeringdegree to design frames and fixtures. It’shard to believe that was five years and1,500 frames ago.
MF: What is your role as team manag-er and how does it continue to evolve?
JS: The role I play as manager haschanged over the years. The first greenTeam Dean was just four riders includingme. The following season we expanded toeight and won our first mountain statescup title. This year we have a record num-ber of racers at 25! We have aligned our-selves with other Colorado companies likeZukes, Honey Stinger, Victory CircleGraphix, and Colorado Organic SportsDrink. Because we are a small company,we view our team as a great stepping-stonefor up and coming racers. The majority ofour past racers are now racing in the pro-fessional ranks.
As team manager, I start by selectingthe team for the next season throughresumes and contacts I’ve made at theraces. When the team is chosen, I beginwriting contracts and securing additionalsponsors. Then I design the team clothingand decals for racer’s bikes, update the team Dean website(www.Deanbikes.com/teamDean.htm), andthen I personally build each team frame andorder the parts to build the bikes. Once theseason gets going my duties relax a little. I organize group rides, update thewebsite and write emails to sponsors andriders about the progress of the team.
7Mountain Flyer
by Jennifer Hopkinson-Smith
Jesse Swift is one of the people who make the Rocky Mountain cycling scene tick.Anyone in the bike industry knows that many of the best companies would not succeedwithout their employees’ enthusiasm for the sport. It takes considerable extra effort and a deep passion for cycling to make a small manufacturer into a viable business.
photo at left by Paige Miller
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Racing Battle at the Bear
MF: What role does Team Dean play incompany marketing?
JS: Most of Team Dean’s marketing forDean Bicycles is passive marketing. Wedo group rides in all our gear on localtrails to build awareness of the companyand brand. We also have a tent at someraces where we offer bicycle support toother racers and display all the race bikes.Talking to racers and people at races isprobably the biggest thing Team Deandoes for Dean. I put together a good rosterof outgoing people who aren’t afraid totalk with people when they areapproached. We get calls from all over theU.S. from customers that say they talkedto Racer X about Dean bikes or customerswill come into the shop and say they rodewith Racer X and that Racer X was realexcited about Dean. So mostly the mar-keting Team Dean does for Dean is justbeing out there with a strong presence anda great attitude.
MF: Tell us about Team Dean, thesponsors and some of the highlights.
JS: Some of the team highlightsinclude No. 1 MSC titles in overall team title, semipro man, Colorado statechampion, No. 1 MSC pro women,No. 1 expert men, and No. 1 NORBAsemipro man.
Riders that I am proud to say have ridden for Team Dean include Nat Ross,Mitch Moreman, Ross Schnell, JonBrown, Jenny Hopkinson-Smith, BrianSmith and Tim Barnes (the guy with thebiggest smile, no matter what).
This year we have expanded to 25 riders (see the team roster). Our mainfocus is on the Mountain States Cup andthe two Colorado NORBA Nationals.Team Dean’s additional focus is todemonstrate a healthy lifestyle throughpositive riding and racing.
Sponsors for team Dean include Deantitanium bicycles, SRAM, Rock Shox,Zukes Natural pet treats, Honey Stingerenergy gels, Giro helmets, The Northface,Victory Circle Graphix, Crank Brothers,Trailcentral.com, Curve Socks andColorado Organic Sports Drinks.
The 2004 team Dean roster includes
Becca Blay, Trevor Krueger, MarkRoebke, Mitch Westall, Grant Berry,Brian Laiho, Warren Gravely, RyanHamilton, Tim Barnes, Brad Wood, JennCharrette, and Molly Hummel. Racers likeKatherine Zambrana, Josh Bezecny, MattUnger, Scott McCalmon, Micah Joseph,and several others are some of the newblood that has joined the team.
MF: How did you get your start in riding?
JS: I rode BMX as a kid and got intomountain biking in ninth-grade. My momgot me a trek 850 to ride to swim practice,then I got into trials riding in my senioryear. I went to Fort Lewis College inDurango and spent all my time away from
engineering classes on my bikes. I wasreally into trials and street riding. I took acompetitive mountain biking class for agym credit that began my love for cross-country racing. I transferred to CSU inFort Collins and started collegiate racingwhile continuing with trials. I competed atboth disciplines through to semipro andeventually had to focus on one. So I chosecross-country.
MF: Why do you race?JS: I love the competition. It’s all you,
no one else. I love the challenges youovercome—the mountain, the weather,and the other riders.
MF: Your favorite race?JS: Road Apple Rally in Farmington,
N.M. It’s fast with tight whoops and asweet singletrack.
MF: How about your favorite rides?JS: Porcupine Rim in Moab, Monarch
Crest Trail, and the test racks (Star Wars)in Durango.
MF: What are your future goals?JS: To continue racing pro and ride
bikes for the rest of my life.
8
Because Dean is a small company, Team Dean is a great stepping-stone
for up and coming racers. The majority of its past racers are now racing in the professional ranks.
Jennifer Hopkinson-Smith lives in Gunnison,Colorado with her husband,Brian and dog Max. A third year pro mountainbike racer (for West Virginia/Bon Jovi/Cannondale),she is the 2003MountainStates Cupchampion andcurrent New Zealandteam member.Her favoriteplace to go isMoab, Utah. Favorite rides are the Monarch Cresttrail, 403/401 in Crested Butte and hobbiesinclude good coffee and chocolate.
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Jeese Swift at work
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9Mountain Flyer
10 Mountain Flyer
So, you think you want to ditch thetubes and try Stan’s NoTubesSystem. You may have heard it’s not
as easy as it looks, and that’s correct.There is a right way to use the system anda wrong way. If you do it the wrong way,it can wreck your eardrums and makeyour garage look like you hosted a 30-person . . . well, let’s just say that itcan get messy. I’m going to let you in on some tips that I’ve learned, some bymistake, some by chance, and hopefullyyou will avoid getting in trouble with your significant other.
Stan’s NoTubes System is a fairly newproduct designed to make it possible touse a regular (non-tubeless) mountain bikerim and tire work effectively without atube. The system also can be used creatively with a USB tubeless rim and a non- tubeless tire or to enhance a normalUSB tubeless setup to make it more
reliable and puncture resistant. Howeveryou choose to use Stan’s system, it cansave weight in the all-important wheelsarea, save you a lot of trouble with punc-tures, and best of all, allow you to runlower tire pressure without pinch-flatting.A complete Stan’s kit consists of a set ofspecial rim strips and a quart of Stan’sspecial patented liquid latex sealant formula. It will cost you around sixtybucks and includes enough formula to last about one year of tire changes. Youalso can purchase all the stuff separately.
To begin with, Stan is one of the bestresources when looking for help with theNoTubes System. His website is action-packed with info. He has videos to download and many tips on what to doand what not to do. Check it out at(www.notubes.com).
Some of the tips I’ll give you are onhis website and some are not. My goal is
to help you set up Stan’s right, shed some weight to from your steed, and helpeliminate the dreaded psssst on the trail.
For starters, make sure you get theright package for your wheel set. Differentrims do require different rim strips. Theliquid latex is all the same. Stan has beenmessing with different formulas, and each time they get a littlebetter, but all of them work better thanbutyl tubes. If your rim has eyelets that go all the way through the rim for the nipples, then you probably need to run theincluded packing tape strip before usingStan’s rim strip. This adds extra strengthand keeps the rim strip from gettingsucked down into those holes.
When running a tubeless rim systemsuch as the Mavic Crossmax or Crossrocseries, you may still want to run his rimstrip. At times I have successfully run aregular (non- UST) tire on a Mavic UST
Are you ready tomeet Stan? by Dan Crean
The Greasy Thumb
11Mountain Flyer
rim (with no rim strip) using only 1.5scoops of Stan’s formula. I would recom-mend this only for a lighter rider (under160 pounds). And if you push the tire intoa corner too hard, a “burp” of the tire maymean a blow out, and we all know thatcan get ugly real fast. If you’re a smallerracer, or you are known for smooth linesand want to count every gram, use thissetup, otherwise, use his rim strip or atubeless tire.
Another tip when using a Mavic tubeless rim is to get a strip of adhesive3/8” foam insulation from a hardwarestore (see photo). What this does is getStan’s rim strip to lay flatter on the riminstead of making a “V.” Trust me, thissaves a lot of time and effort when tryingto get your tire on. All told, this little stripweighs in at a little over 10 grams and isworth every bit.
Most of the Stan’s rim strips nowadayshave his valve stem with a removablecore. This handy little feature allows youto add more latex down the road withoutbreaking the tire bead. Stan’s formuladoes not last forever. It turns into funnylittle rubbery balls (you’ll see), and it willbe less effective over time and should bereplaced, or replenished. This is the rea-son for the handy removable core. If yourstrip doesn’t have it, don’t worry–the latexusually lasts about as long as your tiredoes, and you can still add more fluid byunseating a small section of tire. If youare one of those people who run a WTBVelociRaptor until it looks like a semi-slick, then you should make sure you getthe removable core rim strip.
The key to using Stan’s sealant is shaking the mixture. The stuff settles outfast within the container, and Stan recommends shaking the bottle upsidedown vigorously before pouring. This gets the stuff into solution and makes surethat both tires get equal amounts of thegood funky crystals that make Stan’swork.
Seating the tire bead onto the rim canbe the easiest or most difficult part of theprocess. Here are some tips to help youout: To begin with, not all tires are created
equal. Some go on much easier than oth-ers. I have had the best luck with Kendatires, and Stan will agree with me.However, I have tried most of the othertires on the market, including Panaracer,Hutchinson, WTB, Continental, Bontrager,Maxxis, and Schwalble, and I have gottenall of them to work–some easier than others–but they all work.
Here’s another tip: Try to seat the tirewithout having the Stan’s sealant in thetire. Use a strong mixture of liquid soap towater (1/4:1 mixture). Use a spray bottleand squirt this around the bead of the tire.This will act as a lubricant, allowing thetire and rim to interface and seal. The rea-son for doing this is to get one side of thetire firmly seated into the rim. If you get it
There is a right way to use the system and a wrong way. If you do it the wrong way itcan wreck your eardrums and make your garage look like you hosted a 30-person . . .well, let’s just say it can get messy.
For about $60, you get a Stan’s tubeless kit that includes everything you need (special latex formula, rimstrips, rim tape) to set up two wheels. Be prepared for the work to get a little bit messy. Take care to avoidgetting it in your eyes (goggles are recommended) as it can cause blindness.
Stan’s special liquid latex formula can be used to make a regular non-tubeless tire work on a tubeless rimwithout any rim strip.
to “pop” into place, let the air out andremove only one side of the bead half ofthe way (enough to get the goop inside).Rotate the tire 180 degrees and push thebead back on. Never inflate the tirebeyond 65 p.s.i. This pressure is even toohigh for most mountain bike tires and youcould snap the bead. Stan recommendsthat you inflate to only 5 p.s.i. over yournormal riding pressure.
If you cannot get the tire to seat on therim, there’s a good possibility that the tirebead could be kinked. When tires arepackaged in their neat little boxes, theyare often folded, creating a kink or bend.To help iron this out, I have learned toinflate the tire on the rim using a regulartube. If you allow the tire to sit on the rimfor several minutes (or even overnight ifyou have time), the kink will unfold andhelp seat the tire bead with better contactagainst the rim.
If you are going to skip seating the tireonto the rim with an inner tube (trust me,I’ve done this with unexpected tirechanges right before a race), make sureboth beads are sitting in the center of therim, except for the area around the valvecore. Use care when rotating the tire so asnot to lose a ton of Stan’s (this stuffstains). The best bet for getting the tire toseat is to use an air compressor. A goodfloor pump will work, but it may alsowork you.
Stan would never recommend you use a CO2 cartridge to inflate the tire;however, in a race situation, Carl Swensonused a cartridge to re-inflate a torn side-wall and had enough success to continueracing. The CO2 comes out way too coldand reacts with the Stan’s with negativeeffects. I would say that the best way tofix a major flat is by installing a tube. Ifyou lose a small amount of air from asmall puncture, you can usually re-inflatethe tire by using a mini pump. If you stillhear some leakage, put that section of thetire at the bottom and shake–allowing theStan’s to do its job.
Right now you’re probably thinking,“Is this worth it?” It sounds like a lot oftrouble to go through. Yes, it is worth it.Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski used Stan’s in a tubeless tire last year at every raceand never got a flat. He even had a 10-millimeter tear in his sidewall only 5 minutes into last year’s Tour of theCanyonlands in Moab, Utah, and went onto win that race, never stopping to fix thegash. In fact, the entire team used Stan’sall season and had only two race flats thatwere no fault of Stan’s.
So, I’ve either convinced you or scaredthe hell out of you. All I can say is thatthis stuff, when used properly, will helpyou avoid most flats. Flats suck. I’venever had a ride when getting a flat wasthe best part of the ride. Enjoy, relax, andremember–it’s only a bicycle.
12 Mountain Flyer
When installing a Stan’s NoTubes rim strip on a USTrim, you can use 3/8” adhesive foam insulation tohelp the rim strip seat correctly.
Immediately after the tire is pumped up, some air will leak out along the bead until the liquid latexformula seals the tire to the rim.
Stan’s liquid latex formula can be a little chunkyout of the bottle. This is fine. The crystals do the work.
Dan Crean, a.k.a. Creanbeans, was destined to be the next world champion mountain biker.However this dream ended soon after he realized that training sucks. The enticing draw
of bike parts at cost andlow wages drew him intothe bike industry. After 12 years of P.O.S. repairs,cleaning toilets, and deal-ing with “the man”, hewent professional. He hasbeen the mechanic for theRLX Mountain Bike team
for two years and has helped send two of theirathletes to the 2004 Olympics in Athens.Numerous NORBA wins and podium visits haveoccurred solely because of his wrenching abilitiesand had nothing to do with the riders or theirskill. He can speak five different languages.However, the only words he knows how to sayare “hello” and “excuse me”. In three languageshe can say, “One more please”, a very helpfulphrase in bar situations. Stop by and see him atthe RLX tent at any of theNORBA events. He usually signs autographs between 12:00 and1:00 p.m., and if you call him “Camp Jeep WorldChampion” he’ll give you a sticker…. Oooooh!!
Right now you’re probably thinking, “Is this worth it?” It sounds like a lot of trouble togo through. Yes, it is worth it.
13Mountain Flyer
14 Mountain Flyer
Joe Breeze on the Breezer Villagerwith Mt. Tam in the Background. Photo by Connie Breeze
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
15Mountain Flyer
Using bicycles for recreation is a relatively new concept. The bicycle is still, more or less, a form of transportation. We just like riding them so much that we will travel just forthe sake of covering ground on a bike, even though we have nowhere important to
go. In many ways, this is a shame. We will drive 20 miles to go for a bike ride. If we all rodeour bikes to work and for errands around town, we really could save a considerable amountof fuel. In many Rocky Mountain towns, the townie bike is a basic part of the culture. It’s a matter of convenience.
Mountain Bike hall of famer Joe Breeze has always recognized the value of the townie in these little Rocky Mountain towns, and now after helping turn the town bike into the firstmountain bike, Joe Breeze is bringing the townie back to the city.
The Mountain BikeHall of Fame andMuseum Crested Butte, Colo.
by Susan Medville
You know it’s a good party in CrestedButte, Colo., when you have to step overrows of town bikes just to get to the door. Here town bikes are part of our culture–almost everyone rides one. It justmakes more sense to ride your townie tothe store, the Post Office, the bank, or afriend’s house thanit does to drive orwalk. Walking isslow and parkingyour car is a pain.
Crested Butte isbike friendly, thestreets are flat, andthe speed limit forautos is 15 mph.Even thoughCrested Butte is asmall mountaintown at the end ofthe road, JoeBreeze sees the town’s bike culture and itsbenefits as a possibility for MiddleAmerica.
The first time Breeze, a Mountain BikeHall of Fame Charter Inductee and thecreator of Breezer Bicycles, came toCrested Butte in 1978, he found a com-munity that shared some of his visions fora bike friendly world. Breeze came toCrested Butte to ride the “Third Annual,Second Actual Pearl Pass Clunker Tour,” apivotal event in the history of mountainbiking. The tour brought together CrestedButte riders and Marin County, Calif.,riders for the first time. The two groupshad been developing the new sport simul-taneously, and this like-mindednessextended into the use of bikes for every-day transportation. In Crested Butte,Breeze found it wonderful that everyonecruised around town on bikes.
Crested Butte’s bike culture goes wayback in history. The Elk Mountain Pilotreported that gentlemen raced theirscorchers in the streets in the early 1900s.Photos taken in the 1940s and 50s andnow hanging at the Crested Butte Mt.Heritage Museum show folks toolingaround town on their bikes. Crested Butteis also considered one of the early breed-
ing grounds for development of modernday mountain biking. It seems that thewhole mountain biking movement developed as a progressive step fromtownie riding.
