Time and effort directed in this endeavor. Please check it out. Thanks.
http://routinelegworks.com
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Bayou Salido
ride. One of the best of the year. Real quick on why Mike is referred
to as the "Hammer". A hammer never wears out, no matter how many nails
you pound, it never wears out. That is how Mike rides, he just keeps
pounding those nails.
So yes a perfect route for those interested in gravel at elevation
with some of the best views the Rockies have to offer. Maybe something
in the fall? We can only hope so, maybe in the form of a gentleman's
race? If it does come together, I highly recommend it. Thanks to the
Beck family for hosting.
We finished at this place. An all time favorite of mine and it did not
disappoint. Hope you had a great weekend.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Soma Double Cross
annual Bayou Salado. There will be two on the inagural. Same two that
started the Father's Day ride three years ago. 100 miles of gravel at
10,000 feet sounds like a piece of heaven to me. We hope to cross with
some GDR riders on the BIG trail. I hope we make to Amica's in Salida
for pizza and beer. That place is one of my favorites and is
motivation enough for me to keep the pedals turning. Enjoy your weekend.
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Perfect Father's Day- Thank you.
Thanks to all that chose to come spend a couple of hours hanging out for Father's Day with us. I hope each of you had as much fun as I did. The day way perfect, the ride was very enjoyable, and feast and company were greatly appreciated. Check out Mr. Becks photo history at http://velosoiree.blogspot.com/.
KJ gets gredit for the B&W here. Thanks KJ.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Father's Day Ride #3
Please join the 3rd Annual Father's Day Ride. The ride will leave the
homstead at7:45AM. We will ride through BCLP, up Mt. Falcon and down
through Lair of the Bear to a feast sponsored by our better halves.
You may have questions, I do not have an answers. Plan on 3 plus with
water at the top. Bring a quarter.
homstead at7:45AM. We will ride through BCLP, up Mt. Falcon and down
through Lair of the Bear to a feast sponsored by our better halves.
You may have questions, I do not have an answers. Plan on 3 plus with
water at the top. Bring a quarter.
So please join us, for a MTB ride that is about good people who love
to ride their bikes. Some riders will be fast, some will be faster, I
only promise to be at the back, dreaming of the fine food awaiting us.
Sent from Chad
Monday, June 01, 2009
A DK story and some thank you's! Long.
So this is my account of a gravel grinder in Kansas known as the Dirty Kanza. This race was 205 miles long and traveled through the beautiful rolling hills in this part of the state. We started in Emporia at 6:00AM. The strategy was simple: eat, drink and constantly keep moving, never letting doubt creep into the mind. The first stretch was 61 miles to CP(checkpoint) 1. In a neutral start, I was able to hang with the lead group for about the first 17 miles. This was a huge help as we battled a stiff head wind ranging from 10-20 miles per hour. The most memorable part of this section was the 4 mile climb up to the tower. I hooked up with a very nice gentleman who was on single speed. We worked together for a while and I learned that this was his third attempt and his goal was to simply finish. At this point, I really worked hard to stay focused on getting to CP1. I made it into CP1 with the company of a professor from Iowa, he was finisher at Trans Iowa and experienced rider. We were in about 35th place at this point. We loaded up and started towards checkpoint 2, and the halfway point in the race. We hooked up with a couple of other riders, and we worked together for a while. People hung on as long as they could and then got shed off. This were I met Greg. He would prove to be a great companion for the next 100 plus miles. We rolled into checkpoint 2 together were we took a break and got into our drop bags and got ourselves ready for the second half. It was at this point when I started to learn about the difficulty of this years event. The heat, the wind, and the course were all adding up to be described by the promoter’s as “the hardest ever”.
Leaving checkpoint two in good spirits Greg and I pressed on to this 38 mile section. Although a shorter distance, this section proved to be very difficult. On the way we rode a bit with Joel (co-promoter). It was great to ride with such a nice individual. The heat, rolling hills and lil’ Egypt Road were tough. That coupled with a small navigational error which added a hill and significant time en route to the next point. Finally, we reached a paved section, Greg and I were both out of water and still had six miles to CP#3. We found a house and chose to get some water. We knocked, but no one answered. They had a pump about 10 yards from the house we were able to get some much needed water. Had we not done that, I am sure by the time I got to CP#3 I would have been burnt toast. Making it to the final checkpoint was a bit anticlimactic. Sure we had made it this far, but had we lost our minds along the way?
