Heavy D and Me

Brown County State Park

2011-07-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

What a great destination! Flowy Trail and good times despite the heat!

Oh and this is a great place to eat and quaf!!

Rock Bridge

2011-06-20T19:37:00.001-07:00

Rock Bridge was open today so I went for a little spin after work. Double flatted 1.5 miles into it. I guess I will try again tomorrow.

Bartlett's Wash

2011-05-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is a crazy place. You can't really call it a trail, but it is an adventure. Sandstone type slickrock makes for some fun and scary riding. Mike took a trip down toilet bowl. Sorry the video deos not do it justice, but focus on the snapshot from the top to get a true perspective. We had lots of fun on this ride.

Lower Porcupine Single Track

2011-05-19T03:37:00.000-07:00

4,000 feet of elevtion loss in 18 miles makes for some very fun riding. Throw in the views from the rim of the mesa and you have a fantasic trail. 8:45 in is where I went over the bars...enjoy:)

Amasa Back

2011-05-17T04:08:00.000-07:00

Still one of my favorite trails because of the amazing views and the drive by Coonskin Larry's cave!

Sovereign Trail

2011-05-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty cool trail, but don't expect Brandogger to agree with me!. Moderate climbing with some fun descents. Just as we made it back to the FJ it started to hail on us. One nice thing about the weather in Moab, we just had to go a few miles up the road to the next trail and it was completely dry:)

Fins and Things

2011-05-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

This was a blast. It made me wish I would have brought my FJ out too. Who knew a stock vehicle could do all this and cruise on the highway at 80 MPH. What a fantasic vehicle!

Klondike Bars and Baby Steps go together?

2011-05-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of things to report from our Moab trip. As you can imagine, with 6 guys from 2 states all in one condo for a week, I have a lot to talk about. The trip up was long, but well worth it. I will have a short video of some of the cool scenery later this week. I want to concentrate on some of the riding we did.

I am not posting in the order we rode the trails, but here is the first of the completed videos.

Klondike Bluffs was a climb up on slick rock. This provided for some fun on Baby Steps on the way down.

Why I Mountain Bike

2011-04-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

I went to Rock Bridge today to play around a little with some different camera angles. I am wanting to capture some entertaining video when we go to Moab/Fruita next weekend. I think there are several perspectives I can work with.

Rhett's Run Race Course

2011-04-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Remember they have made some changes this past year. The signage is really good, so just follow them and you should be golden. The only difference is in the past they alter the course to bring you up by the pavilion by the skateboard park and then head you back into the woods.

Race Course

Bone Bender Photos

2011-04-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

I found these photos from the Bone Bender webpage.

Bone Bender - 2011

2011-04-19T02:07:00.000-07:00

What a fun race and great trail. Being pretty much a couch potatoe over the last 5 months due to injury and only about 4 weeks to train for this event, I did not have any expectations but to get out and push myself a little. I made the crucial error of not jumping out in front at the beginning, but honestly I was just hoping to stay out of people's way. For the first 23 minutes it was a walk-a-thon as we headed into the trail.

I finally managed to get around horads of people and find some guys that were more my speed to ride with. I felt pretty good lap 1 and kept picking people off on the technical climbs. By the end of lap 2, my legs were cramping and I was popping endurolytes by the handful. I drank about 100oz of water, but I guess I need more sodium. I will have to dial that in. By the middle of the 3rd lap I was just telling myself to keep moving forward. I was getting lapped by the leaders, but I was not getting passed by anyone else, so that felt good.

I ended up finishing 25 out of 52 riders RESULTS. That is encouraging and will make me train harder. A better start and a bit more fitness, I could easily improve.

Here is a video of some of the more "flowy" sections and a couple of the technical climbs.

Prelap OTB

2011-04-18T17:50:00.001-07:00

For All You Fast F*@# 'ers!!

2011-04-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here is what you are missing by being so fast!!!!

I know, I know you're jealous!!! :)

More video coming soon! Don't miss my pre-ride OTB mishap!!!