Townie riding became the thing to doin Crested Butte, partially because of
Albert Maunz andSteve Baker.Maunz moved toCrested Butte in1971. He workedas a fire fighter onthe local HotshotCrew and enjoyedhis evenings at theGrubstake Saloon.The Grubstake,owned partially byJudy Nauberg,served as the socialcenter for Crested
Butte’s newer residents in the 1960s (thatis, the ski bums, hippies, and anyone elsewho moved to town at the time).
According to Maunz, the tradition oftown bike riding in Crested Butte reallystarted with Steve Baker. Baker blew outhis knee in a construction accident in thesummer of 1971. He found an old cruiserand began riding it to the Grubstake ratherthan limping there. The practicality caughton. Why walk or drive after a few cock-tails when you could cruise? Maunz andBaker took a trip to Denver and purchaseda load of bikes and bike parts at a junk-yard. They brought the load back toNauberg’s garage and started assemblingwhat they could from the salvaged materi-als, putting together townies that they soldfor around $20.
From that point on town bikes becamea regular Crested Butte fixture. Mountainbiking came later after folks figured itwould be fun to take their cruisers out tonearby trails. Then, since that was such ablast, why not drive the bikes up toParadise Divide (elevation 12,000 feet)and bomb back down to town (elevation8,500 feet) on the bikes, and roll on intothe Grubstake for a cold one.
The first Pearl Pass Tour took place in
the summer of 1976 as a way to prove toAspen motocross bikers which type ofbiker was tougher and who knew how tohave more fun. A group of Grubstakefriends took two days to ride over toAspen and then stayed to party at theHotel Jerome. The tradition of mountainbike touring was born.
For Joe Breeze back in California, theconcept of the bike as a practical and funmeans of transportation was nothing new.In the 1950s, his father Bill commuted towork by bike from their home in MillValley to Sausalito. Breeze found freedomas a fifth grader riding a bike to friends’houses and to the local bowling alley fivemiles away. A bike and a boy in the 1960smeant independence.
His first road bike, a Dawes Galaxy,gave him the opportunity to travel fartherand faster. When Breeze was 14, he andhis brother Richard, 15, hit the road. Theirfirst adventure took them on bikes fromSan Francisco to Lake Tahoe, coveringmore than 200 miles. Not everyone under-stood the idea of biking on the highway,and the California Highway Patrol pulledover the boys as runaways. On their sec-ond adventure, the brothers brought along
16 Mountain Flyer
For Joe Breeze back in California, the concept of the bike as a practical and fun means of transportation was nothing new.
Joe Breeze welding one of the first ten Breezers on hiswelding jig, 1977. Photo by Wende Cragg
Joe Breeze rounding hairpin #4 on Breezer #1,Repack October, 1977. Photo by Wende Cragg
a notarized letter from their parentsexplaining that it was permissible forthem to travel from Mill Valley to SequoiaNational Park on their bikes, without anyadult supervision.
The love of bikes continued for Breezeas he grew older. He discovered road rac-ing, but more significantly, he discoveredthe adrenaline-charged thrill of bombingdown the bone-rattling dirt roads of Mt.Tam, launching him into designing andbuilding in 1977 what are now widelyconsidered the first modern mountainbikes. Designed specifically for riding off-road, his bikes were built with all-newparts and called Breezers.
Today, most of the town bikes inCrested Butte have a good deal of charac-ter and are genuinely cherished by theirowners. Town bikes vary from the retiredmountain bike such as a pink Moots tita-nium to 1940s-era Schwinns and every-thing else in between. Many of the bikeshave baskets for mail and groceries. Mostpeople respect that the bikes belong tosomeone they probably know and thebikes are generally left unlocked. Not hav-ing to lock the bike lends itself nicely tothe convenience factor. However, most ofthe townies here are older and quiteheavy; they are only practical for shortcommutes.
Breeze has envisioned a bike thatwould work for everyone. This vision wasplanted at the tender age of 17 on his firsttrip to Holland in 1971. There he sawfamilies riding bikes, carpenters andplumbers commuting to jobs on bikeswith their tools in tow, businessmenwheeling their way to work or the train.
Today in Holland, 30 percent of the popu-lation’s trips from their homes are bybicycle. In the United States only one per-cent of trips are made by bicycle.
Breeze’s goal is to increase the numberof people riding bikes in America. To ful-fill this goal, he is now providing the pub-lic with usefully equipped bikes that areconvenient and comfortable for everydayriding to work or the store.
In 2002 Breeze joined forces with JohnDoidge, a long-time bicycle advocate whohad worked 30 years in the healthcarefield. Doidge commuted to his office inPasadena. Yet he had become frustratedwith the fact that he could not find a bikebuilt right for easy transportation. Bicycleadvocate Deb Hubsmith, who was fea-tured in the book Divorce Your Car, con-nected Doidge with Breeze in 2001. Thenext year Breeze and Doidge started theSimpliCity Cycle Company.
The company’s new Breezer bikes aredesigned to be comfortable, light and out-fitted with what the commuter needs. Thetownies weigh in at a light 31 poundscompared to the European town bikes,which often weigh closer to 50 pounds.Each Breezer bike comes with lights, mudfenders, a bell, baskets, a built-in lock andeasy shifting. This is a bike designed as atransportation tool and is currently carriedby 175 dealers nation-wide.
With his new bikes, Breeze has devel-oped a useful bike for the common personand is getting the secret out about how wecan all get healthy going places while hav-ing fun and saving time. It seems as if themovement is once again happening simul-taneously, similar to the mountain bike
movement in Crested Butte and Marin.People in Crested Butte are simply ridingtheir townies and perhaps a tourist or visi-tor from Boulder might pick up the ideaand give it a whirl at home.
In Marin, Breeze and the people thereare taking a more pro-active approach topromoting pedaling to the public. The peo-ple of Marin are working on the 20-20Vision Project. The mission of the projectis to have 20 percent of all trips taken inMarin County by the year 2020 take placeby foot or on bicycles, which would be amarked improvement over the current rates.Breeze said that a national-model SafeRoutes to Schools program, installed in thecounty, that encourages children to ride andwalk to school has greatly increased kids’trips by bike in just a few years.
Perhaps once again the trends of thesetwo communities will take the nation bystorm and provide all of America with ahealthier and more practical way of get-ting from one place to the next.
Susan Medville is the Director of the Crested Butte Mt. Heritage Museum, which
houses the Mountain Bike Hallof Fame. The Museum is locatedin an 1883 Hardware store,which also served as a ConocoStation for over 50 years. Sheenjoys riding her 1979 Rossthree-speed around town and her fancy mountain bike with
lots of travel up and down everywhere else.
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The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame andMuseum is located at 331 Elk Avenuein Crested Butte, Colo. Founded in1988, the Hall of Fame has worked to recognize the people who havesignificantly affected mountain biking.Many of those individuals are stillcycling advocates today. This columnwill take a look at what those peopleare up to now. For more informationon the Hall of Fame, check out: www.mtnbikehalloffame.com.
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t this point in the road or mountain bike race season, the majority of events havecome and gone, and you’ve probably attained your best fitness of the year. This
sits well for most people, but what if you have some race goals that won’t cometo fruition until August, September, or October? How do you stay motivated, physicallyand mentally, for the long haul? Here are a few scenarios I’ve used over the years tomaintain a sense of excitement for these late season goals.
A
Take time off the bike. It’s assimple as that. Getting away from yoursteed will get you to MISS it, so try someother activities to lessen the monotony ofcycling. If you’re a strict roadie, hop on amountain bike. Dirt lovers should try out aroad bike. Go swimming, trail running,play tennis, get out of shape, and justchange the routine so that you’re eager toget back to your cycle of choice.
Ride with different people.Going out for training rides with a variety
of people with different strengths willimprove your fitness and add an unexpect-ed element of fun. Jump in the local bikeshop or club ride. For a solid, stress-freeworkout, take part in a local race series.Enlist the help of the strongest riders youknow. My favorite ride of the week is ourlocal bike shop ride, where I’m assuredof getting an incredible work-out, spend-ing time with friends, and hanging on fordear life. Even if I have to drag my sorrybutt over there each week, I’m always in abetter state of mind when it’s done.
Commit to a goal. Let othersknow what you plan to do in these latermonths, so that they can keep tabs on yourprogress. There’s nothing like someoneasking you “how the training is coming along” to get you out the door.
Keep it fun. If you find yourselfmaking excuses for poor performances(constantly), being a grump more thannormal, and really suffering in the attitudedepartment, chances are that you need tolighten up. Most cyclists I know have
Keeping it FunTraining with Sue Demo
by Susan “Sue Demo” DeMattei
Training
great senses of humor, my hubby included. His attitude is so refreshing and welcome after so many years thatI’m hoping some of it wears off on me.Yes, racing is challenging in many ways,but we’re not rocket scientists here, soput it in perspective.
Get injured or sick. Not really,but I’ve yet to see a case where someonewho sustained an injury (collarbone, stressfracture, etc.) or an illness that put themout of competition for a while didn’t comeback stronger and more hungry. I’m notadvocating getting hurt, but be patient ifyou are—you’ll see continued improve-ments in strength and fitness before youknow it.
Be rested. To those with childrenand/or real jobs, good luck in thisdepartment! It really does help though,if you can start those tough workoutswith a good night’s sleep behind you,and maybe some time off of your feet.You’ve exerted a lot of energy by thistime of year, so cajoling any more out ofthat tired body requires feeling refreshedevery now and then.
Adapt. This comes easier for somethan others. Things happen during theseason that are out of our control (injury,social engagements, weddings, foulweather, etc.), so rather than lamentthem, fixate on another positive situationand take steps to make IT happen.Trying to set goals for a few local racesthis year has been a challenge for mebecause at least one of my kids seems toconstantly be sick; I’m lucky if the bugdoesn’t spread to me. That’s the deal,though, and I’m learning that instead ofbeing frustrated at having to changeplans at a moment’s notice, it’s best tolook ahead and try again.
Keep it short. Unless you’re train-ing for some marathon-type events, youshould have more than enough basemiles by now, so don’t waste energy onlong rides that take days to recover from.
(O.K., some people like being in their saddles for over three hours; I’m not one of them.)
In a nutshell, mix it up.Varying your routine will benefit everyaspect of your fitness. If any of theseexamples don’t help, I’d suggestStarbuck’s Coffee Almond Fudge icecream; it always changes my attitude.
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Susan DeMattei
Although I’ve been retired from the racing circuit for eight years, I still enjoy my mountainbike rides; living in Gunnison for the past 10 years has enabled me to get out and see the sights,starting most rides from my front door. Raising my three boys has kept me busy since retirement, butI try to teach MTB clinics whenever possible, and I stay up on the latest bike related “stuff” through myhusband, Dave Wiens, who still slogs it out with theother pros on most summer week-ends.
Some favorite moments from my past include,but aren’t limited to: 1990 National Champion, 1994Silver Medalist at Vail World Championships, BronzeMedal at 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA.Competing on the national and World Cup circuits were a wonderful way for me to see theworld, meet some stellar people, and challenge myself both physically and mentally.
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Susan DeMattei’s focused but lighthearted training style always kept her at the top of the World Cup standings.
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WWaatteerrIInnttooxxiiccaattiioonn
A life-threatening condition
Health and Injury Prevention
Hydration—when to hydrate and how often—can trip up the best of athletes.
Many people are misinformed when it comes to sports hydration. Ironically, many athletes try so hard to avoid dehydration that they become water intoxicated instead—-a condition that can be as debilitating as dehydration.
by Gloria Beim, MD
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Water intoxication, or drinking toomuch water, causes hyponatremia, apotentially life-threatening condition. Outon the trail, when you sweat and drink toomuch plain water, the salt in your body isdepleted and your sodium levels can dropdangerously low. The cells in your bodytissues, lungs and brain absorb too muchwater. Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea, fatigue, vomiting, weakness and sleepiness. In extreme cases, yourbrain swells, causing seizures or a coma.
The incidence of hyponatremia hasrisen with the advent of ultradistancetriathlons, Ironman competitions and otherextreme athletic events. Many endurancecompetitions have an abundance of wateravailable to the athletes and they are oftenencouraged to drink as much as they can.Thirst doesn’t come too late either. If youare thirsty, it doesn’t mean that you arealready dehydrated, so don’t worry aboutpreventing thirst altogether. When yourbody needs fluids, it will tell you and thenyou can drink.
Elite athletes don’t have time to over-load on water so they are generally prettysafe. However, non-elite marathoners whorun and or walk the distance in more thanfive hours often take advantage of everywater station and before you know it thesepeople may have added 5% of their bodyweight in water and this can be fatal. A woman can kill herself if she puts on5.5 pounds of fluid during a competition.
One 35-year-old-man had severelydepleted sodium levels at an IronmanTriathlon after finishing the race in 14 hours. He began having seizures at the finish and was found to have gained 7 pounds during the race. He was estimated to have consumed 23 liters offluid during the race. He continued tohave seizures for the following two daysand was released from the hospital on day 8. If he had consumed far less waterand more sodium (contained in sportsdrinks), this potentially fatal conditioncould have been prevented.
Several reports of physicians misdiag-nosing athletes with dehydration havebeen reported. Unfortunately these ath-
letes were treated with oral or even IVfluids. This can make the hyponatremiafar worse and has caused fatalities. Acyclist who is acting unusual during orafter a race is not necessarily dehydratedand may have to be treated with saltreplenishment, not fluids.
So how do you know if you havehyponatremia? Well if you have beenhydrating and your performance isimpaired (you are slowing down signifi-cantly), you may have water intoxication.
Early treatment of hyponatremia is saltreplenishment with foods such as saltypretzels or bananas. The best treatment,however, is prevention.
Here are some tips for preventinghyponatremia:
• If you are going to participate in a long race, try to train in a similar environment for 10 to 14 days before gradually building workout intensity and duration.
• Weigh yourself daily before and after training and before the race to see if you are over or underhydrating.
• Check your urine 30 minutes before the race. If it is dark, drink fluids before the race.
• Be aware of the temperature and humidity and how much you are sweating.
• Favor a diluted sports drink for replenishment rather than plain water.
• Avoid caffeine or carbonated drinks.• Add salt to your foods a few days
prior to the race (if you don’t have high blood pressure and you have no medically directed dietary salt restrictions).
• Eat something with salt (pretzels) during the last half of the race.
Some experts also recommend avoid-ing nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen, Advil orMotrin on the day of a race. These drugsmay predispose athletes to hyponatremia.Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is safe on race day.
So don’t drown in your enthusiasm tostay hydrated. Your body is pretty wellequipped to manage endurance events if
you are well-trained and it will let youknow when to replenish. When you doreplenish, use diluted electrolyte or sports drinks.
Gloria Beim is a board certified OrthopaedicSurgeon with fellowship training in shoulder
surgery, knee surgery,arthroscopy and sports medicine.
Dr. Beim founded AlpineOrthopaedics & SportsMedicine Clinic, located onthe Western Slope of theColorado Rockies, and holdsclinics at four sites—Crested
Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Gunnison and Telluride,Colo. She is the physician for the United StatesTrack Cycling Team and a team physician forWestern State College Athletics in Gunnison. She is a member of the Olympic Sports MedicineSociety for Sports medicine and is a fellow of theAmerican Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Most recently, Dr. Beim has been chosen to be team physician for the USA cycling team at the2004 Olympic games in Athens, Greece.
In addition to publishing in numerous professional journals and textbooks, Dr. Beim is a reviewer for the American Journal of Sportsmedicine and the author of The Female Athlete’sBody Book. She has appeared as an authority insports medicine in a number of TV newscastsincluding The Today Show.
Always carry water but use good judgement inthe amount you drink.
Itold myself it was going to be likeany other long day on the bike. I had
ridden more than 100 miles in one daybefore, and I actually enjoyed ridiculouslylong days in the saddle. The only differ-ence today was that my riding partnersconsisted of two or three hundred span-dex-clad racers of all calibers. I figured I would just ignore them and go my ownpace. I was not a racer—never intended tobe—just looking for adventure.
Weeks before I embarked on thisendurance ride, I had heard all kinds ofadvice from veteran racers—all reverber-ating the words “be sure and hydrate.”People even warned me to stock up onfluids a few days before the event. Well,I’ve never been a drinker. My husband, anex-racer, always looks at me in dismay atthe small amounts I consume. But I’dnever done such a ride in a race setting, soI figured I’d better heed their words. Firstlesson learned: don’t let others’ (well-meaning) advice steer you from what youknow works for your own body.
At mile 50, I felt great. I’d kept asteady pace and slowly reeled the eagersprinters in. No problemo. I passed thedudes who felt stopping to pee was tootime prohibitive, so they just did it in theirshorts. The Tour de France this wasn’t.Peeew!