We got restocked and were screwing around a bit in a hazy fog of fatigue. For the last several hours poor Greg had listened to me babble on about my buddy rolling on the one speed. And then, in a moment were I wondered what my name was, the mission was delivered. Could it be? Was it possible? Yes, Yes, Yes, Mike Beck, “the hammer” rolled in to CP#3. Staff announced that he was 1st place single speed. And then it was done. The mission was set. The three of us would not be detoured from delivering the 1st single speeder to finish line.
I am not sure how Greg or Mike felt about it, but for or me it is beyond words. Simply said, three men would set out to finish their goal.
As we left CP#3, with 65 miles back Emporia, the sun was beginning to set and the air began cool. The reds and oranges that accompany a sunset began to cast their colors onto the rolling hills. Soon shadows began to loom and darkness began to settle on the gravel. The last leg of the race we talked a fair amount but I cannot remember what we spoke about. We were simply united in the mission to keep moving forward. The day had changed. I started with simple goals of just trying to make it to the next CP. Now, somewhere in the darkness of Kansas, the goal changed to simply seeing the next ten feet in front of me were lights provided some guidance. With about 35 miles to go, we could finally see some lights from Emporia. Nobody knew how fast we were going or exactly how many miles we had left only that were on a mission. After 42 different types of gravel, an encounter with a skunk, and too many shot blocks to be counted our tires hit real asphalt. I thought it was too good to be true and that this had to be yet another cruel joke. Then Mike rolled up behind me and said “6 more blocks”. It was then that first tear welled up in my eyes, Mike was going to get first place and Greg and I were going to be able to share in the moment of a true champion crossing the line. Some of you who are reading this may know Mike, some may not, but he has the heart of a true champion. When you think about what he accomplished on his bike on that day. Consider this, Mike road the third leg of the race solo. This section was the hottest at 95 degrees, had the most technical difficulty, and had the most vertical gain. Mike had “shown himself brave” on this particular day (reference to an article by Graeme Fife, Glory through Suffering on the Rapha website, http://www.rapha.cc/glory-through-suffering ). Some of you may know, some of you may hope to find out, but after 19 hours and 26 minutes of moving forward three men would finish their goal, their respective mission and finally set their bikes down for the last time.
This is my history of my adventure known as Dirty Kanza 2009. Thanks for taking a moment to read. Congrats to all those that toed the line, and especially those that finished. I feel truly lucky to be one of them. Out there, a million things could happen, I just happened to be lucky enough to have good breaks and great men to ride with. I hope that you feel the same. Enjoy your ride.
The promoters of this event and the community of riders that participated are some of the most genuine people I have had the pleasure to ride with. The crews from Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas are great people. Thanks for sharing the gravel grinder passion in such a positive manner. Dave, Steve, Skip, Corey, Troy, and Joel are names I can up with now, but there are many more. To me, it is cycling at its fundamental core and I was honored to simply participate.
Wow. Two days later with my brain racing through this experience and this is the word I choose to capture this adventure. Wow, at all the support I got from wife, family and friends. I would like to go on record as having the greatest wife. Thank you Carey! Thank you Mike “the hammer” Beck, the 1st place singlespeeder at DK. The wisdom you shared through our long training rides was true difference maker for this adventure. Also huge thanks and deep appreciation to the skilled rider, Greg Bachman, whom I rode most of the event with. Greg your navigational skills and conversational company were awesome! Thank you.
Leaving checkpoint two in good spirits Greg and I pressed on to this 38 mile section. Although a shorter distance, this section proved to be very difficult. On the way we rode a bit with Joel (co-promoter). It was great to ride with such a nice individual. The heat, rolling hills and lil’ Egypt Road were tough. That coupled with a small navigational error which added a hill and significant time en route to the next point. Finally, we reached a paved section, Greg and I were both out of water and still had six miles to CP#3. We found a house and chose to get some water. We knocked, but no one answered. They had a pump about 10 yards from the house we were able to get some much needed water. Had we not done that, I am sure by the time I got to CP#3 I would have been burnt toast. Making it to the final checkpoint was a bit anticlimactic. Sure we had made it this far, but had we lost our minds along the way?