Team Injury Rides Again!

2011-04-08T03:19:00.000-07:00

Don't call it a come back!, but I was able to hit Cosmo Park for a little rest and relaxation! He is a snip it of the ride.

Perfect Spring Day

2011-03-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Got up this morning and jumped on the Katy before the ground started to thaw out.

Lost Video from the Archives

2011-03-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

I shot this video 2 days before my crash. I had forgotten all about it until now... A quick ride at Rock Bridge with Evenslower, Tuttle and Fox.

What I like about BOCOMO

2011-03-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

First Installment

You can be out shaking the winter rust off on the road all by yourself and before you know it bump into Green Beans and finish out your ride chatting and catching up. Well Green Beans was chatting, I could barley manage one word responses as we rolled through the hills.

Mountains of Mayhem

2011-03-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a rather boring video, not because of the subjects I am filming, but because I cannot ride very well yet. I had to take it easy and protect my broken arm. I really do not want to prolong the healing past next week.

Mountains of Mayhem Pre-ride 2011 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Movie Intro

2011-02-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

I played around a bit today and made a title intro for upcoming videos this year.

Title Production Intro from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

New Arrival

2011-02-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

I love a down economy and friends with buying power. 4 of us went in together to buy some Mach 429's. We got a really good deal and I could not be happier with the purchase. Because of my broken arm, I will not get a chance to ride off-road for awhile, but I can say this, the bike is very stable, but still responds well to cornering. It climbs like a hard tail and is very laterally stiff. I love feeling like I am sitting in the cockpit versus sitting on top of the bike. This will be my endurance cruiser bike. I can't wait to put it and me to the test this year!

APRIL YET?

2011-02-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

Good news, the bone is showing signs of healing, but I need 6 more weeks of healing before they x-ray again and release me back to normal activity. As long as I do not do tough climbs where I have to pull on the bars, I can ride on pavement. I guess it is a good thing I got rid of the single speed....for now!

/Drool

2011-01-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

Nuff said!

5k Resolution "BEER" Run

2011-01-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Ok this is now a new tradition. 24 degrees and gale force winds, but they had BEER!!!!

65 Degrees in December?

2011-01-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Went back to Wichita for the week inbetween Christmas and New Years. 50 degrees and cloudy on Tuesday. Rain on Wednesday and 65 degrees and dusty trails on Thursday??? WTF!!!

Miller's Meadow 12-29-30-2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Brandon, Jason Cole and I snuck in a little ride at Miller's Meadow

FJ Video

2010-11-20T22:19:00.001-08:00

Here is some video from our little adventure

FJ 11-20-2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

FJ Party

2010-11-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

I went out to Mike's to play around with the FJ's. No good shots of my FJ, but I did get some of the others:)

Wolverine!

2010-11-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, I went back to the doctor today (5 weeks after the accident) and he says I can go back to my normal activities. No restrictions. I must have healed like Wolverine in X-Men. Now that sounds really positive, but considering turning the key in the ignition is a challenge at this point, I do not think that is saying much.

I am going to go ride the Katy Trail and see how it goes and make some decisions on the next step from there.

Here are some of the X-Rays:

Before Surgery

Right After Surgery

Today

Right After Surgery

Today

Finally!!!

2010-11-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

My FJ finally arrived last night. No more than an hour later, Mike and I had the dash apart and started to install the new stereo!

BT Epic 2010

2010-10-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, our cabin rocked! Shotgun took 1st place with a sprint finish beating the 2nd place rider by half a bike lebgth. Mike Best remains on the shirt with a 10th place finish. Nate made 5 hours of BT look easy. Cole finished the race improving his time by more than 2 hours!

Evenslower and I played support and got to lounge and watch some amazing riding.

Congrats folks! Here's a video to sum up the weekend...