At mile 60, I took two Ibuprofentablets to head off an old familiar achebefore it became an issue. Curiously, I hadbeen peeing fairly regularly up until thispoint. The next 20 miles were in desert-like heat, ending with a brutal climb up tothe next aid station at mile 80. Fromthere it was downhill and only another
20 miles and less than 2,000 feet ofclimbing to the finish.
Descending into the heat, I passed mysweety husband, also racing and going theopposite direction, climbing out of theheat. “Hi honey!” I was having such agreat day. All he could say was “Be sureand drink through this next section!” Wellokay then. He was right—it was hot.People were pulled off to the side of thetrail seeking shade and some were puking.Great.
I’d eaten throughout the day, sucked onsalt tablets, drank my electrolyte drinks.After mile 60 however, I stopped urinat-ing. That is strange for a woman with abladder the size of a pea. I thought,“I must be getting dehydrated”. Climbingup to mile 80, I started to feel strange.Metallic is the only way I can describe it.I sucked on more electrolyte tabs and atesome turkey jerky.
At mile 80, after removing my sun-glasses, an aid station worker asked if I felt okay. “Pretty good, but a littlestrange”, I said. She was probably horrified at the sight of my bloodshoteyes. Contacts and dry dusty roads don’tmix. I grabbed a handful of chips and thesalt was so tangy on my tongue.
Second lesson learned: listen to yourbody—those chips tasted good, right? Ineeded salt. What I got were cautionarywords to sit down, take a load off and resta minute. So I sat with some miserablelooking dudes who were keeled over,wrapped in wool blankets, puking andshivering. It’s 80 degrees out here! Theseguys were suffering heat stroke and dehydration.
So of course the one over-worked medical tech took one look at my blood-shot eyes and dilated pupils and told me“your body is exhausted and dehydratedand shutting down”. What words of comfort, I thought. I’m sure it didn’t helpthat I had the words “Hydrate or die”across my forehead (on an old hand-me-down headband) when he was diagnosingme. At this point, he took away my electrolyte drink, asked its ingredients and informed me the protein in it wasdehydrating me. “Just stay here and drinksome plain water,” I was instructed.“That’s so strange that I would be dehydrated,” I told him, describing howmuch I had consumed, what I had eaten,the two pain-relievers I had taken 20 milesback. “Don’t worry, you’re just a little dehydrated and tired,” he assured me.
Laying there, sipping on water, I beganto feel worse. Walking to the bathroom, Icould barely walk a straight line. I hadpressure in my bladder but could barelyurinate. I felt extremely tired all of a sudden. I was urged to take a ride with the truck and not finish the race. Scared,I listened to their words “just keep drink-ing as much as you can” as they filled myCamelbak.
During the ride down, my limbs beganto feel tingly. I noticed my forearms andhands were swollen. I felt as though I wasso sleepy I might pass out. My breathingwas becoming difficult and felt raspy. Thedriver stopped to say hello to a courseworker/EMT on the side of the road.Scared and knowing something was notright and getting worse, I told the EMTmy symptoms. He looked at me like I was
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Learning to DrinkMisdiagnosis and a case of water intoxication
by Angie Lortie
crazy and told me I was going to be fine,I was probably just dehydrated. The otherpassengers in the truck told me to justkeep drinking.
Two hours from the time I arrived atmile 80, I stumbled out of the truck at thefinish and puked what seemed like gallonsof water. That felt good. Everyone wantedme to lie down, but I was scared I mightpass out. Thankfully I did, because I lost control of my muscles and startedconvulsing. My heartbeat was weak anderratic, so they put me on oxygen andthought I was going into cardiac arrest. I felt as though I was in a tunnel andabout to slip. Everyone was yelling at meto stay awake.
The ambulance driver hooked me upto a heart monitor and an IV to pump me with more fluids, at which point mychest felt as though I had a stack ofencyclopedias on it, with someone on top of them. He noticed my heart ratewas becoming even more erratic. Hestopped the IV and asked if that felt better. “Maybe.” I responded. He askedall kinds of questions about what Itook—anything with ephedra? “Nope.”He fed me nitroglycerin tablets, had the defibrillators out and called me intothe hospital as an emergency cardiacpatient. I thought: “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
Once in the hospital, I was a bafflingcase to the doctors. They continued withthe IV. After monitoring my heart anddrawing blood, they determined my electrolytes were the cause of my heartproblems. They increased the electrolytesin my IV. Hours later I was able to urinate. And boy did I go. The nurses gotso tired of emptying my bedpan, theyfinally wheeled in the throne: a portablepotty. My puffy skin deflated.
It was almost midnight before I felt I could breathe normally and my head wasnot so fuzzy. After an evening on themonitors and long interviews with thedoctors, it was determined that I had suffered hyponatremia. My electrolytesupon entering the hospital were at a levelthat bordered coma inducing.
Strange. If only I hadn’t stopped at that aid station. I had been under theirwatch for two hours (including the ridedown) and was slowly drowning.
My conclusion: before you take advicefrom others, know what your body needsand listen to it closely. More water is notnecessarily better.
Angie herself—not very thirsty here!
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The obvious story at the CarterLake Road Race was the obstinate, dry, pestering,
in-your-face, 50 mph Colorado RockyMountain springtime wind. Despite theweather deterrent, hundreds of racersshowed up because Carter Lake is oneof the most scenic and exciting spring-time road race courses available to the Front Range peleton. With plenty of climbing and scary-fastdescents, the Carter Lake race was atest of skill and determination. Only thestrongest survived to the finish.
Carter Lake Road RaceApril 18Carter Lake, Colo.
The pro 1,2 men roll off to a fast start.
The category 3 men’s peleton battles the wind coming in from the west.
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The pro 1,2,3 woman’s field split up early on theclimb. Ann Trombley (Excel Sports) takes a pull foreventual winner Kori Kelly (Genesis Scuba/FFCC)and 2nd place finisher Brooke Ourada (VictoryBrewing Cycling Team).
The men’s pro 1,2,3 peleton reaches the top of theclimb. Andrew Bajadali (OFOTO/Lambardi Sports),on his way to winning the men’s Pro 1,2 race, sitscomfortably in third place on Mike Janelle’s (TokyoJoe’s) wheel.
Racers were engulfed each time they crossed thesouth dam. The dust storm was so bad that coursemarshals used push brooms (seriously) to keep theroad clear of sand blowing off the beach.
photos by B.P. Evanitsky
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Tour of Canyonlands
This year’s Mountain States Cup Opener had a typically large turnout. The weather
was perfect but the 2004 Tour ofCanyonlands will forever be remembered for a tragic accident that took the life of Benjamin Hall.
It seems unfair to say that anybodywas clearly at fault for the accident. A combination of circumstances led toBenjamin’s collision with an oncomingtruck. The race course was open to traffic and it was a particularly busyweekend on Kane Creek Road.
We have yet to see what policychanges may stem from the accident but one thing is certain: everyone whoever crossed his path will sorely missthe colorful character and smiling,bearded face of Benjamin Hall.
Len Zanni #103 (Honey Stinger), who later finished second to Brian Lugers, takes a flyer at the start of theexpert men’s 30-34 age class. Paige Miller photo
Brian Smith (Trek/Volkswagen), giving it 180% as usual, puts the rest of the pro men’s field on the ropes atthe top of the first climb. Showing no respect for his head cold, Brian won the race with a definitive 1:13lead over second place finisher Carl Swenson (RLX). B.P. Evanitsky photo
Mountain States Cup #1April 25Moab, Utah
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Jim Reed splashes through the refreshment of Kane Creek on his way to finishing2nd to the aging but not slowing Dawes Wilson in the expert 50+ age class. B.P. Evanitsky photo
Heather Irmiger (Tokyo Joe’s) focuses on some typical Moab terrain whiledescending the Amasa Back trail. Heather eventually flatted minutesfrom the finish but got back on in time to finish second. Paige Miller photo
Jennifer Smith #32 (WV/Bon Jovi/Cannondale) andChantal Thompson #21 push each other to an earlylead while Heather Irmiger leads the chase.Jennifer went on to win the race making it a week-end ruled by the Smith family. B.P. Evanitsky photo
Mike West (Giant/OSO Energy) drools a little at thethought of getting back on his bike after hiking up(from the valley floor in the background) the infa-mous Jacob’s Latter. Mike hammered the AmasaBack descent to finish 6th in the Pro class. B.P. Evanitsky photo
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Iron Horse Bicycle ClassicMay 28–30Durango, Colo.
T he Iron Horse is true to its name,a classic. It started back in theday when Jim and Tom Mayer
dreamt up the idea of racing the trainto Silverton.
Jim worked as an engineer for theD&RGW railroad, which had run thesteam locomotive to Silverton since the1880s. Tom was a cycling enthusiast, so one day he challenged older brotherJim to a race.
Tom saddled up on his steel 10-speedbicycle while Jim was given the easierjob of riding the Iron Horse. Thisbecame a tradition and eventually Tombecame fit enough to beat the train.
Today, the road race still starts withthe train and is one of the very fewhigh mountain road races in the RockyMountains that boasts the luxury ofhaving the road completely closed totraffic during the race.
What makes the Iron Horse a trueclassic event is the number of highquality events offered over the three-day Memorial Day weekend. This yearthe events included the road race, ahigh-paced criterium in downtownDurango, and of course, the mountainbike cross-country.
If you’re gonna suffer like a beast of burden, you might as well do it in paradise. Ben Duke (JDR-Trek/VW)puts it behind him with the beautiful San Juan’s in the background.
Scott Moninger (Health Net) and Drew Miller (Landis/Trek/VW) punishing each other near the top of thepass. The race ended in a sprint. Moninger took it by 1 second winning the race in 2:17:23.
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Somehow-always-in-form Ned Overend (Specialized) leads the pro men’s race up Chapman Hill at thestart of the Cross-Country as Travis Brown (Trek/VW), Eric Jones (Biogen-Idec), and Brian Smith(Trek/VW) follow their elder. After it was all said and done, Jones won the race, Brown was a close2nd, and Overend was 4th.
Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado) put in agood effort to finish 3rd in the Expert Woman 19-34 Cross-Country.
Jimi Mortinson (Specialized) stealing 3rd from teammate Ned Overend (Specialized).
Frank Mapel (Specialized/Coka-Cola) digging deep and perhaps wishing he could find just a little bit more.
The Pro Womans Race was very competitive, especially among the locals. Here, Marisa Asplundfrom Durango sees the white ghost on her way to a 4th place finish in the Senior Womans I,II,III race. Another Durango local, Irene Merierwon the race in 2:41:55.
photos by Dean Howard
The Teva Mountain Games, promoted by UntraditionalMarketing, LLC of Vail, is an
exemplary event. Every race promoterout there should take a close look atthis affair.
The Teva Mountain Games offers afull weekend of entertainment withseemingly endless competitions. TheVail Village was so crowded with spectators and athletes waiting to compete, you may have thought it wasanything but off-season in a Coloradoski town.
Throughout the weekend, top athletes faced off in kayaking, climbing,adventure racing, trail running, mountain biking, road biking, andspeed trials. With a two-hour JurassicFive concert and a huge party in one ofVail’s hippest clubs, the nightlife rivaledhomecoming weekend at CU.
Of course, as far as the athleteswere concerned, the best thing aboutthis event was the presence of Mr.Greenbacks. There is nothing like thechances of winning actual prize moneyto stiffen up the competition. Everyevent boasted a prize list three deepwith the winner taking home $1,000 to $1,500.
The mountain bike event was short,sweet, and steep. With only three lapson a 5-mile racecourse, and 1,000bucks on the line, you may havededuced that the pace was fast fromthe gun.
In the women’s race, Jennifer Smithand Melissa Thomas battled it out withSmith pulling away on the climb andThomas reeling her back in on theslightly sketchy descent. On the last lap,
Smith maxed out on the climb and heldThomas off with 40 seconds to spare.
The men’s race was pretty stacked.The lure of cash enticed the likes ofTravis Brown, Jay Henry, JimiMortenson, and Alex Hagman. Theattacks started right from the gun andkept coming through the mid-point ofthe climb.
By the time the leaders reached thetop, Brown, Mortenson, Henry, andHagman had created a 30-second gapover the next riders. Hagman flatted onthe first descent and never quite gotback in it. After 51 minutes of racing ator above lactate threshold, Brown rolled
in first for the big check withMortenson and Henry following.
The cycling continued Sunday withthe 1st Bank Vail Hill Climb. Held onthe Old Vail Pass Road (parallel to I-70),this time trial was a novelty because itis the same course used during theoriginal Coors Classic back in the early80’s. It’s a narrow and steep road that’sclosed to motor vehicles, and best ofall, you can still find the names LeMondand Riis painted on the pavement fromthe Coors Classic.
Jimi Mortenson and Melissa Thomasposted the best times of the day.
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Teva Mountain GamesJune 3–6Vail, Colo.
Mike Janelle pulled his best time trial suit out of the closet and earned himself a 4th place finish. Note the name LeMond scribed on the pavement—a remnant from the days of the Coors Classic.
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Here’s proof that prize money is good for the industry; TravisSheafer took home $750 for winning the expert cross-country raceat the Teva Mountain Games. He went home to Gunnison and putthe money down on a shiny new Tomac mountain bike. He wasstill smiling three weeks later.
The Speed Trials made for a great show and kept the crowd entertained. Chris Clarkwon the event by staying smooth and not getting injured.
If you made it onto the podium at the Teva MountainGames, it meant you took home some money. TravisBrown, left, and Jennifer Smith, above, received big checksto match their big smiles.
photos by B.P. Evanitsky
Fat Tire Bike Week is one of thelongest standing mountain bike festivals in the country. Hall of
Famer Kay Peterson-Cooke created itback in the early 80s.
In the past, the mountain bike racewas known for being an epic adventuretraversing some of the sickest single-track trails in the area. The course varied from year to year, sometimesusing the legendary combination ofSnodgrass trail to Trail 403 to Trail 401back over the ski area to the Town ofMount Crested Butte.
In other years, racers would be subjected to the Ferris Creek/DeerCreek to Gothic route. Regardless ofthe course, it was always epic, mostlysingletrack (waste-deep in wildflowersand skunk cabbage), and you wereguaranteed to experience scenic overload during the race.
The Crested Butte Chamber ofCommerce now manages Fat Tire BikeWeek and the race has been aptlydubbed the Wild Flower Rush, stop No.5 of the Mountain States Cup. The racecourse has been moved to a network oftrails within the boundary Crested ButteMountain ski resort. Huge elevationgains and a lengthy system of tightweaving singletrack make it one of thecruelest races on the circuit.
This year, the weather was typicalRocky Mountain summer weather,meaning it changed every 10 minutes.The cross-country race started with ablue bird sky and by lap two a coldslow rain had moved in. Luckily, as theysay, if you don’t like the weather in
Colorado, wait five minutes. By the endof the race, the sun was out again andthe trails were tacky and fast.
In the pro men’s race, Brian Smith(Trek/VW), true to form, took off like awailing banshee, creating a 25-metergap in the first three minutes. As therace unfolded, Mitchell Moreman(Hassle Free Sports), Nick Gould (SantaCruz), and Cody Peterson (3D Racing)took up the chase. Three laps and over6,000 feet of climbing later Smith hadcreated another decent gap overPeterson, seemingly with the race inthe bag.
Things can change quickly in amountain bike race. In the final fewmiles of the descent, Smith took onecorner a hair too anxiously, slid out,and got himself all wrapped up thecourse marking ribbon. As Smith fum-bled with the ribbon stuck in hisderailleur, Peterson slipped by to set a
new course record winning the race in2 hours, 29 minutes, and 15 seconds.
The pro woman started extremelyfast up the initial steep climb. SusanDeMattei, past Olympian and currentfull time mother of three, surprised alot of people by showing up on thestarting line. Proving that she still has itin her, DeMattei rode aggressively fromthe start along with Monique Merrill(Tokyo Joes), Sarah Tescher (3D Racing),and series leader Sandra Bloomer(MtbChicks.com). Fast and smooth asalways, DeMattei ripped the descentand eventually took the lead.
Everything changed on the secondlap with DeMattei fading and Merrilltaking control of the race. Merrill heldon to the lead until the end, winningby over 1 minute and setting a newcourse record at 2 hours, 1 minute, and48 seconds. Tescher followed in second,Bloomer third, and DeMattei in fourth.
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Wild Flower RushMountain States Cup #5June 26–27Crested Butte, Colo.
In the subtle but competitive single speed race, past Colorado Off Road Point Series Champion MikeSkellion (#175) came out of the single speed closet and crushed the rest of the onies.