We got restocked and were screwing around a bit in a hazy fog of fatigue. For the last several hours poor Greg had listened to me babble on about my buddy rolling on the one speed. And then, in a moment were I wondered what my name was, the mission was delivered. Could it be? Was it possible? Yes, Yes, Yes, Mike Beck, “the hammer” rolled in to CP#3. Staff announced that he was 1st place single speed. And then it was done. The mission was set. The three of us would not be detoured from delivering the 1st single speeder to finish line.
I am not sure how Greg or Mike felt about it, but for or me it is beyond words. Simply said, three men would set out to finish their goal.
As we left CP#3, with 65 miles back Emporia, the sun was beginning to set and the air began cool. The reds and oranges that accompany a sunset began to cast their colors onto the rolling hills. Soon shadows began to loom and darkness began to settle on the gravel. The last leg of the race we talked a fair amount but I cannot remember what we spoke about. We were simply united in the mission to keep moving forward. The day had changed. I started with simple goals of just trying to make it to the next CP. Now, somewhere in the darkness of Kansas, the goal changed to simply seeing the next ten feet in front of me were lights provided some guidance. With about 35 miles to go, we could finally see some lights from Emporia. Nobody knew how fast we were going or exactly how many miles we had left only that were on a mission. After 42 different types of gravel, an encounter with a skunk, and too many shot blocks to be counted our tires hit real asphalt. I thought it was too good to be true and that this had to be yet another cruel joke. Then Mike rolled up behind me and said “6 more blocks”. It was then that first tear welled up in my eyes, Mike was going to get first place and Greg and I were going to be able to share in the moment of a true champion crossing the line. Some of you who are reading this may know Mike, some may not, but he has the heart of a true champion. When you think about what he accomplished on his bike on that day. Consider this, Mike road the third leg of the race solo. This section was the hottest at 95 degrees, had the most technical difficulty, and had the most vertical gain. Mike had “shown himself brave” on this particular day (reference to an article by Graeme Fife, Glory through Suffering on the Rapha website, http://www.rapha.cc/glory-through-suffering ). Some of you may know, some of you may hope to find out, but after 19 hours and 26 minutes of moving forward three men would finish their goal, their respective mission and finally set their bikes down for the last time.
This is my history of my adventure known as Dirty Kanza 2009. Thanks for taking a moment to read. Congrats to all those that toed the line, and especially those that finished. I feel truly lucky to be one of them. Out there, a million things could happen, I just happened to be lucky enough to have good breaks and great men to ride with. I hope that you feel the same. Enjoy your ride.
The promoters of this event and the community of riders that participated are some of the most genuine people I have had the pleasure to ride with. The crews from Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas are great people. Thanks for sharing the gravel grinder passion in such a positive manner. Dave, Steve, Skip, Corey, Troy, and Joel are names I can up with now, but there are many more. To me, it is cycling at its fundamental core and I was honored to simply participate.
Wow. Two days later with my brain racing through this experience and this is the word I choose to capture this adventure. Wow, at all the support I got from wife, family and friends. I would like to go on record as having the greatest wife. Thank you Carey! Thank you Mike “the hammer” Beck, the 1st place singlespeeder at DK. The wisdom you shared through our long training rides was true difference maker for this adventure. Also huge thanks and deep appreciation to the skilled rider, Greg Bachman, whom I rode most of the event with. Greg your navigational skills and conversational company were awesome! Thank you.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Dirty Kanza
My mind continues to invest in this event and I am excited about this
challenge. This process continues to vasilate from the attempt of
trying to control every variable to trying breathe deep and be in the
moment. Both carry their own value towards my development but also
contribute to my mental fatigue.
challenge. This process continues to vasilate from the attempt of
trying to control every variable to trying breathe deep and be in the
moment. Both carry their own value towards my development but also
contribute to my mental fatigue.
On a differant note, my beloved Vanilla has undergone a tansformation
in preparation of DK. Hope to add some pictures soon.
Finally, I have joined Twitter. If inclined check it out and make
contact. Twitter/simplecyclist
Sent from Chad
Monday, March 23, 2009
To save a few pennies...#1.
amazed by how much they charge for this product. After trying several
products, I have found one that works extremely well, Udderly Smooth.