Berryman Epic 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Berryman Epic 2011

2010-10-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since I rode this trail last year I have dreams and nightmares of riding it again in 2010, only this time not letting it kick my ass. I had spent time working on my endurance riding and prepping for this race. Not that I would be competitive, but just wanting to post a respectable time that was not close to dead last.

I feel like I was better prepared this year than last year. A 6 hour ride was a walk in the park and I always felt like I had something left in the tank at the end. I dialed in my pre-ride, ride and post ride nutrition, solved my cramping issues around the 4 hour mark and had my hydration spot on.

Folks that I ride with commented on my increased fitness and improved riding skills. I really felt like I was going to peak at just the right time for the BT Epic. That was of course until an ill-fated journey to Finger Lakes to check out the new trail they just added. Like the idiot I am, towards the end of the ride I chose to go ride some of the motoX trails I did last year to see if I had improved and was able to ride stuff I walked last year. Yes, I am extremely competitive with myself:)

Things were going well and I was having a blast. That is really all I can remember until, Mike told me he was going to find the EMTs and lead them to me. These are some awesome folks.

After 3 more days in the hospital and a surgery to repair my right arm, I have some rehab in front of me before I can get back on a bike.

I am still heading to the BT Epic to cheer on my friends and provide support. I plan on working hard to recover from my injuries and taking myself to the next level of fitness. I will probably start with some cross training activities until I can support myself on a bike. Here's to the 2011 season...fear me:)

Special thanks to Mike Best for keeping an eye on me and not letting lay there more than 8 seconds before coming to my aid. The video showed him more than fifty yards away when I crashed. That is moving pretty fast for an old guy in bike shoes...haha. He kept his head and did not hesitate to call for support. Thanks to Evenslower for helping get my vehicle back home. Thanks to my team for the food when I got out of the hospital. Thanks for all the texts, calls and cards from my friends and family. I could feel the love and support and it motivates me to get better with each passing day.

Anyone want to teach me how to jump and land properly?....

Finger Lakes

2010-10-15T18:25:00.001-07:00

Crash from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

This is my last video of 2010. Here's to 2011:)

Wilson Lake

2010-10-08T16:22:00.001-07:00

Wilson Lake 10-1-2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Tuesday Night Ride

2010-10-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Best put together an awesome ride. Evenslower, Shotgun, Green Beans, Jr., Dr. Jay, Daisy and Josh followed Best around Rock Bridge fro 1.5 hours. No one was left behind and those that had air in their lungs we able to chat and catch up. I was not one of those that was able to talk. I was pretty blown up by the end of the ride, but that is just what the Dr. ordered. I am pretty sure I just recorded my fastest lap at RB and it was at night:)

Rock Bridge Night Ride 10-5-2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Wilson Lake Bloopers

2010-10-03T11:01:00.001-07:00

I am working on the video from this weekend, but until then here are a couple outtakes from our adventure...

Wilson Lake Blooper 10-2-2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Branson Zip Line

2010-09-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

Some work buddies decided to go zip lining with me. We chose the Blue Streak Fast Line for our first adventure. We really did no research and did not know what was ahead of us. 8 of us went and 5 of us kept the courage to actually give it a shot.

When we arrived, we signed up and then was asked 3 separate times, "Are you ok with the free fall? There is no other way down, you know." You see, the line we chose is a 1/4 mile long topping out at 170 feet above ground and speeds up to 50 miles an hour depending on the wind. The receiving perch was not at ground level, but rather 101 feet up in the air with no stairs leading down. You had to jump off, free fall 70 feet, before an air fan slowed you down.

Ray, our tour guide, had dreadlocks and a REAL laid back attitude. Miles, our second guide, had a "I wish I was sleeping" attitude. In fact he yawned several times during the safety speech.

They suited us up, drove us up the hill and walked us up the top perch. I made the mistake of asking several questions I guess I really did not want to hear the answer to. The first one was, "Does it ever get too windy to do this?" The reply was, "Yes, today is very borderline." The second one was, "How long have you need open?" The reply was, "Since May."

I only had my camera phone. What a time to not bring the GoPro. I got some decent video of the others after I had zipped and then jumped down.