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Sam Carlson having a little fun and showing someclass in the Junior Expert race.
photos by B.P. Evanitsky
Cody Peterson (3D Racing) pushes through typical CrestedButte singletrack. Peterson rode a smart race, beating the restof the pro men by over a minute and setting a new courserecord in 2:29:15.
Sarah Tescher (3D Racing) finishing a strong 2nd in thepro women’s race.
Tad Elliot, #480 (Durango Cyclery) controlled thejunior expert race, winning in 1:48:12, more than 4 minutes over 2nd place finisher Kevin Rice.
Always a great competitor, MoniqueMerrill (Tokyo Joes) took the leadlate in the pro women’s race and seta new course record in 2:01:48.
Julie Emmerman, #28 (Epic Roots), Susan DeMattei, #210 and Sandra Bloomer, #1 (Mtb Chicks.com) test each other on the first climb at the Wild Flower Rush.
next page
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Pro women’s downhill winner Lisa Myklak (Velocity Racing) controlledher speed just enough to survive the upcoming compression. Myklakwon in 5:29, an impressive 20 seconds over 2nd place rider JoannaPeterson (RPM/Yeti).
Matt Shirley riding a very smooth line through one of the fewtechnical sections on the downhill course. In the extremelyclose junior expert downhill race, Shirley finished 3rd, 2.5 seconds behind Billy Delacroix (In Da House Racing).
Local favorite and series leader Ryan Sutton (Astrix) “rolls over” the kicker near the endof the course. Sutton won the pro men’s downhill in 4:41, 2.5 seconds over teammateKain Leonard (Astrix).
continued from Page 14
37Mountain Flyer
July 18, 2004
The inaugural Great Divide Race(GDR) ended July 18 with four of seven starters finishing.
In 30 days, 4 hours, and 28 minutesafter starting, competitor Matthew Leearrived at Antelope Wells, N.M., toclaim fourth place.
While three racers were unable tocomplete the race because of injury ormechanical failure, the other four racers fought through what can onlybe described as the most brutally difficult mountain bike race on theplanet. Paralleling and repeatedly cross-ing the Continental Divide, the routeclimbs more than 225,000 feet as ittraverses Montana, Idaho, Wyoming,Colorado, and New Mexico. Total racemileage stretches 2,465 miles, traveling primarily on on dirt and gravel jeeproads, with occasional stretches ofpavement and singletrack.
Compounding the almost unthink-able difficulty of the event is the self-supported manner in which it is raced.
Racers carry everything they needfrom survival gear, food, water, tools,spare parts, clothing, maps, and anything else they deem necessary tosafely traverse the American RockyMountains. Support crews are notallowed.
All racers were treated to spectacularalpine and sub-alpine scenery, withtemperatures ranging from a chilly 29to a stupefying 107 degrees, not tomention typical mountain weather:rain, sleet, hail, snow, incessant light-
ning, punishing headwinds, miles ofsoft sand and unrideable mud, as wellas innumerable encounters with deer,elk, moose, black bear, grizzly bear,pronghorn, bighorn, coyote, porcupine,wild horses, fox, and skunk.
Mechanical difficulties frustrated allracers. You name the problem, they hadit: malfunctioning odometers, seizedbottom brackets, non-shiftingderailleurs, broken pedals, frayed cables,broken racks, shredded tires, countlessflats, and even a cracked frame.
Despite the inconceivable distancescovered, with 10 miles to go MikeCuriak and Peter Basinger found them-selves riding together. Incredibly, after16 days and 2,465 miles, the two racerswere never more than 5 hours apart.
“Spending that much time chasingor attacking the same person isexhausting mentally because you’reconstantly running through all of thepotential outcomes,” Curiak laterrecounted.
“I was unwilling to sprint againstPete, knowing I stood little chance ofovercoming his 23-year-old legs. Sowith 10 miles to go, I started a near-maximal time trial.”
Near maximal indeed—in those last miles Curiak put 24 minutes ofinsurance between himself andBasinger, winning the race and knock-ing a whopping 52 hours off thecourse record.
1. Mike Curiak, 16 days, 57 minutes
2. Peter Basinger, 16 days, 1 hour, 21 minutes
3. Jan Kopka, 20 days, 21 hours
4. Matthew Lee, 30 days, 4 hours, 30 minutes
DNF: Trish Stevenson, Gary Dye, Steve Fassbinder
More details can be found at:http://www.mtbr.com/gdr/
FFoouurr FFiinniisshh GGrreeaatt DDiivviiddee RRaacceeCuriak wins, shatters course record
Text and photo by John Weirath
Curiak, somewhere between Canada and Mexico
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Here’s a great new guidebook for theSalida area trail network
Salida Singletrack Mountain biking in Colorado’s Upper Arkansas Valley
by Nathan Ward
If you’ve ever ridden the Crest trail you know that Salida hassome of the best riding anywhere. Well, there’s plenty morewhere that came from.
Nathan Ward’s writing and photography has appeared in Life,Outside, Paddler, and Adventure Cyclist. His experience is evi-dent in the design of this excellent guidebook that includes mile-by-mile descriptions, elevation profiles, elevation gain and loss,maps, and photographs. To get a signed copy of the guidebookcheck out www.nathanward.com/guidebooks.htm.
Wheel Riders
Have you ever watched your $400 Crossmax front wheelbouncing down the highway behind your car? I have. Thoseflimsy fork mounts that came with your roof rack just aren’t allthat reliable. Besides, they take up valuable rack space.
Wheel Riders, a new company based out of Denver has asolution: A full product line of high quality dependable frontwheel mounts that are secure, protect your wheel from damage,and don’t take up additional rack space. The product lineincludes two different fork style mounts and a really nice heavy-duty wheel bag. All three styles are designed to be strappeddirectly to your bike. Prices range from $29 to $39. For moreinformation check out www.WheelRidersProducts.com
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Acli-Mate Physician Formulated Dietary Supplement
Doing some riding or racing at high elevations? You may want to check out this new supplement developed by Dr. Roanne Rouse, Naturopathic physician. Dr. Rouse has developed this formula from natural ingredients that support thebiological and physiological pathways involved in acclimatiza-tion. Acli-mate is the product of considerable research andexperimentation in the promotion of accelerated acclimatiza-tion, enhancement of physical performance, and reduction ofsymptoms associated with altitude sickness. For more informa-tion check out www.Acli-Mate.com or call 970-641-1791.
New OPEN ROAD TI Stem from Moots
Being the first to bring you a removable face titanium road stem wasn't good enough for us—we wanted to make it better. Combining our designing, machining and welding skills we bring you the OPEN ROAD TI stem. Elegant and lightweight for the road, this stemoptimizes the material making it strong, stiff, lightweight and beautiful.
We showed this stem at Interbike last fall and after some final tweaking we havethem ready to ship. The faceplate has been changed to a 7075 aluminum one-piece designto have better contact with the bar. Carbon handle bar friendly, 4-bolt faceplate design takesthis stem to the next level. We are using a smaller diameter extension than the TI Beam stem fora sleeker, lighter design.
Stock stems Price: $ 325.00Customs: $ 375.00 (50% deposit required)
• 10 stock sizes• Customs always available• 1 1/8'' steerer• Shim for 1''• 26.0mm clamp diameter• 31.8mm clamp diameter (coming winter 2004)
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41Mountain Flyer
by Paige Miller
July 24, 2004Mt. Evans, Colo.
Tom Danielson (Fassa Bortolo) saidhe intended to break a 12-year-oldcourse record during his first race
up Mt. Evans, and despite some early hesitations he did exactly that.
With the help of Durango rider CodyPeterson (AST Cycling), Danielson beatMike Engleman’s 1992 course record by 4 minutes and 10 seconds with a finaltime of 1:41:20 during the 39th edition of the Bob Cook Memorial Hill Climb.
When Danielson arrived on race day,he questioned the feasibility of his owngoal: “With the weather, I decided therecord would be difficult.”
The night before the race, the last several miles of road leading to the summit were slush-covered and slick,but by morning the snow had cleared. At 8:20 a.m. on race morning, the ClearCreek Ranger District recorded a tempera-ture of 31 degrees, 17 degrees with thewind chill, at the summit. They alsoreported clear skies, but during the nextfew hours clouds and fog rolled in andout, decreasing visibility.
While riders pedaled almost 28 milesto the 14,120-foot high summit of Mt.Evans, gaining a net elevation of over6,500 feet, spectators at the top donnedhats, winter gloves, blankets, and sleeping bags to stay warm.
Danielson said Mt. Evans is long andwindy, unlike Mt. Washington, NewHampshire, which is “just straight up.”(In August 2002 on Mt. Washington,Danielson became the first person to ridethe 7.6-mile course in under 50 minutes,surpassing Tyler Hamilton’s record.)
“Cody pulled, I attacked, and (Scott)Moninger (Health Net) came with me,”he said, noting that no other riders
attacked. “I might as well try for therecord,” he thought.
Shivering at the summit under a hood-ed sweatshirt after the race, Peterson saidhe pulled only once, but Danielson wasquick to correct him: “You had three good pulls.” Peterson remained modest,“I never felt like I could go hard.” Whenthe race course split and riders headedtoward the summit, he was thinking, “Ican’t breathe. I can’t go hard. This is it,”he said.
Danielson said he knew his goal was
about to become reality when he looked atthe GPS system Joe Friel had installed onhis bike and saw that he was at 1 hour 38minutes with 1,000 meters to go.
“I feel like my form is very good” hesaid, and that this race is a good indicatorof how he will perform in Europe whenhe competes in the Vuelta a Espana inSeptember.
Scott Moninger (Health Net) came in8 minutes and 40 seconds behindDanielson placing second in the race butearned the Colorado State Hill Climb
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Danielson Sets New Mt. Evans RecordMoninger Claims State and National Titles
Tom Danielson (Fassa Bortolo), back in Colorado for a short visit before heading back to Europe for theVuelta a Espania, showed up with a tentative plan: to break the record set in 1992 by Mike Engleman.Danielson rode the 28 mile course, with over 6500 feet of climbing, in 1 hour, 41 minute,s and 20 seconds,obliterating the 12-year-old record by 4 minutes and 10 seconds.
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Championship and the FIAC National titles because of the licensing rules.Drew Miller placed third, 9 minutes and35 seconds behind the leader.
In the women’s open category withnearly 30 racers, Ann Trombley (ExcelSports) stamped out the best ride of theday finishing in 2 hours, 19 seconds.Susan Williams (Merlin) and KatrinaGrove (Equipe Rona) followed at 37 seconds and 1 minute, 39 seconds back, respectively.
The Mt. Evans Hill Climb is one ofColorado’s classic events. It was racedofficially for the first time in 1962 and hasnow been held 39 times. In 1981, the race
was renamed after five-time race winnerBob Cook, who died of cancer at the ageof 23. Cook held the course record from1975–1980. Prior to this year’s event,Mike Engleman held the course record of1 hour, 45 minutes. The senior women’srecord still stands at 1 hour, 59 minutes,set by Jeannie Longo of France.
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Scott Moninger (Health Net) finished second to Danielson at Mt. Evans but due to licensing details wasnamed the Colorado State and FIAC National Hill Climb Champion.
Cody Peterson (Bike Source) put in a good hard effort, suffered a little bit at the top, and finished6th in 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 2 seconds.
Photos by Paige Miller
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Andrew Hamilton – 6th place. 122 miles, 25,926 feet of climbing, 22 hours and 27 minutes
Mark Thompson on his way to a 4th place finish —128 miles, 25,926 feet of climbing, 23 hours and 21minutes
Jon Brown—downhill—radical corner
Jon Brown—5th place, 122 miles, 25,926 feet of climbing, 21 hours and 35 minutes
Paige Miller photo
Mark Ridenour photos
45Mountain Flyer
“The world’s worst race”
by Paige Miller, Mark Ridenour, and Brian Riepe
Montezuma Colo.Friday July 30, 2004
Log onto montezumasrevenge.com and you’ll find that this distinctivelyRocky Mountain event has been
voted “The World’s Worst Race”. If yousaw this intro would you say “soundsgreat dude, sign me up”?
If yes, then you are one of a small but slowly growing population of hyper-adventurous compulsive risk takers. Ittakes an especially hardened individual to get excited about paying 300 bucks forthe kind of tortured delirium experiencedduring an event like this.
The race description on the web sitecalls it an ultra mountain biking event. In anera of “extreme this” and “ultra that”Montezuma’s Revenge created a new andunique way to punish the human body andspirit. It was way back in 1986 that SamOrez won the first running of Montezuma’sRevenge, surely making it one of the original and best ultra events around.
The basic description is this:“24 hours, over 200 miles, 10 times on theContinental Divide, over 35,000 feet ofclimbing, with the lowest elevation downat 9,000 feet, the highest elevation at14,270 feet.” This is, of course, assumingthat you can finish it. No one has yetcompleted the entire course. The format issuch that you ride as much of the courseas you can in 24 hours. Oh yeah, to top itoff, the course is not marked (can’t blamethe promoters for making that decision).You have to find your own way based onsome very simple written directions: mak-ing preparation crucial, and familiaritywith the course a huge advantage.
This year’s course took riders to thetop of two 14,000-foot peaks. What theheck, once you’re on top of Gray’s Peakat 1 a.m., you may as well scamper upTorres for a different perspective. It takes true grit just to line up at theMontezuma’s Revenge start line and tellyourself that you intend to finish.
Rob Ilves originally promoted the race
in 1986 but now Byron Swezy andAndrew Bielecki organize, direct, andpromote the event through a joint venture. These guys have taken whatstarted out as an obscure event and nur-tured it into one of the only televisedmountain bike races in the United States.OLN (you know, that crazy bass fishingchannel that occasionally works as a pub-
licity outlet for Lance Armstrong— the one that used to have good coverageof the Vuelta) was on site filming the2004 Montezuma’s Revenge and will airit several times this year.
Promoting this event is an impressivefeat, but what really defines it are the athletes who get out on course and grind itout, racing each other and competing
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Jon Brown finishing loop 4 at 3:30 a.m. Photo by Mark Ridenour.
The start – 24 hours and a potential 140 miles to go. Photo by Paige Miller.
The race description on the web site calls it an ultra mountain biking event.In an era of “extreme this” and “ultra that”, Montezuma’s Revenge created a new and unique way to punish the human body and spirit.
against their own minds and sensibilities.There are no categories other than Mr. orMs. No relay teams, age groups, pros, orbeginners. The range in ability and sup-port runs the whole gamut from seasonedpros to never before racers. That’s thebeauty of it.
The Montezuma’s Revenge course can crack the best of them. Being anexperienced pro means nothing at theRevenge. Often times, the “favorites” gotoo hard at the beginning and experiencemeltdown halfway through the race,leaving room for the underdogs to carefully,methodically, move past. Anything can happen out there and each year,new heroes emerge from the night,beleaguered, delirious, and euphoric atfinding themselves in the lead and in thespotlight of the camera crew.
Forty racers finished the 2004Montezuma’s Revenge. To be part
of that group is an indication of one’stenacity and super fitness but to winMontezuma’s Revenge, well, that puts youon a different planet.
In the Ms. Category, Jari Kirkland(Edge Cycles/Squadra) put in an impres-sive effort, winning the race by riding 122miles, climbing 25,926 feet, in 23 hoursand 46 minutes. Second to Kirkland wasCindy Burkhart who rode 113 miles andclimbed 22,532 feet, in 23 hours, 4 min-utes. Colleen Ihnken was third, also riding113 miles, 47 minutes behind Burkhart.
The Mr.’s race, stacked with veteranriders, kept all the pit crews on the edge.Josh Tostado took the lead immediatelybut moderate riding in the first loops keptthe top 15 riders close together.
Tostado held on, winning the race by riding 140 miles, climbing 30,895 feet in23 hours and 59 minutes. Nathan Postand Thane Wright followed in second andthird, respectively, both riding 134 miles,climbing 29,374 feet and finishing 44 minutes apart.
To make things a little more interest-
ing, Moots generously tossed in three$2,500 Smoothie Blend frames, one wentto a race volunteer, and two as a preem’sto the fastest rider going from Gray’sPeak to Torres and back to Gray’s.Nathan Post and Colleen Ihnken tookhome the booty.
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Chris Cosentino’s tandem tattoo, Paige Miller photo
Cindy Burkhart—2nd place 113 miles, 22,532 feet of climbing, 23 hours and 4 minutes. Photo by Paige Miller.
Colleen Ihnken picking up her Moots frame for herfast time between Grays and Torres. Photo by Paige Miller.
Eric Sullivan finds a nice spot for a power nap afterriding his way to a 7th place finish – 122 miles,25,926 feet of climbing, 22 hours and 56 minutes.Photo by Paige Miller.
Anything can happen out there and each year, new heroes emerge from the night; beleaguered,delirious, and euphoric at finding themselves in the lead and in the spotlight of the camera crew.