I find it very comparable to Chamois Butt'r, at literally a third of
the price. I purchased three 12 oz. containers for the price of one
8 oz. tube from the shop. I have used it for over a year. It is non-
petroleum based products and will work well with your cycling shorts.
Needless to say, it has saved me a few pennies. Google it and you will
find it available on line.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Fwd: Have your cake and eat it too! LDL
go@blogger.com" <go@blogger.com>
It is on for Friday night and we do
have options. O1-long route, to include the likes of IronWorks, Mead St. Station, Edgewater Inn and a top secret location in Denver. Not necessarily in that order.
O2-short route, to include Iron Works, Thirsty Bear and Baker's St. Pub. At any rate we have options.
Sent from Chad
It is on for Friday night and we do
have options. O1-long route, to include the likes of IronWorks, Mead St. Station, Edgewater Inn and a top secret location in Denver. Not necessarily in that order.
O2-short route, to include Iron Works, Thirsty Bear and Baker's St. Pub. At any rate we have options.
Sent from Chad
Friday, March 06, 2009
LDL is in full affect
classic Lakewood Denver Lakewood ride. All are welcome. Look for
confirmation, but I think we may start at the Iron Works in Lakewood
at 6pm. Dress is up to you, but I recommend at least a shirt unlike
our bare back cycling friend below. Spandex helmet and shoes, this may
be my outfit for sswc 09. Maybe not.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Pontiac Fiero Alive and Well.
a special place in my heart. In the late 80's the girl that owned my
heart drove one of these cars. She never new, but everytime I see one
I go straight back to the high school years. Oh the glory.
The Laramie enduro is full.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Laramie Enduro
I successfully registered for the Enduro this morning. They have a
limit of 400 riders. Each year it fills faster than the previous
year. Always a great a event although the camping spots were sold
out. That is a good way to roll as they let you camp at the start/
finish. I will try and get something worked out. Anybody else
interested?
limit of 400 riders. Each year it fills faster than the previous
year. Always a great a event although the camping spots were sold
out. That is a good way to roll as they let you camp at the start/
finish. I will try and get something worked out. Anybody else
interested?
Sent from Chad
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
The kids are starting to get it...
the kiddos snowboarding. This past trip we have started to see some
improvement. Quinn has become self sufficient and Lucy has been
starting to link turns. This is exciting for us. Pretty lame pic, but
in the background
Carey and Lucy are on the lift. Another nice day at Loveland. We have
been lucky.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lovely Weekend
here and in the 60's. Saturday, Brian and I visited Loveland and
managed several runs from the Continental Divide, on a blue bird day
with minimal wind. Sunday I a was able to squeak a quick lap in at GM
before we took the kids up to get some turns. Day two with the kids
was a challenge. Some frustration from everyone on the slope but it
was such a beautiful day we were able to enjoy a picnic and the
mountains. Hope you enjoyed your weekend.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Finding Focus
With the arrival of the new year, I was excited about the upcoming cycling season. I had a nervous energy about wanting to participate in some challenging events but unsure what to choose. I would compare this feeling of being unsettled to a camera that is ready to take a photo but unable to find the focus. Then with some nerves I signed myself in for the 2009 Dirty Kanza, a 200 mile gravel grinder. As soon as I completed the registration process, the photo of my upcoming cycling season had come into focus. My excitement as gone to a new level and three simple goals have been established for this event. Goal 1: Finish. Goal 2: Enjoy this ride and people as much I can. Goal 3: Ride smart and strong. There are many goals to be achieved in the preparation but I hope these simple ones will help me push through my epic challenge of the 2009 cycling season.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
I love bacon.
to go on the record as loving pork sausage. I have deep routes in
Wisconsin. Nice to have a tasty treat after a comute into work.
these savory planks are left overs from the "breakfast for dinner"
last night, which is code for: kids, there's not much food in the
house and we will have to make good with what we have. Have a good day.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Monday, January 05, 2009
Just Plain Old Fun
friends in the mix, add some secret runs with fresh snow and a wife
that can bring it on the board, yes it was a fun day.
Rolled with the kids Sunday to the Loveland. Both had their first
experience on the lift. A good learning experience and a great great
family day.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Happy New Year
night ride. Rolled out the Mad Alchemy and enjoyed the fine sent up
the fire road. Good stuff. Hope is well in your new year.
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