ZipLine from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

I will definitely do this again!!!

Lucy's Water Retrieve

2010-09-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

Lucy's training is coming along well. We are working on the water retrieves since in another couple of months it will be too cold for a short hair to be in the water and besides she LOVES jumping into the water...

Lucy Water Retrieve 9-22-10 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Tall Oak Challenge

2010-09-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot to say about this race. I felt good about my performance and exceeded my goal of completing 6 laps. I never really pushed myself too hard, but I was tired none the less at the end of the day. I stopped every lap to pop some electrolyte pills and eat.

Next year, I think I will actually race and see what I can do. I think 8 laps is very doable for me, but I will need to push myself a bit.

The main thing is, I am closer to being ready for the BT Epic and that is my main goal this year. I would like to finish in 7.5 hours. we will see...

Single Speed Will Make You Stronger?

2010-08-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

The verdict is still out, but this is definitely a ton of fun. I have ridden at Rhett's Run and Rock Bridge so far. The gearing is perfect for my feeble legs.

Progress

2010-07-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

I am trying to gear up for the Tall Oak Challenge. Last year I did the 2 man duo. This year I plan on going solo.

Ride 1

Ride 2

I cut 25 minutes off my time from the 1st ride. Maybe 10 more times and I will have it down:)

The 2011 Mach 4 Looks Sexy!!

2010-07-02T19:00:00.001-07:00

I cannot wait to see if they make some improvements on the Mach 429 next.... I am holding out and keeping my fingers crossed.

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=0013fJXCVJ8X4Fll8iHXkgr6hGevyZDRGK4Bee6nBOaFG80EYjdIR5XiclQAZ_Sbn9dMlcqW5ziZwUpajJdN3IrmnCxiJd7eMih-fMep-znCKz38GJeKw2roQ%3D%3D

Rock Bridge

2010-07-02T03:19:00.001-07:00

Here's a little video of a ride out at Rock Bridge last week. If you want to see a nice crash, watch around the 16 minute mark.

Rock Bridge 6-23-2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Wichita Ride

2010-06-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

I was able to get out with some friends and ride while visiting in Wichita. Here is a slide show for your viewing pleasure:

Brandon and Micki June 12, 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

More Water!

2010-06-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Iron Man and I did an 80 mile ride on Saturday. My pre-hydration routine was not all that great during the week and I suffered for it. I drank 150oz of water during the ride and it was still not enough. I am still paying for it today.

We had what seemed like a North wind going out and a strong South wind coming back. My quads, calves and hamstrings were locking up on the way back. I am glad that's over:)

Ride Details

Ashland Loop

2010-05-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

Evenslower, Foxy, Iron Man and I went for a Saturday morning ride. It was a great day for a ride.

Here we are waiting for Foxy to roll in...

Here we are waiting for Foxy to get some Gatorade...

Here we are waiting for Foxy to finish hydrating...

At least we never had to wait for Foxy on the road:)

Here are a couple of action shots of Evenslower and Iron Man...

It took us about 4 hours, but we finished with about 70 miles under our tires. Thanks guys for such a great ride. Let's do it again real soon!

Descending Amasa Back

2010-05-11T03:37:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than a 50 minute descent condensed into 18 minutes? This is such a fun trail!!!

Descending Amasa Back 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Climbing Amasa Back

2010-05-04T03:55:00.000-07:00

We rented a Pivot Mach 429 for this ride. This is a sweet ride. Although climbing is not that much fun to watch, the scenery is. You will see some crawlers, some beautiful views and some cliff exposures.

I used a chest cam for this ride and hind sight is 20/20. Tuck in your camelback strap and water tube. Too bad I did not realize this sooner.

Climbing Amasa Back from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Steve's Loop

2010-05-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is a little loop of Mary's. It has some nice views and a fun rim ride.

Steve's Loop 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Horsethief Bench

2010-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

My new favortie trail!!!