Mountain Flyer: Montezuma’s Revenge issuch a long crazy race. How did the raceunfold between you and the other ladies?
Jari Kirkland: Well, it started off with mein first, and then I missed the second turn.So when I figured it out I found myself insecond place. I then concentrated on catch-ing Cindy (Burkhart) and within fourmiles, I had put myself back in first place.
This whole time I was having trouble withmy rear wheel. The hub was shot andwhen I coasted down-hill it made theworst whirring sound and sucked mychain back up into my rear derailleur.Also, when the race started I had not seeneither one of my support people. By thetime the second lap was over I saw theman who was going to hike with me and Iasked him to try to find some one to drivemy car so I would have food and lights(which are mandatory) for the third loop.Luckily he was able to do this.
It was great to finish and learn that I hadset the new course record. Overall, thiswas a great race for me.
MF: What is your experience with adventure racing and what did you do tospecifically prepare for this event?
JK: Last year at the time I was doing
Montezuma’s it was the longest/hardestrace I had done. Since then I have done several multi-day races and a few 24-hour races. This, I think, has preparedme for the intensity that I wanted to put inthis race. I went and scouted Gray’s andTorres for the hike. I think this preparedme for the fastest route.
MF: You raced a steel hardtail frame. Do you think that was the best tool for the job? Would you do it the same waynext time?
JK: In this race, I think that a lightweightfull suspension bike would be the bestchoice. Since you have to hike with yourbike on your backpack for about five
hours you need something light but thedown-hills are so rough that you need alittle bit more cushion. I would love to use a full suspension bike but I just don’town one.
MF: What was it like climbing Gray’s andTorres in the middle of the night?
JK: It was crazy because you can see thelights of the people in front of you andhow high they are and knowing where youhave to go. Once you start you have tothink, one step, one step, one step. If youstart thinking too much about where youare going it gets a little overwhelming.And then, once you get to the top it isamazing to see the lights of Denver andthe Front Range. It is so beautiful. Thenyou realize that you have to go to Torresand come back. The roughest part is goingdown hill. Mostly there aren’t any trailsand the footing is hard. It was reallywindy and my bike was like a sail, justtossing me around.
MF: Now that you’ve won Montezuma’sRevenge, what are your next ambitions?
JK: I am going to do Subaru Primal Questin September and try to do another coupleof 24-hour solo races next year to see howa normal 24-hour race goes. I will seewhat comes up.
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Rider Interview
Jari KirklandFirst place female
122 Miles, 25,926 feet of climbing, 23 hours
and 46 minutes
by Brian Riepe
Jari Kirkland pushing up Teller Mountain at 5:45 a.m. Photos of Jari by Paige Miller.
Jari Kirkland “You can never have too much (chamois) butter”
The roughest part is going down hill. Mostly there aren’t any trails and the footing is hard. It was really windy and my bike was like a sail, just tossing me around.
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Mark Ridenour: How many times haveyou finished this race?
Josh Tostado: 2004 was my secondtime at Montezuma’s Revenge. The firsttime was 2002 and I finished 4th place.
MR: What is it about this race thatmakes you want to do it?
JT: I’d say the format of the race. Thecourse is set up so every loop is different,
with every loop getting harder also. I likedoing long epic rides in Summit County,Colorado, so this race is the quintessential24-hour hard-core race, and it’s in ourbackyard, I had to do it.
MR: With the course covering approximately 140 miles, and 31,000 feetof climbing in 24 hours, you guys racedall over Summit County. How does this format compare to a typical 24-hour bike race?
JT: Yeah, that’s what’s so cool aboutthis race. You’re covering so muchground, getting to ride all these epic rideslinked together all in one 24-hour race. I don’t really like doing 24-hour racecourses that have you do the same lapover and over, you feel like a hamster on awheel sometimes in those events! This isepic Colorado, an amazing course!
MR: What was the hardest part of therace for you?
JT: The hardest part was loop 4.Climbing Grays and Torres in the dark. I had been pushing at race pace for about10+ hours. My eyes were heavy, I wasstumbling (luckily forward) and it seemedlike I was lurching and stumbling all theway up to the top. Once on top I got mysecond wind. Looking down from the
peak and seeing a huge line of light fromall the racer’s lights was a pump-up!
MR: What does it take, training wise,to get you on the podium in Montezuma?
JT: I put in tons of miles, all mountainbiking, usually 200 miles/25 hours aweek. I try to put in 3 or 4 rides a weekthat are about 5-6 hours on my bike at a time!
Rider Interview
Josh Tostado First place male
140 miles, 30,895 feet of climbing, 23 hours
and 59 minutes
by Mark Ridenourof www.markridenour.com
I don’t really like doing 24-hour racecourses that have you do the same lap over and over. You sometimes feel like a hamster on a wheel in those events! This is epic Colorado—an amazing course!
Josh Tostado – Still focused after many hours in thesaddle. Photo by Paige Miller.
Josh Tostado heading out for loop 5 at 3:20 a.m.Photo by Mark Ridenour.
Josh Tostado in the spotlight of the television camera crew. Photo by Paige Miller.
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Nathan Post, from Montezma, Colorado,embarked on his first 24-hour mountain -bike race and surprised everyone when heclaimed 2nd place in what has been billedas one of the most difficult races on theplanet.
This come-from-nowhere rider, who hasno competitive cycling experience to speakof, credits his success to his support crewand a lack of mishaps and mechanicalproblems.
“I definitely couldn’t have gotten this farwithout these guys,” he said of his friends
and supporters, noting that the race wentsmoother than he expected. “I don’t have any backup anything, so ifsomething (had broken), that’s it,” he said.
Post, who turned 27 a few weeks afterthe race, rode a Jamis Never Summer hardtail that he paid $600 for three yearsago. “It’s pretty ghetto,” he said smilingwith beer in hand and surrounded byenthusiastic friends during the awards ceremony held the day after the race atKickapoo Tavern in Keystone, Colo.
Nathan explained that the week beforethe race, he broke the rear wheel so he hadto get one replaced and decided to replaceboth wheels, but he did not replace the oldtubes. The rear inner tube had 6 patches on it and the front tube had a slow leak.Both lasted the entire 24 hours.
Post’s support crew was spearheaded by a woman her friends call “The ItalianFireball”—Stefanie Marchesan.“I wouldn’t even have to pick up food,”said Post, demonstrating how his girlfriendof 4 years would eagerly push handfuls offood towards his mouth to feed him.
He also started the race wearing a good luck cycling jersey, —one he’d found “3 Montezuma’s ago” when the race organizers loaded a porta potty with t-shirtsand other stuff, and threw a stick of dyna-mite in it. He said he found the jersey onthe ground and was impressed that it wasstill intact, so he kept it.
Post finished the race in a green Boliviasoccer shirt. Why? He had visited Bolivialast year. When asked if that shirt had special significance or was in some waylucky he said, “It was the only other shirt I had that wasn’t cotton.”
He had hoped to get a jersey with a P-4Window Washing logo on it but that didn’tpan out. P-4 is where Post works, andDamon Pascual, the owner of the company,is his coach.
During the awards ceremony Post wasnot only recognized for placing 2nd overallbut also for his effort on Gray’s Peak,which earned him a $2,500 MootsSmoothie Blend frame, a “preem” offeredby the race organizers and sponsors.
Rider Profile
Nathan Post Second place male
134 miles, 29,374 feet of climbing, 23 hours
and 12 minutes
by Paige Miller
Nathan Post enjoying the awards ceremony and animpressive second place finish in his firstMontezuma’s Revenge. Photo by Paige Miller.
Nathan Post being filmed by Don Garcia ofGarceworks.com. Photo by Paige Miller
Nathan Post near the top of loop 5, 5:30 a.m. Photo by Mark Ridenour.
. . . the week before the race, he broke the rear wheel so he had to get one replaced and decided toreplace both wheels, but he did not replace the old tubes.The rear inner tube had 6 patches on it andthe front tube had a slow leak. Both lasted the entire 24 hours.
51Mountain Flyer
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DATE TIME09/04/04 4 p.m.
09/09/04 9 p.m.
09/10/04 12 a.m.
09/13/04 8 p.m.
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09/16/04 8 p.m.
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E very Thanksgiving I make the longtrip to Denver to visit the parents andsee old friends. Unless there’s snow,
I take the road bike along for the relativewarmth of the Front Range. I can usuallysneak in a ride while the turkey’s cooking.
This is also the time of year to catchup with my team sponsor, HandleBar &Grill, since they are a Denver based team.One of my visits was to Cherry CreekPhysical Therapy to see Don andChristina. Don is an avid rider and astrong supporter of the team. Christina isthe current 24 hour solo world championand former national champion. During my visit, Don told me that Christina wasregistered for the Cape Epic (a BIGmountain bike race) and that he hoped totravel (to South Africa!) with her to race -if he could find a race partner. Then theconversation went something like this:
Chad: Umm, Don? How about me?Don: Only if you promise to go slow
and not yell at me when I bonk.Chad: Dude, this race is in February.
There is no reason to go fast. I’ll tow youif you bonk.
Don: I had better start training now. As I drove back to my parents’ house
for a yummy turkey dinner, it began tosink in. I was going to South Africa. Inmy mind, Africa was open grasslands full
of giraffes and gazelles being chased bylions and tigers. The reality of the racewould be more like this– it’s the 2ndbiggest mountain bike stage race in theworld!
The Cape Epic Magical and UntamedMountain Bike race ran from Saturday toSaturday, February 28th - March 6th,2004. The field of athletes was made upof 273 teams, each with two riders. That’s546 racers representing 25 countries! Inthe end, only 463 racers would cross thefinish line. The logistics behind the sceneswere impressive. A team of over 220 crewand volunteers worked in the backgroundto put up and dismantle the entire race village with over 700 one-person tents,20 mobile showers, basins, water contain-ers, 700 mattresses, 100 tables, 40 toilets,800 chairs, 300 meters of fencing as wellas banners and start/finish equipmentevery single day.
On the drive back to Crested Butte I devised a training plan. The race was 10 weeks away. It was 8 stages and cov-ered 500 miles. Don is a mid-pack expertrider, so some training was required. Myapproach was to get into good enough riding shape to enjoy the scenery and notsuffer. I had just finished a long season asa semi-pro that included 28 races. Four ofthose were 24-hour solo races, so I had a
good base. During the winter months, Istayed fit by Nordic skiing twice a weekand doing a 3-4 hour ride. All my ridingwas at a moderate pace. My intention wasto build endurance, not speed.
Most of my rides were on snow packedroads and were darn cold. On one ride,just to keep my feet warm, I had on twopairs of socks, two pairs of neoprenebooties, and some of those air-activatedheat packets between my shoes and thebooties. The temperature was in the single digits that day. But all the while I was riding, I thought of the warmAfrican heat. Per my RideAnalyzerrecords, (www.rideanalyzer.com) I rode500 miles and 40 hours. Not bad for a person living in a ski town at 9,000 feet,a town that gets 400+ inches of snow a year.
The 20-hour plane flight How do you pack for an eight-stage
mountain bike race in a foreign countryon another continent? Good question.
First, get a really good bike case. Nomatter how many fragile stickers you puton a cardboard box, some airport gorilla isgonna throw it or drop it. You do not wantto open your bike case in a foreign coun-
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Getting to the Cape Epic Magical and Untamed Mountain Bike Race
by Chad Oleson
try and find something broken. I used ahard plastic case with generous internalpadding and wheels.
The hardest part of packing was deciding what tools and spare parts tobring. I finally decided on the following:
ToolsSwiss army knifeSet of Allen keysSpoke wrenchChain toolShock pumpMini pump3 bottles of lubeChain brushParachute cordDuct tapeShop rag
Spares2 tires4 tubes4 patch kitsBrake padsChainCable housing GripsShift & brake cablesPedal cleatsRear shockZip ties
I left Denver at 10 a.m. on Feb. 23.After a plane change in Atlanta, Ga.,I flew on a newer model Airbus. Maybe Ilive in a cave, but this aircraft was sweet.There were LCD screens in the back ofeach seat’s headrest and every passengerhad his own remote control. You couldchoose from about 20 movies and TVshows, making the flight fly by. When Iarrived at my lodging in Knynsa, SouthAfrica, it was 4 p.m. on Feb. 24. That’s 26 hours of traveling with a 9-hourtime difference. I was wrecked and in bed by 5 p.m.
The next morning was spectacular.Knynsa, the starting point of the CapeEpic, is a small town on the Indian Ocean.It’s part fishing village, part tourist townand the mountain bike capital of South
Africa. Every local I met was friendly,with a big smile. The English spoken inSouth Africa is very proper. It’s a mixtureof Dutch and British accents. I soundedlike John Wayne whenever I spoke.
I put my bike together and found nothing missing or broken. To celebratemy good fortune, I couldn’t resist a quickride along the coast before I met up withmy race partner, Don. That first day I didn’t experience the dry, open Africangrasslands I was expecting. Not one lionor tiger chased me. Actually, it was veryhumid and jungle-like with a temp ofabout 90 degrees.
My race partner, Don, is a pretty fit fellow and one of the nicest guys you’llever meet. When I caught up with him, helooked just as jet lagged and excited as Iwas. We spent the rest of that first daydealing with registration and talking withother competitors. There were a few otherAmerican teams, but most were fromSouth Africa and Europe. For the SouthAfrican teams, it was the middle of theircycling season. They were all tan and fit.Don and I, on the other hand, were primefor a good sunburn, and we knew it wasFebruary.
The next morning at 7 a.m. stage 1 ofeight would begin. In the next eight days,we would average 62 miles and six hoursa day on the bike. In the same eight days,we would also climb a total of 36,000feet. Much of the route is on private landand is opened to mountain bikers onlyonce a year for The Cape Epic. There’s alot of single track and dusty jeep tracks.The official race description for stage 1was impressive: “Forest single track,jeep track, fire-break descents, gravelmountain passes (and) technical riding.”We hoped we were ready. We would soon find out.
The RaceThe race was upon us at last. The plan-ning, hard training and endless travellingwere things of the past. It was now time toride eight stages over 500 miles of SouthAfrica.
It might seem strange to you that I talkabout the food before the racing, but I amtall, skinny, ride my bike too much andlove to eat. The food on this trip wasgreat. Next time I may skip the racing andjust go for the eight-day buffet.
The morning of the race Don and Iawoke excited and hungry. Breakfast eachday was at 5 a.m. and the race started at 7a.m. There was always something hot—eggs, hash browns, pancakes, Frenchtoast, etc. Then there were the breakfastbasics like fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, juiceand cereal.
This first morning we noticed a tablededicated to lunch type items. Paper bagssat on this table. We took this as a stronghint to pack something for that day’sstage. Would four sandwiches apiece beenough? Our approach: it was better tohave an extra one at the end of the daythan wish for one more later. Dinnersalways comprised a meat dish, rice orpasta and lots of salad. My favorite partwas the bottomless pile of chocolate andcarrot cake on the desert table. If you lefthungry, it was your own fault!
Now that we have the food descriptionout of the way, we can talk about the race.
Stage 1Nuts! All 546 racers lined up in a mass
start. Half the racers speak another lan-guage. Some, like me, are still gettingused to riding on the left side of the road.The announcer has a thick German accent.Sometimes you wonder if he is speakingEnglish. “Rock you like a hurricane” by
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On one ride, just to keep my feet warm, I had on two pairs of socks, two pairs of neoprenebooties, and some of those air-activated heat packets between my shoes and the booties.
546 racers ready to start the day
the Scorpions is playing way too loud.My bike is ready to go. I am amped.
Don looks fast. No need for a warm-upwhen you are about to ride for eight days.Never ridden more than four days in a
row. Wonder what my body is going todo? Did I train enough? Is Don gonnadrop me? I think I am the only guy herewithout a tan. Am I in the right gear? Notime to think about these things now. This
is complete chaos. The gun goes off.Ever been in a pace line with 500 other
riders going down the left side of the roadat 30 mph on your mountain bike? You donot have to pedal much. But do you haveto pay attention. We cruised along for afew miles until we came to the first steephill, then all hell broke loose. I lookeddown at my heart rate monitor and it read193. Looked around, no Don.
The race organizers told us there wouldbe random checkpoints out on the courseto make sure you are within two minutesof your partner. If you and you teammateare further apart than that, you would beassessed a one-hour time penalty. Withthis in mind, I eased back a few gears andDon was soon on my wheel.
After the first steep climb, I guessed usto be mid-pack. Not too surprising consid-ering it was February, we were jet laggedand for the South African riders it was latein the season. But something funny hap-pened on the first long descent. We wereflying by everybody. Maybe it was yearsof riding Colorado single track, or maybethese foreigners just like to use theirbrakes. Throughout the race this would bea constant theme. We were dropped on the climbs and wondered what the otherriders were using their brakes for on thedescents. Strange.
