The Dirt, Of Course!
What makes mountain biking different than road biking? Why, the dirt, of course!
Recovery 202
In 2007 I crashed very hard during the Endurance 50. Bruised and bloodied, I finished the race. In the days afterward it became very obvious that I was severely fatigued. I stayed that way for months. In fact, most of 2008 I spent riding, but not training or racing very much. That was mostly due […]
Recovery 101
On Memorial Day I raced my bike. I didn’t have a great result, but it wasn’t terrible either. I just didn’t feel very good. My legs felt sluggish and heavy. The next day I rode easy on the pavement. As I spun, I plotted the next few weeks of training. I wanted to ride big […]
All The World’s A Segment
“All the world’s a segment, And all the men and women merely riders.” ~William Stravaspeare Strava is changing cycling culture. Or rather, it’s codifying something that has always existed within the culture: The race to become the Alpha-male. If two riders are together, the ride is a race. If a solo rider encounters another rider, it’s a race. […]
Crusher Tires. Time to Panic?
The Crusher is a month away. I’m excited. I’ve written extensively about the race, so it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the event. One of the reasons that the Crusher demands my attention is the wide array of possible equipment combinations that are viable for race day. But one question underlies everything else: which […]
The Big Dang Loop
If I keep doing rides that make the Crusher look easy, then the Crusher will be easy. Right? One of the advantages of being a relatively fit bike rider, and having a tolerance for hours in the saddle, is the opportunity to do stupid things. Like 100 miles in American Fork Canyon. Or The Wasatch Classic. Or […]
“I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On”
“I can’t go on, I’ll go on.” ~Samuel Beckett Bike racing causes us to do strange things. Like ride hard enough to throw up. Or ride while bleeding. Or dizzy. Or sick. And we pay to do it. We travel many miles, hauling boxes of gear and food. We tune our expensive bikes, wear silly […]
100 Miles of Nowhere
Riding a bicycle up a mountain is painful, but it never hurts. When an email arrived from Fatty, inviting me along for his annual 100 Miles of Nowhere, I couldn’t think of a good reason not to ride. The proposed route was ridiculous: American Fork Canyon, over and over. And over. 11 miles, 2,900 vertical up, […]