Horsetheif Bench 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Mary's Loop

2010-05-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

This is the 1st loop that connects with several other loops like Wrangler, Horsethief Bench and Steve's Loop.

Mary's Loop 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Dropping into Horsetheif Bench

2010-05-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

If you were wondering how it is done and why I did not attempt it, this is how and why:

Droping into Horse Thief Bench Trail in Fruita Colorado from Ben Crook-Hanna on Vimeo.

Rustler's Loop

2010-05-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is a practice loop we rode 1st thing on Wednesday.

Rustler's Loop 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Joe's Ridge

2010-05-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

We took a quick run down Joe's Ridge. This is a fun ride!!

Joe's Ridge 2010 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Kessel Run

2010-05-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here is another video featuring the Ibis boys...

Kessel Run - Cole and Heavy D from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Brandawg's 1st Mountain Bike Ride

2010-05-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like sitting in a car for 12 hours then stepping out, getting on your bike and riding a trail for the first time. This was BD's first real mountain bike trail. We cannot count Miller's Meadow in Wichita.

Kessel Run is a part of the Book Cliffs trail system. It is all downhill, once you make it up the 2 mile climb, with loads of "S" turns and little rises and descents.

Note to Mike: This is my definition of "fast and flowy"!!!

BD's 1st Ride - Kessel Run from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Sneak Peak

2010-04-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

We played around on the Fruita Loops in the AM and 18 mile in the PM. The video will have to wait until I get back, but here are a few photos until then...

Turkey Mountain

2010-04-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, Evenslower and The Beast headed to Tulsa last week and shot some footage of Turkey Mountain. It looks pretty knarly. Here it is for you viewing pleasure!!!

Turkey Mountain from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Or in HD if your bandwidth can handle it.

Turkey Mountain HD from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Moab 2009

2010-04-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Kokpelli time is rolling around again and I am getting excited. It got me motivated enough to get last years data updated. Ok, it only took me a year, but here is a slideshow and some video of last year's trip.

Fruita, Moab and Kokopelli 2009 from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Getting warmed up for a new season!

2010-03-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

Guess I will not be trying anything like this either...

Hills of Hell

2010-03-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

Here is some video of the pre-ride. The weather was around 50, but windy and cloudy. We rode about 8 miles of the course then headed back 4 miles on the road.

Sunday was rainy and a bit colder, but not bad. A group of us made a wrong turn and cut off about 8 miles of the course ending up only riding 11 to 12 miles. We DQ'd ourselves. I had a fun time, but I wish they would use mountain bike rides to plot out the course next year. I do not mind a hike a bilke here and there, but you never got into any flow on this trail.

Hills of Hell 2010 Pre-ride from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Hills of Hell

2010-03-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

I am working on a video of the pre-ride, but I will leave you with a few pics until I am finished...

We have take off!!!

Is that a billy goat?

Cliff hanger

2 wheel drift

I could of had a V8!!

Meers Burger....mmmmm

Only in Oklahoma

Heading to Hell

2010-03-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

I am heading to Lawton, OK to partake in the Hills of Hell MTB race. Here is a preview of the course...

Click on View Full Screen and then 3D fly by view to see the terrain.

Wish me luck!!!

Just a Little Night Ride

2010-02-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

Went for a little night ride with the homebrew lights. The output was great, but I need to tweak a couple things with the mounts to secure them a bit better.

It was a great night and I had layered just right for a balmy 18 degree ride. One nice slip on the ice had me looking up at the beautiful night stars.

Towards the end of the ride I got stupid and rode hard over a creek which was not "really" frozen. My front tire dropped into the water and I flew ass over tea cup into the bank breaking through the ice with my feet and knees. That made for a cold ride back, but I was so numb I did not even really feel anything. My Garmin was iced over in seconds from the creek water to the point I could not even read the screen. My shifters and brakes froze up too. It was not a real big deal as the rest of the ride went from 356 feet of evelvation to 670 feet. Falling on ice, falling into the creek, messing with the light setup was far better than riding the trainer. I hope to get out again soon!