After eight hours in the saddle and 75 miles, we finished our first day. Eachstage ended near a rugby field. They had to have somewhere to put more than 600 tents.
Stage 2It rained all night. We awoke to mist
and more rain. We were freezing. Thiswas supposed to be Africa not Alaska. Weput on all our warm gear.
The stage started out in the same crazyway each day. But today was the first timewe had a police escort. I guess day onewas too chaotic.
The first climb was unreal. The roadwas wet and muddy and looked likesomething out of the 1950s Tour deFrance. Once again we were dropped onthe climb.
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Never ridden more than four days in a row. Wonder what my body is going to do? Did I trainenough? Is Don gonna drop me? I think I am the only guy here without a tan. Am I in the rightgear? No time to think about these things now. This is complete chaos. The gun goes off.
700 tents in perfect rows. Which one is mine?
A road from the early days of the Tour de France?
Today’s stats: 76 miles and just oversix hours in the saddle.
Stage 3This stage was one we were dreading.
The race organizers kept going on about how hot this day was going to be. They weren’t lying. I do not do wellin the heat. Add humidity and I wilt. I guess the temp to be 105 degrees
and 70 percent humidity.On each day’s stage there were three
aid stations. Each had a refrigerated truck.I do not think I have consumed morewater in a single day. We wanted to crawlinside the trucks but they would not let us.
Don was completely worked. I think hedehydrated a few brain cells.
The day’s miles: 73 miles in 6.5 hours.
Stage 4The mud day. It poured all night.
We awoke to wet everything.The paved roads were wet, the dirt
roads were damp. Then we got back in thefarm country, and the roads turned intowhat you would see in a monster truckrally. For a good 10 miles we had to walkup each hill and surf each downhill. Goodthing we had disc brakes. Forget shiftinggears, just pick your favorite. Luckilythere were a few river crossings. Racerswere submerging their bikes. Picture 100 people trying to clean their bikes in a river. This was pure comedy.
To make matters worse, the riversaround the area were at flood stage. Thecourse had to be rerouted. This addedanother 20 miles to the day’s stage. Donand I had prepared enough food for sevenhours on the bike. We were out there forjust under 10 hours. The last three hourswe were out of food and yelling obsceni-ties at the race organizers. I think one-third of the racers did not finish this stage.
After each stage there was a bike washarea. For about three dollars, a local kidwould clean your bike. Our bikes werecovered in mud. It was the best three dollars we ever spent.
Day’s total: 75 miles in 10 hours.
Stage 5This morning was rough. We were real-
ly feeling the 10 hours from the previous day. Luckily for us this was the first day we were riding less than 70 miles. The terrain was flat and it didnot rain.
We encountered our first section of single track. Up till now we had been onrough jeep road, farm roads and small
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After each stage there was a bike wash area. For about three dollars, a local kid would cleanyour bike. Our bikes were covered in mud. It was the best three dollars we ever spent.
Don curls up with a water bottle after the hottest day of the race.
Africa's tropical beauty on full display.
sections of pavement. Each night overdinner you would overhear people com-plaining that there was no single track.Have you ever tried to funnel 546 ridersinto a single track?
The three-mile section of single trackwas about 20 miles into the stage. What aflippin’ mess. We walked most of it becausethat many people caused a clog. We neverheard another complaint around the dinnertable about not enough single track.
Total for the day: 6 hours in the saddlefor 66 miles.
Stage 6This day we rode through farm country
with lots of apple orchards. February inSouth Africa is like our September, har-vest time. A big cartful of apples sattempting us along the side of the road. Aswe rode by, the field workers tossed usapples. I took a few bites, tossed it toDon, and he took a few bites. I think weagreed it was best apple we ever had.
Toward the end of this stage, weclimbed a paved mountain pass. We camearound the corner and in the middle of theroad stood a family of baboons. They lookjust like us.
Today’s stats: 3.5 hours in the saddleand 55 miles.
Stage 7This was the first of two short days.
We wondered why the race organizers didnot combine the last two days. The timeand distance would have made moresense. Not that we were complaining. Thelegs and the sit bones complained bythemselves plenty.
I don’t remember much about this day.Don and I were in a state of delirium andbeing complete goofballs. Some of ourpictures remind me of the feeling. Try notto laugh.
Stage stats: 3 hours and 38 miles.
Stage 8Wow, the final day. No crashes and we
did not get lost till now.We were an hour from the finish. I was
behind Don on this fast descent. The soil
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As we rode by, the field workers tossed us apples. I took a few bites, tossed it to Don, and he took a few bites. I think we agreed it was best apple we ever had.
A local spectator cheers us on.
Who cares about the race. Check out the view!
was loose, decomposing granite. Don triedto take a corner at an insane speed. I grabbed my brakes just in time to watchDon’s front wheel wash out and see himgo rolling into a ditch. I thought hesnapped a collarbone for sure. But luckily,I only saw some blood and a bewilderedlook on Don’s face asking himself whathappened. He was all right and we continued on.
Then an eighth of a mile from the finish, I was in front and thought for surethe road turned left. Well, I was the onlyone who thought that. Next thing I know Iam in the middle of this parking lot. Donlooked at me like I was from anotherplanet, and I followed him to the finish.
The day’s miles: 37 miles in 3 hours.Our total race time was just under
49 hours. We finished 141st out of 273 teams. Not bad for two guys fromColorado in February.
If you ever need an excuse to travel toSouth Africa and have an extra eightdays, I would highly recommend thisevent. I can’t wait for next year. See you there?
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The delirium sets in on a cold morning (Chad left, Don right)
Then an eighth of a mile from the finish, I was in front and thought for sure the road turned left. Well, I was the only one who thought that.
The view into the distant plains. Are those lions? Tigers? Giraffes?
A 9-year resident of Crested Butte, Colo.,Chad Oleson operates a small software companyfrom home but somehow finds the time to ridehis bike about a million miles a month and competes in way too many solo 24-hour raceseach year. He is currently the president of theCrested Butte Mountain Bike Association and is a dedicated cycling advocate. Oh yeah, he’s 33 years old, 6 foot 4 inches tall, weighs about170 pounds (that makes him pretty dang tall andskinny in case you can’t picture that), single,and lovin’ it.
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59Mountain Flyer
by Terrell Mac
60 Mountain Flyer
“On these steep and twisty descents,we would get as close as a foot or twobehind the rider, feathering the brake and gas to keep the rider’s path illuminated as they barreled into the darkness at 45 mph. We would approach a corner, taking it wide to cut into the curveliterally a second before the rider woulddrop his shoulder into the darkness.”
Intense is the only word to describe thisrace—intense emotion, intense physicaldemands, and an intense dedication to
continue. It dropped in my lap really, likea Gump feather: the opportunity to crewfor Team Vail-Go Fast in one of the hard-est races in existence, the Race AcrossAmerica (RAAM).
The RAAM 2004has been touted asthe most excitingand highly coveredrace since the racebegan in 1981. Thisyear hosted thelargest turnout in its23-year history withseasoned veteransand professionalcyclists.
The two top-placing four-manrelay teams, Vail-Go Fast and ActionSports, battledacross the countryexchanging the leadmore than six timesover 2,959 miles.Witnessing first-hand every heartbreak and triumph fromCalifornia to the New Jersey beaches,I saw that to finish is a huge accomplish-ment but to do what the team ofhometown Colorado mountain bikers didwas amazing.
The thought of four teammates relay-ing across America in five days flooredme. How is that fathomable? Easy enoughfor a car, but what kind of engine existsinside these individuals that drives them tothis feat? Was it in remembrance of theirfriend and teammate, Brett Malin, killedthe year before in this same race? Was itthe idea that a group of mountain bikersturned roadies could decimate a well-heeled field? Whatever it was,I wanted to find out.
Team Vail won the race in 2001 so the experience of crossing the States wasnothing new, neither were the dangers thatlurked around each corner of the back
roads and two-lane highways. However,this year the larger turnout brought fiercecompetition including professional cyclistsand some international teams.
While two of the riders on Team Vail-Go Fast, Jim Mortensen and MikeJanelle, are category one cyclists, all
four, including Zach Bingham and AdamPalmer, are professional Colorado mountain bikers. The race climbed theSouthern Rockies, the Ozark Plateau andthe Appalachian Mountains where TeamVail would have a definite advantage.
All Team Vail riders had raced at nightin events like the 24 Hours of Moab.Most road cyclists do not compete atnight, so unless a rider competed in theRAAM before, the advantage lay withTeam Vail at night.
What about the other teams that hadracks of aerodynamic equipment,doctors, and computer-aided navigationto steer them through the tricky roads?This carefree team of Colorado boys hadno fear because like true championsdefeat never entered their minds.
Here is how the race works: four teammembers relay across the country, withone person on a bike 24 hours a day from
start to finish, with the team decidingwhen the cyclists ride.
Team Vail had two groups of two. Theriders alternated four day-shifts for threehours and two 5-hour night shifts. Onegroup spent a shift sleeping and workingwith the nutritionist in the Go Fast bus,
while the otherteam rode, taking“pulls” as they leap-frog back and forth.Each cyclist wouldsprint for 20 to 40minutes, pace carbehind him, whilethe other cyclistwould ride in theleap vehicle downthe road and waitfor the cyclist torelay off to him. Inthe leap vehicle,riders ate, drank and re-energized.
Team Vail would be traveling580 miles per day23 miles every hour,24 hours a day forfive days to break
the race record. That’s roughly the distance from Glenwood Springs to Las Vegas every day.
I arrived in San Diego a day beforethe race. Zach Bingham introduced me tothe crew: Wayne (Adam’s Dad), Angus(Zach’s Brother and team videographer),Mark Ridenour, team photographer,Jim Malin (Brett’s Father), Jamie Malin(Brett’s brother and team crew chief),Kenny (team mechanic), Heather (nutritionist) and Troy and Jake from Go Fast! energy drink company.
Obviously the team and crew weremore friends and family on a vacationthan a cycling team and crew racing forthe purse. Of the teams gearing up, onein particular had nine bikes on their pacevehicles with disk wheels, time trialbikes, and lightweight hill climbingbikes; we would know this team well by the race’s end.
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Team Vail minutes from the start of five crazy days of nonstop racing.
After I arrived, Zach left to pick upJim Mortensen from the airport.Electricity flared once Jim was on theway. He was blowing away the competi-tion in mountain biking and picking uproad cycling with the same vigor. Jim hadan intense stature with a subdued, calmdemeanor. I could tell the rest of the teamwas looking to him for a big showing forthe race.
That night we all tried to get a fullnight’s sleep, likely our last for a week.On race morning, Zach gathered everyonefor a team meeting to talk about upcomingrace stresses: the extreme highs and lowsand the sleep deprivation and strain everyone would face. He finished with apoignant statement: “It takes only oneman and one vehicle to cross the finishline, the race will continue no matter whatoccurs, no matter what conflicts or set-backs, we will finish.” The whole teamwas poised to give everything they had.
Starting Line, 0.0 MilesAt 5 p.m. EST, the 2004 RAAM began
with a field of 4-man, 8-man, and 2-manteams and even one Recumbent class teamfrom an overcast San Diego Bay.
Time Station 2, 124.2 MilesIn between time station one (Pine
Valley) and time station two (El Centro),
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Jimi Mortenson. early morning, Day 2—Arizona—Jimi in the office.
Zak Bingham, morning hillclimb, day 2——Arizona.
the indescribable heat stretched into thenight. Why or how could anyone consistently blast out 23 mph under anabsolutely unforgiving sun? The first twoteams began to separate themselves fromthe pack, Team Action Sports and TeamVail. Action Sports held a five-minute leadover Team Vail by the second time station.The closest team to the front was TeamRoyal Air Force, behind by half an hour.
This was where the Colorado teamhad their first unexpected event. The GoFast bus, where the riders spent their“off” shift, broke down. What Zach saidabout “one man, one vehicle,” was happening. Even race official and RAAMlegend Lon Haldeman lent us a hand. Wedecided the best course of action was toleave the bus; hopefully they would catchus the next day. So most of the food,recovery supplements, the nutritionist,and of course the riders and their equip-ment jumped into the crew RV and awaywe went. It was a bit tight but we weren’tfazed, we were stoked, this was damnexciting!
Time Station 7, 383.4 MilesAfter a couple of hours of sleep, I was
roused with the words, “The riders arecoming. Seven minutes until you’re inthe pace car.” The roadway to Prescott,Ariz., had curves like Dolly Parton withJim Malin driving the RV like Big DaddyDon Garletts. A head plunge in the toiletand a smooch to the ground all soundedgood about now.
A bit hazy, I heard that last night’s 20-minute gap from time station 6 hadbeen closed significantly. Adam and Mikerode great in the early hours— the hardesttime to ride, between 2 a.m. and sunrise,with little sound and a desolate road. Weblasted AC/DC and Metallica through theroof mounted pace vehicle speakers.
Now in the Southern Rockies, the hard-est climbs approached in Camp Verde.Mortensen took the climb,averaging 17 mph on something I wouldhave a hard time walking up. I yelled outthe window in a bullhorn about how hewas closing the gap.
After 10 miles and 2,000 feet, Jimdescended out of sight for eight miles at 40 mph.
Time Station 9, 485.8 MilesArizona is no place for a man on a bike
in June during the hours of 10 a.m. to 3p.m. But the team had ridden in Moab’shot sun. Mike was from Arizona. I wouldpull up beside Jim and offer to douse himwith water, he would just say somethinglike, “Nah, could you play some Marley
or something mellow, this is a great viewisn’t it? Great stretch at the office.”
Time Station 12, 646.7 MilesAt 7:30 p.m. on June 22, I witnessed a
fateful experience on the high desert out-side Springerville, Ariz. At first there wassilence, then all of a sudden Mortensen wasscreaming “GO, GO, GO!” to teammateAdam Palmer waiting on the shoulder. Forthese brief few moments, this quiet townfilled with energy. Jim crossed the line of
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Adam Palmer ripp’n through a town in pursuit of the first place team.
Palm heading into swim break.
the 12th time station with a gap of six minutes in front of Team Action Sports.
This occurred after a heated 24-hourpursuit. Jim relayed to Adam who blazedout of time station 12. Team Vail’s pursuitwas ignited by the emotional furnace of ateam dedicated to their fallen teammatewhose life was ended one year earlierdown that same road. As the gap was con-tinually widened, a rainbow formed overthe roadway where Brett Malin’s fatherlaid a candle and an inscribed goodbyeplacard where his son had died.
Time station 20, 1,119.7 MilesThe gap was steadily widening. Our
team rode at an average speed of 23mph, although Jim expressed some con-cern that the other riders were not getting enough rest.
Time Station 30, 1,714.9 MilesIn the Missouri hills, Adam and
Mike were killing it, taking the hills like madmen. They gained a gap of 50 minutes. This came at a cost. Heather,the nutritionist, said Mike was feeling
ill and may have strep throat. He cougheda lot and said his throat was sore. I wouldnever have known because every time he got on the bike, he was like a rock, nomatter what terrain, steep, flat, curvy, itdidn’t matter.
Time Stations 35-36In the Illinois and Indiana flatlands,
Action Sports closed the 50-minute gap. Aheadwind drew up and blew consistentlythrough the morning of June 25. The Vailriders had light hill climbing bikes andwheel sets used for Colorado climbing. ButTeam Action Sports had aerodynamic gearin its $800,000 gear pile. The aerodynamicwheel and bike set-ups proved to be superiorand the gap was closed to within minutes.Mike’s health was not improving.
Time Station 40, 2,275.0 MilesThe race now in a dead heat, the
Action Sports crew drivers were cuttingour riders off, the battle becoming frenzied. Both sides would later complainabout this portion of the race, but no officials were around. In Troy, Ohio, TeamVail’s lead was only two minutes.
We came into the next time station,Laurelville, Ohio, ahead by only two min-utes again. The next leg was nutty. Theroad between Laurelville and Athens hadshort, steep hills, just what Team Vailloves. In the pitch black, the ridersapproached 45 mph, diving into cornersblindly, with visibility only a few feet infront of the pace car lights. On these steepand twisty descents, we would get asclose as just a foot or two behind therider, feathering the brake and gas to keepthe rider’s path illuminated as they barreled into the darkness at 45 mph.
We would approach a corner taking itwide to then cut into the curve literally asecond before the rider would drop hisshoulder into the darkness, hoping that the direction he chose was correct. Hewould power into the unknown for a splitsecond, just before the reflective markersin the center of the road would illuminatehis path.We went to sleep that night think-ing that the race was in the bag. Team Vail
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Brett’s memorial in Pie Town.
Adam Palmer gives Mike Janelle a push for the transition, Day 4
wanted it more, the lead they fought for,in the memory of Brett.
Time Station 47, 2,598.6 MilesThis morning Team Vail received a
devastating blow. Mike Jannelle had to bepulled from the rotation. His strep throatkept him off his bike. It would prove fatalto Team Vail’s record bid. After holdingthe lead for 34 of 47 time stations, TeamAction Sports took the lead for whatwould be the remainder of the RaceAcross America. The three-man rotationthat remained was not enough to regainthe lead, and although Mike returned tothe rotation in Pennsylvania, it was toolate with less than 200 miles to go.
Finish Line, 2,958 MilesAt 3:26 a.m., Team Vail-Go Fast
crossed the finish line to a cheering crowdof crewmen and family members on theAtlantic City boardwalk. They finishedtwo hours behind Team Action Sports andover 11 hours ahead of the Royal AirForce, beating their own previous racetime (2001) by more than six hours. Ibelieve that in this race, as in all racesluck has a big part, that had Mike Jannellenot fallen ill, the race could have easilygone the other way. In the end, it wasn’tabout the win nor was it about disappoint-ment with not fulfilling what they set outto do with Brett the year before. It wasabout celebrating a rider’s lifestyle bydoing something great with friends, in thespirit of competition, just another week atthe office.
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Terrell MacBorn in Seattle, Wash. Currently residing inLittleton, Colo. Colorado State University graduate. Outdoor enthusiast. Pursuing a career in medicine as a physician. I took time out to participate in the RAAM to see just how far thehuman body can go to further my knowledge withsports medicine. Also, it sounded crazy enough tobe a load of fun.
all photos courtesy markridenour.com
Palmer in Maryland.
Cloud break in mid-America.
The finish line with time banner.
Cyclocross is one of the most hotlycontested cycling disciplines in theRocky Mountain Region. Its fast,
furious, down and dirty nature makes itgreat for spectators and it’s certainly thebest lactate training session on the market.So, if you’re in need ofa little extra suffering in your life, just toremind you that you’realive, read on for a littleinspiration.
When I joined TeamGT at the beginning of1996, cyclocross was noton my radar screen. I hadambitions of making theOlympic Mountain BikeTeam and going on todominate the NORBAcircuit.
Unfortunately, thingsdidn’t go my way thatyear. I was nowhere nearthe podium and foundmyself struggling just tofinish races. I never didfigure out what wentwrong. Maybe my winterpreparation was off orthe pressure of being thenewest member of theworld’s most prominentmountain bike team wasgetting to me. Whateverit was, I am pretty sure Iknow what got me going again. That fallof my lowest year, I was determined tostay fit through the “off season” so Iordered a cyclocross bike.
I was hooked immediately. I hadspent the last six years immersed inmountain bike racing and when this newbicycle showed up at my door, I wasforced to learn. Not only did I have tofigure out how to put the thing together,
I had to learn how to get off and on it at speed, throw it on my shoulder, jumpover stuff and run up hills. It was a verysuccessful tool not only for staying in
shape but also for keeping me occupied.There’s no time to feel sorry for your-
self when you are trying to figure out howmuch glue you really need to make tubularcross tires stay on a rim or what brakesoffer the best mud clearance. I soon
stopped thinking in termsof preparation for nextyear’s mountain bike sea-son and started thinkingabout how I was going to get through the crossseason.
I spent that fall andearly winter doing localcyclocross races through-out Colorado, and by thetime I headed up to Seattle for the NationalChampionships, I thoughtI was getting pretty good.It rained so hard thatweekend that it seemedlike half the course wasunderwater. I rememberriding for long stretcheswith no idea of whatobstacles may lie beneath.When I crossed the line I was so cold, wet, beat up and tired that I barelymade it back to the hotel room.
That night while I layawake in bed and thoughtof all I had learned in
the past three months, I allowed myself tofantasize about maybe someday winningNationals or racing in the World CyclocrossChampionships in Europe. I knew I still
66 Mountain Flyer
Get Yourself Fired UpCycloCross Season Is Almost Upon Us
by Marc Gullicson
Cyclocross
I had to learn how to get off and on the bike at speed, throw it on my shoulder, jump overstuff and run up hills
had a lot to learn but with better equipmentchoices, improved technique and morefocused training maybe I had a shot atturning cross into something more thanjust a way to stay fit in the off season.
As it turned out, I did end up going tothe World Championships in Denmark thefollowing year and was able to finish in28th place, the best an American had donein the elite category to date. I took asmuch information and knowledge awayfrom that race as I did the year before atNationals and realized that my learningcurve was only getting steeper.
As the years passed, I spent more andmore time and energy preparing for thefall and putting all I was learning to use. I traveled throughout Europe and raced innumerous World Cup races as well as fourmore World Championships and everytime I was able to glean a little more pertinent information. Now, at the ripe oldage of 36, I have banked enough cyclocrosswisdom that on occasion I am able to tipthe scales back in my favor when upagainst the young cross talent of today.
Through the years, I have been luckyenough to get to know a unique breed of
cycling enthusiasts that approach cyclocrossas if it were their own modern day crusade.This crowd is willing to donate hard-earnedmoney, volunteer countless hours, drivegreat distances and embrace foul weather inthe interest of cyclocross. Our almost fanat-ical following is like sticky mud that holdsus all together and even when I cross pathswith “cross people” in the dead of summerour conversation always drifts ahead to thecoming autumn.
Cyclocross did save my mountain bikecareer but more importantly it renewedmy love of riding and racing. If you arelooking for a new challenge that mightgive you a renewed passion for cycling,you might want to give cyclocross a trythis fall. It’s not just for off-season train-ing anymore.
If you’ve never given it a try, here are the Basics:
Cyclocross is one of the most diversedisciplines of cycling. To be successfulyou need to be very fit, able to read a racefrom a tactical standpoint and master thetechnical aspects associated with thisunique sport. Below I will give you thebasic building blocks of good cyclocrosstechnique. Keep in mind that there aremany successful variations of the basicsand the best way to find your unique variation is trial and error.
The basics of cross technique boildown to getting off the bike, carrying thebike and getting back on it. The better you get at these skills, the faster you willbe able ride. It is best to start out at slowerspeeds and work your way up to racespeed as you become more comfortable.
Dismounting (Getting Off)As you are approaching a running
section, coast and with your left foot andcrank arm in the down position, clip outof your right pedal and swing your rightleg around behind you while you supportmost of your weight with your left foot.Then just clip your left foot out of thepedal and you are off. You can either putyour right foot through between your leftleg and the bike so you land in a morenatural running position or you can just
67Mountain Flyer
The basics of cross technique boil down to getting off the bike, carrying the bike andgetting back on it. The better you get at these skills, the faster you will be able ride.
Through the years, I have been lucky enough to get to know a unique breed of cycling enthusiasts thatapproach cyclocross as if it were their own modern day crusade.
land with your right foot behind your left.Where you grab the bike with your
right hand while you are swinging yourright leg off depends on whether you arecoming into a run in which you need toget the bike over your shoulder orwhether you only need to carry it over acouple barriers. If you need to shoulderthe bike, grab the down tube, reachingaround the left side of the top tube andwhen you hit the ground just hoist thebike onto your shoulder with your rightarm through the triangle of the frame.
Your left hand will still be on the bars
so when you get the bike on your shoul-der your right hand will let go of thedown tube and grab the left drop of yourhandlebar to steady the bars. Your lefthand will let go of the bars and be usedfor balance and to maintain a natural running motion.
If you are just getting over some barri-ers on the flats and don’t need to shoulderthe bike, just grab the top tube of the bikewith your right hand as you are gettingready to dismount. And when you get off,pick the bike up with your left hand onthe bars and right hand on the top tube.
Remounting (Getting Back On)When you have come to the top of the
run up a hill or have gotten over the barri-ers, you will need to get back on the bikeas quickly as possible and regain yourpedaling momentum.
First you need to put the bike down.Try to do this as lightly as possible so thebike is not still bouncing around on theground when you try to jump back on. Ifyou are taking your bike off your shoul-der, just grab the down tube again withyour right hand and shrug it off placing iton the ground with your right hand.
It is very important to work on a fluidand forward moving remount that getsyou on your bike with a bit of forwardmomentum so you don’t have to start ped-aling from a dead stop.
You basically want to leap back onyour bike with both hands on the bars (oras you are reaching toward the bars withyour right hand, remember you will havejust put the bike down with this hand andwill need to get it back on the bars). Tryto take as few steps as possible betweenputting your bike down and jumping on.
When jumping back on, try not to take astutter step with your left leg—a very com-mon instinct to try to lessen the impact. Tryto jump on so that your right inner thighmakes contact with the seat first and thenslide into position. The better you get atthis, the closer you will be able to land inthe spot so you’re ready to ride.
It’s that simple. Good Luck!
68 Mountain Flyer
Now, at the ripe old age of 36, I have banked enoughcyclocross wisdom that on occasion I am able to tip thescales back in my favor when up against the young cross talent of today.
To be successful you need to be very fit, able to read a race from a tactical standpoint and master the technical aspects associated with this unique sport.
Cyclocross renewed my love of riding and racing.
69Mountain Flyer
Upcoming Cyclocross Events
September 19 8Fort Collins , Colo., Lee’s Cyclery Premier Cyclocross FCCC 970-226-6006
September 25-26 8Smow Mountain Ranch Cyclocross ACA 303-458-5538
October 2 8Lakewood Schwab Boss of Cross TOR 303-238-0243 [email protected]
October 3 8Boulder Boulder Cyclocross Series BR 303-440-4824 [email protected]
October 9 8Lakewood Schwab Boss of Cross TOR 303-238-0243 [email protected]
October 6 8Morrison Red Rocks Velo Cyclocross RRV 303-697-8833October 17 8Littleton Foothills Cross Series TIAA-CREF 303-972-0944
[email protected] 23 8Denver VeloCross CSP 303-589-1220
[email protected] 24 8Boulder Boulder Cyclocross Series BR 303-440-4824
[email protected] 31 8Littleton Foothills Cross Series TIAA-CREF 303-972-0944
November 1 8Littleton Foothills Cross Series TIAA-CREF 303-972-0944 [email protected]
November 6 8Boulder Boulder Cyclocross Series BR 303-440-4824 [email protected]
November 7 8Denver Green Mountain Sports ‘Cross at the Federal Center GMSV 303-262-0707
November 13 8Morrison Red Rocks Velo Cyclocross RRV 303-697-8833 [email protected]
November 20 8Colorado Springs Cody Cross CODY 719-594-9287 [email protected]
November 21 8Boulder Boulder Cyclocross Series BR 303-440-4824 [email protected]
November 27 8Littleton Foothills Cross Series TIAA-CREF 303-972-0944 [email protected]
November 28 8Boulder Boulder Cyclocross Series BR 303-440-4824 [email protected]
December 4 8Lakewood Colo., Cross Championships (1) 303-238-0243 [email protected]
December 5 8Lakewood, Colo., Cross Championships (2) 303-238-0243 [email protected]
January to February 8It ain’t over till the fat lady of Shavano sings. Absolute Bikes ofSalida hosts a great cross race series starting in January (they don’t call it the bananabelt for nothing). So if you get your hide tanned in the first round of races, get someredemption in January. The race dates are yet to be officially announced, but generallythey will be every Sunday in January and the first Sunday in February. For more infor-mation, contact Andrew Mesesan at 719-539-9295 or [email protected].
All photos courtesy of Gork/Redline
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70 Mountain Flyer
71Mountain Flyer
by Caroline Spaeth
Over a million years ago, a monstrous volcano exploded in central New Mexico, blasting a gaping hole in a mountainrange that today is filled with lush mountain meadows, clear
streams, and forested domes.Until recently, mountain bikers thought they’d have to wait another
million years before they’d ever be allowed in the Valles CalderaNational Preserve.
But thanks to the persistent tremors of local cyclists and a new federal landlord, the 89,000 acres opened its gates for the first timeever to cyclists.
Photo by Debbi Maez
“I’ve been waiting my whole life toride here,” one rider said as he cruiseddown the lone dirt road, snaking across amile-long meadow rimmed by big peaks.
Another rider echoed that sentiment ashe dropped down the rough logging roadfrom the southern caldera rim: “I’ve beenriding around and around this place for 10 years waiting to get in.”
This is no ordinary caldera. Named forits expansive grassland valles (valle,pronounced vi-yay, is Spanish for a valleywith fewer trees and more open mead-ows), the Preserve stretches across 89,000acres, surrounded by a hazy blue volcanicrim that is the Jemez Mountains.
Adding to its mystique is the fact thatit has only been open to the public forthree years—and barely open at that.
For more than 150 years, the land has been a private ranch, a time thatseemed like forever to the locals in nearby Los Alamos and Santa Fe. Barbedwire and aggressive ranch hands kept trespassers up on the rim and out of thecaldera during that time.
In 2000 the federal government purchased the land from the Duniganfamily before developers could snatch itup and litter it with condos. Price tag?$96 million.
Like cooling lava, recreational opportu-nities progressed slowly. Hiking wasn’tallowed for 2 years, as the Preserve stafffigured out how to meet its federal mandate of first operating as a self-suffi-cient working ranch, second as a preserveto protect the land, and third as a multiple-use recreational area.
So local mountain bikers were lucky atall to get permission to allow 400 Lycra-lovers into the land.
But with a tentative blessing from thePreserve staff, local mountain bikers satdown in May and hammered out a planfor three rides during the Los Alamos FatTire Festival, held annually in August.Attracting riders up there was no problem.
“There’s quite an appeal to ride somewhere new,” said Ken Kisiel, theFestival’s race promoter. “Biking there is attractive because of the amount of
distance you can cover out there and seeso much of the terrain. It’s a spectaculararea.”
Not surprisingly, the response wasexplosive. With only a couple of smallstories in local newspapers, no advertis-ing, and old-fashioned word-of-mouthmarketing, registration hit the 400-riderlimit in less than three weeks.
“The numbers are so much larger than
anything we’ve done,” said Julie Grey,the Preserve communications manager.“With moderate publicity, we got a hugeresponse.”
Nothing came easy in the planning.Sensitive cultural sites populated byNative Americans in the 1400s still needto be catalogued before the public cancome barreling through large sections ofthe Preserve.
Four bike patrollers make the descent into the caldera at the crack of dawn on Aug. 15 as the mist rises fromthe dewy grasslands of the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The caldera provided cyclists with spectacularviews and an awesome sense of solitude and connection to the natural world. Photo by James Rickman
Two riders make their way through Valle Santa Rosa, one of the many valles that form the entire VallesCaldera. A massive volcanic explosion 1.2-million years ago formed the caldera. Subsequent eruptions overthousands of years sculpted the caldera's interior with small mountains. Photo by Caroline Spaeth
This is no ordinary caldera. Named for its expansive grassland valles (valle, pronounced vi-yay, is Spanish for a valley with fewer trees and more open meadows), the Valles Caldera has only been open to the public for threeyears and has never allowed two-wheelers to roll across its 89,000 acres.
72 Mountain Flyer
Elk herds, some of the largest in theNorth America, use parts of the Preservefor breeding and as a nursery.
And because solitude and wildernessexperience make up a basic Preservetenent, hikers, equestrians and fishingareas had to be avoided. Time was limitedsince elk hunting season runs fromSeptember to November.
“It’s never going to be a gob of people”
allowed on the Preserve, Grey said. “Partof the experience is to provide a sense ofsolitude. That’s why this event is notsomething we’ve designed into our programs at this point,” Grey added.
The rides were billed as a “specialevent” because the Preserve’s board wasnervous, having formed their opinion ofmountain bikers from the X-Games.
More than 400 well-mannered, eager
cyclists showed up in spite of it all. Of those, 210 chose to ride the 13-mileloop with 1,600 feet of climbing up aforested ridge and then dropping into theappropriately named Valle Grande, thebiggest valle stretching five miles across.
Another 200 cyclists chose to ride on a20-mile or 32-mile loop, both loops drop-ping down the southern rim into mountainmeadows and climbing about 2,400 feetthroughout the routes.
To keep people on designated routes,biking volunteers patrolled alongside thecourse. Aid stations offered Gatorade andwater.
At $20 a pop, the riders did their partto contribute to the Preserve’s goal of self-sufficiency. The $15 inaugural T-shirtswere snatched up quickly.
Despite the huge response fromcyclists for the event, the Preserve staffisn’t sure what the future holds for mountain biking. The Preserve’s boardwill consider the next year’s upcomingrecreational offerings this fall.
“I think they’re supportive of the idea,”Grey said. “But it’s more managementissues on how to handle mountain bikingin this environment with the ranchinggoing on and the other activities.”
With any luck, mountain bikers won’t be waiting a million years for the opportunity to explode onto the scene again.
Bike patroller Marshall Maez pauses to watch part of a herd of elk cows move across the Valles CalderaNational Preserve in the early morning on Aug. 14. The Preserve is home to some of the largest elk herdsin North America. More than 400 mountain bike riders had a chance to experience the Preserve during theweekend fun rides — the first time access has been granted to cyclists. Photo by James Rickman
Los Alamos Fat Tire Festival
The Preserve rides took place during the same weekend of the Los Alamos Fat Tire Festival.
The Festival features the grueling Pajarito Punishment race, with 25 miles of gravel road and singletrack and 4,000 feet of climbing. While the Punishment hasbeen around since 1986, the Festival is in its second year as a three-day event of XC,downhill and kids’ races, local concerts, a rodeo and county fair. This year’s XC racewas an AMBC, part of the circuit allowing racers to qualify for nationals.
The downhill course dropped down the local Pajarito ski area, which perchesabove the little town of Los Alamos, birthplace of the atomic bomb. The course, onlytwo years old, drops 1,000 feet, over log bridges and table tops and weaves throughthick tree stands. Last year, it even attracted Missy Giove who drove up from Santa Feto bomb down the course for a test ride. She approved.
Again this year, racers in the Punishment kicked off the local rodeo parade for the race start. A women’s clinic was added this year and a Shimano kids’ race forunder-12 riders helped recruit new enthusiasts to the sport.
Ken Kisiel, race promoter, hopes the Preserve will have mountain bike rides againnext year during the Festival.
“We’ve got a lot of out-of-state riders for the race, so having something differentlike that was great; they could race the first day and do the ride the next,” he said.
Caroline Spaeth is a technical writer and editor at Los Alamos National Laboratory in
Los Alamos, N.M. She is also a journalist and has written fornewspapers and magazines,including the bicycle trade maga-zine, Bicycle Retailer & IndustryNews. An avid cyclist and triathlete, she gets to ride to work on the trails that surroundthe mountain town of Los Alamos
where she resides. She jumped at the chance toride in the Valles Caldera after years of bike ridesin the Jemez Mountains overlooking the formerranch land. "It's like going back in time. No telephone poles, no buildings, no paved roads,just open, wild country. Who wouldn't want toride there?" she said.
73Mountain Flyer
74 Mountain Flyer
by Gregg Morin
Observed Trials is a form of compe-tition that emphasizes precise balance and control while riding
over designated sections of difficult ter-rain. It’s not a race, only one rider is“observed” at a time. It can be slow. Soslow that the rider may even stand still orback up—as long as they don’t touch theground, or “dab,” with their feet, or hands.Each dab adds points to the riders’ scoreand the rider with the lowest total scorewins the event.
Since trials is essentially a solo sport,the rider can practice just about any-where—at home, on the neighbors’ car,or on forbidden public property (this is fun until you get busted for tresspass-ing). The idea is to perfect skills such as balance, turning in small areas, andhopping. Once at an event, the ridershave another factor to deal with—theevent organizer or Trials Master. It is the organizer’s job to discover, design,clear, and mark the sections. The terrainchosen for each section must be clearlymarked with boundaries and start/finishgates in such a fashion that it is justbarely possible for the skill level of each class of participants to completethe section. It’s almost as challengingand fun to set up a trials event as it is to compete in one! Putting on a trialscompetition is extremely difficult andthere are not many Trials Masters. Pastgreat promoters include Pedro Pi,Tom Hilliard, and Doug White.
History of Bicycle TrialsBicycle Trials started in Spain some-
time during the mid 1970s. Pedro Pi, theowner of the Montesa Motorcycle TrialsCompany, introduced the first mass produced trials bicycle called the Monty.Pedro’s son named Ot (which stands forObserved Trials) rode the Monty bikes toseven world championships. BicycleTrials is extremely popular in Europe,with competitions attracting hundreds ofparticipants and thousands of spectators.Other top riders include Cesar Canas(Spain) and Hans Rey (Sweden) who hashelped promote the sport worldwide
through clinics and demonstrations. In theUnited States, bicycle trials is still fairlynew and definitely obscure. There arepockets of riders and competitions inCalifornia, Colorado, the Northwest, and
the Northeast. Past top U.S. competitorsinclude Jim Trigonis, Kevin Norton, andMorgan Kavanaugh (from Colorado).Many of these top riders compete inmotorcycle trials as well.
75Mountain Flyer
Bicycle Trials is extremely popular in Europe, with competitions attracting hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators.
Bicycle trials is always entertaining for spectators.
The course should be “just barely possible” for the skill level of each class.
The Europeans still dominate in theBTI and UCI sanctioned competitionswith the French, Spanish, and Germansfielding the top teams. The Americansuse the NORBA national series as theU.S. championships and for choosing the U.S. World Championship team. The world championships have been heldin the U.S. three times in Colorado,Durango in 1991 and Vail in 1996 and2001. The past two U.S. NationalChampionships have been held atDurango Mountain Resort.
As in any specialized sport, ObservedTrials has its own set of lingo and termsused during competition. Here are someimportant definitions:
Round – The number of times a rider is required to compete in each section(typically 2 or 3 rounds).
Dab – Any contact that provides support for the rider.
Clean Section – A round with no dabsSection – A segment of the Observed
Trials Competition. Sections can be a mixof manmade and natural obstacles. Thesection is designed to test the skills of
each rider and is marked with red ribbonon the right side and blue on the left. Asection should have a minimum width ofone-meter boundary markers should bebetween four inches and 18 inches fromthe ground.
Gate Foul – Either not riding the sections in proper order, not following the course markings for your class, orentering or exiting through the wrong gate.
Scoring For Observed TrialsThere are different scoring systems
used for Observed Trials. Most events inthe U.S. use a combination of NORBAand UCI rules.
The head “checker” or “observer” isthe maximum authority in each section.For each specific event, an event timelimit is established (typically 2—4 hours).All scorecards must be handed in by theend of the time limit. Also, there must bean established section time limit (typically2—3 minutes). The observer advises therider when there is 1 minute, 30 seconds,and 15 seconds remaining.
Scoring is as follows:Clean section—0 pointsEach dab—1 pointOver the section time limit—5 pointsAny two points of contact at the same time (two feet, hand and elbow, etc.) —5 pointsLeaning handlebar on the ground,tree, wall, etc—1 pointTouching hand to any object other thanthe bike – 5 pointsOutside section limits with either tire —5 pointsDab outside section limits—1 pointBreaking ribbon or knocking down markers—5 pointsOne foot crossing longitudinal line of bike while other foot is in on the ground – 5 pointsResting on pedal, skid-plate, or “bash-ring”—1 pointRider modifies the section—10 pointsGate foul—5 pointsPre-riding course or losing scorecard – DQ
Trials ClassesStock Bike Class. This is for riders on
traditional style mountain bikes with aminimum of a 40 inch wheelbase,functional rear derailleur with at least five working gears, no skid plate, no morethat 10.5 inches of chain ring clearance,and a chain ring guard on drive side only.
A typical stock bike section mayrequire the rider to negotiate tight turns,logs up to 8 inches, and hills with ques-tionable traction. Stock sections typicallyrequire more pedaling and slightly easierobstacles than modified bike sections.Sections for beginner and sport riders aremeant to serve as an orientation to therules and skills used in Observed Trials.
Modified Bike Class. This is for riderson bikes with a minimum of 20-inchwheels, brakes on each wheel, propelledby a pedal/crank system. Trials bike sec-tions can have turns that are tighter thanthe turning radius of the bikes, unlimitedlogs or rock obstacles with vertical faces,drop-offs, double logs, plus any combina-tion of surface traction.
Any bike that is determined dangerouswill not be admitted into the event. A ridermay repair or replace the bike duringcompetition. If riders are competing onboth stock and modified bikes, they mustcomplete all the sections on the first bikebefore returning on the second bike.
Finally, Observed Trials is a great spectator sport. Get out, observe, give it a try, and enjoy the show.
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Gregg Morin started competing in observed trials and setting up trials events in 1983. Morin was one of the few pro mountain bike racers that also competed on both trials bikes atthe events as well as racing. He included trialsevents at all of the Colorado Point Series races,and runs the Tuneup Bike shop's "Rage in theSage" which is the Colorado State championshipsfor trials.
The idea is to perfect skills such as balance, turningin small areas, and hopping.
77Mountain Flyer
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I awake to the panic-producing,chiming time bomb of my cheapalarm clock. Amid the reverie of
slumber, I foolishly play the game of hitting the snooze button. Teasing yourselfwith four more measly minutes of sleep isjust plain silly. After about seven minutesof extra reclining, I have an extremereluctance to hear those all-too-effectivetones again.
I pull myself from my soft warm bed.It used to be that I needed only a shorttime to get ready in the morning, yet asmy adventures become more involved andI get ever so older, I have to admit tomyself that I am the tortoise.
It takes me a whole hour and 20 min-utes to get it all together: eat, prep foodfor the day, pack, get dressed, play withthe dog and finally get out the door.
The pre-dawn air feels cold and I’vegone minimalist today, sacrificing com-forts for more food. So I ride off into the
dark morning, 100 miles of riding aheadof me, with only a small LED headlampto keep any other early travelers from running me over. Unfortunately I cannotsee a damn thing and every bump jostlesme without apology.
Within about 15 minutes I am enteringthe bottom of a long, steady climb. It’s noteven five yet and the air is suddenly quitewarm. It’s going to be a hot day! I alsocan’t help but notice that my right hand isreally sore, probably from riding Sun Parkthe day before. I can’t quite ignore it so I keep moving my hand position andremind myself that I am committed. Thisis just an inconvenience.
The morning climb is going well. It’s abit windy but otherwise quiet with no oneto be seen except the half a moon that ishanging perfectly in the mid-southern sky.I elect to walk up a tough steep section asI can visualize many of the climbs that I know are still waiting patiently out there
to crush me later. Not to mention thatyesterday’s ride was also on my singlespeed, as it is evident by the dull ache inmy legs and back.
I reach the top as the sun is crestingover Fossil Ridge to the east. The view isreally beautiful. I eat and drink and snap apicture. I point my faithful partner downthe fast and rocky jeep road. Soon enoughwe are climbing again. The next section ismostly new to me and requires a few mapchecks to make sure I’m on the right non-descript dirt road out of dozens that criss-cross this area.
Again I find myself pushing my bikeup all the steep, hard uphills. I just don’thave any power today and I can’t help towonder if this mission is a mistake. Onceagain, the brutal high mountain climbs tocome flash before my eyes with exquisitedetail. Otherwise I feel good, the food isgoing down smooth and I’m drinking likea fish. I decide to trust myself and grind it
78 Mountain Flyer
by Jefe Branham
Onesville
out. Soon the low sage and dried out yellow grass hills have flashed behind meand I’m slowly pedaling out on the pave-ment. After some 30 odd miles on remotedeserted dirt roads the thundering high-way is a bit intimidating, semi trucksblowing diesel scented gusts of wind asthey roar by at 70 mph. I begin to question my original return route already.
Next I navigate a familiar twist of dirtroads, avoiding various ranches, and beginto slowly climb towards the NationalForest boundary and the beginning of thereal climbing. I pass the reservoir, whichis both amazingly full and also deserted,something that’s about as rare as springrain. It is just lovely out, not too hot yet,so quiet, and the Continental Divide istowering above me, showing off its mas-sive slopes of beauty.
I feel lucky and honored to be here thismorning. Life is good. I know this sectionof the ride all too well; the climbs areprinted in my head with the permanencyof repeated torture. I’ve done it before onmy SS. It was real hard but it was a biggroup ride. Now I am already aching andalone to my own single-minded hammer-ing self. Luckily the path of this trail isjust so breathtakingly awesome, it helpsnumb the pain knowing how cool it isaround the next corner.
Not to discourage folks from this ridebut it has been recently opened to four-wheeler traffic and well, singletrack justisn’t the same ever again after that. Theplace is so gorgeous and fragile that I justcan’t believe the Forest Service wouldallow it to be so abused. Sadly though,that’s what is happening. I realize noteveryone wants to grind and sweat theirway up this valley. It just seems as thoughthere are so many damned roads aroundalready that are much more suited forvehicular use. It seems a shame.
The valley I speak of starts off going south then turns east and then finally north where it slowly gains theContinental Divide. The creek is so smalland narrow in places that it disappears butI still hear the sound of rushing and gur-gling cold mountain water. Dark, forest-
covered mountains dominate the land-scape, forcing stream and traveler alike tobend at their feet, winding a long andtwisting passage.
Once at the top, the aches disappear forthe air is cool, the view incredible. The La Garita’s and the San Juan’s are to thesoutheast, the lower Sawatch Range to theeast, Fossil Ridge and the Elk Mountain’sto the north, the West Elks to the north-west, and a unique view of SawtoothMountain is directly to the west.Whenever I get this high up and lookaround at the vast array of mountains thatsurround this place I call home, I getchills at the thought of how cool it is andhow lucky I am to be here.
I am a tiny speck among these massivestalwarts of nature. It really makes all thecrap that fills my head and stresses me outwhen I’m in that little town down thereseem inane and silly.
I take a good long break up top to eat,repack, apply more sunscreen, and thenI’m off to face the downhill. The first section is still holding some snow butmotorcycles have been riding it for awhile now. There are channels cut throughthe lingering drifts so passage is just a bitmessy. I had forgotten how rough and
rocky this part was, maybe it is the fatigueringing throughout my whole body, ormaybe it’s the lack of others to spurn meon. It is a challenge to keep momentumthrough the loose and jumbled trail; eventhe jumps look intimidating. After the firstcouple of miles I loosen up and start toplay a bit.
Now the trail seems to open up to meand becomes the long fast joyride I alwaysmanage to remember. The creek is flowingpretty hard, making for some soakingstream crossings in places it has managedto overtake the trail completely. The shock-ingly cold water feels good, as the drop inaltitude has made for quite a change intemperature. Now it is just plain hot.
79Mountain Flyer
Whenever I get this high up and look around at the vast array of mountainsthat surround this place I call home, I get chills at the thought of how cool it is and how lucky I am to be here.
Before I know it the trail winds down toan end and becomes a dirt road and headsback up for another steep climb.
Now I feel cooked. The blood is justnot flowing to my fingers very much andmy head is swimming with the heat andeffort to keep my simple little bike mov-ing. Soon I am regretfully walking again.I keep eating and drinking, determined tofinish this mission strong. Or at least finish. As I reach the top I eat more and to my surprise open the map and actuallycontemplate a longer way home! “Am Icrazy?” I ask myself. Taking the highwayback to town was my plan, simple, direct,straightforward, but just not appealing tome now.
“Screw it” I hear myself say. I meanare you a sally or what? Even as I turn toclimb up another dirt road heading south,not west towards home, I can’t believewhat I’m doing. So onward I go, into theincredible heat. I keep spinning those ped-als around and around, knowing if I canjust do this I will eventually get home.
Now I am bonking big time, there isnot much food left, the water now tastesof iodine and the wide gravel/dirt roadsare bright and hot with the intense sunoverhead. I even manage to get a bit lost,going well out of the way (amazing howonly a mile or two can become a lot ofextra pedaling), yet when I realize where
I am, I smile and stand up on the pedalsonce more. Now I coast down fast smoothdirt to pavement. Unfortunately, anotherhighway is in front of me. It’s very narrow and has very little median at that.Winding through the twisting creekcanyon, spinning out all too easily, makesthe fast cars and roaring semis seem closeenough to touch. Nobody said I wassmart, certainly not me. Next the big highway and a straight painful shot home,made more so by the ever-present easterlyspring wind.
By now my ass is on fire, my backfeels like tenderized meat, and my handsache so badly that holding even lightly tothe handlebars is difficult. I eat the last ofthe food and suffer on into town. Oh howglorious it is to see the big red buildingsof campus, the golden arches, sidewalksand super wide streets. Success, oh yes.Always good to be home!
Holy moly, I am one baked potato! SS power!
The route: Lost Canyon Rd. toBeaver Creek trail to Parlin FlatsRd. to County Rd. 76 to County Rd.44 to Highway 50 to Doyleville.Needle Creek Rd. to Razor Creektrail to Dutchman’s trail back toNeedle Creek. Sagauche CountyRd. PP14 to Camp Kettle Gulch(S.C. rd WW13) to Hwy 114 to Hwy 50 home. Approximately 105 miles, 10,000 vertical feet with a time of about 13:45.
80 Mountain Flyer
Now I am bonking big time, there is not much food left, the water is tasting of iodine, and the wide gravel/dirt roadsare bright and hot with the intense sun overhead.
Defining the Rocky Mountain Cyclist
Premier IssueAutumn 2004
The Greasy Thumb
The Joe Breeze Story
Training—Keeping it Fun
Mount Evans Hill Climb
Montezuma’s Revenge
Valle Caldera Ride
Onesville