23 Degrees and Slow!

2010-02-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

Rhett's Run in Powder!!! and yes, ES was walking his bike as fast as I could climb on mine:P

Rhett's Run 23 Degrees from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

For those who love...

2010-02-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

The Lonely Isand Band

I'M on a Bike, B!+@^

Rock Bridge

2010-02-01T04:15:00.001-08:00

Here is another video from a couple months ago.

Rock Bridge from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Rhett's Run

2010-01-31T16:57:00.000-08:00

Better, but I have to buy a package to be able to upload in HD.

Rhett's Run from Donovan Evans on Vimeo.

Rhett's Run

2010-01-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, I finally got a video to load, but I had to dumb it down to like negative 320P or something. It is getting frustrating to try and share quality video. I guess I will just have to have people come over and watch it on my IPHONE.

More Modifications

2010-01-24T16:33:00.001-08:00

So obviously I needed to figure out a way to mount the light to my helmet and handlebars. "The Beast" and I put our heads together over a "Fowler Creek Honey Wheat" and came up with a velcro base which would be interchangeable between the bars and helmet.

Here are some pics:

Here are some beam shots

15 yards

50 yards away

100 yards away and not quite dark yet

DIY Bike Light

2010-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

With "The Beast's" electronic expertise and my raw cutting skilz, I have been working on making some lights for night riding. My plan is one of these on the helmet and 2 more on the handlebars. Can't wait!!!! It is 1 inch tall, 2 inches wide and 1 5/8" deep.

So you can can get a sense of the how compact the light is.

New Addition

2010-01-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

There is a new addition at the Heavy D houshold and her name is Lucy...

Finger Lakes

2009-12-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

I fiddled around and could never get my video to upload. 2 things I hate about You Tube. It degrades the video and you have to use their music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa8xdI3307s

Anway, Mike and I went to Fingers Lakes after work and played around a little. It turned into a night ride by the end of the day.

Beloit Hunt

2009-11-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like heading back to Kansas to meet up with good friends and do a little pheasant hunting. Thanks to Dale, Kathy, Jason, Matt and Mitch for all the hospitality and good times!

The weather was good, the beer was cold and the food was tastey. We saw a good number of pheasants and quite a few quail. I can't wait until we can do it again!

For Your Viewing Plesure

2009-11-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

Where to begin?

2009-11-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have been slacking so I am going to post a mural of memories to get this thing caught up.

Flint Hills Death ride in July was so perfect. 85 miles of gravel on a mountain bike is a test. But between My IT Band flaring up around mile 40 and LR's double leg cramps, I thought we would never make it across the finish line. We did end up making it, but getting old sure does suck. I am still waiting on my jersey.

Tall Oak Challenge (6 hour endurance race Solo 2 and 3 man teams) was a blast. It was fun to see " The Beast" in action every other hour pounding it out on the trail while I was kick'in back with Dr. J soaking up some carbs. LR and I were team Ibis. I was nominated for the Le Mans start, which I was ok with. I got into line with a good group that rode as well and poorly as I do. We stayed together for most the lap until the last 1/4 mile where I flatted. Since I was so close, I just stuck it out and limped in. Lap number 5, I felt strong and was flying because we had been battling against 2 other teams and I was determined to finish ahead them. I got a good lead going into the first half. I put all that I had into it, then as my mind was in a fog and I was climbing up a steep section I tried to shift up one too many times and forced my chain over the rear cassette wedging it between the hub flange and the largest cog. I could not get it out. I pulled and pulled and then gave way to realizing I was going to have to remove my chain. Unlucky for me the master link was the in the portion of the chain that was pinched behind the cog. Now my bike was upside down and I was getting desperate. I draped part of the chain on the cog, pulled like hell and put some muscle on the crank and bam, the chain came free. I got passed by one of the guys I had passed earlier. I rocked it hard and ended up catching him and passing him before hitting the grass field. He was done and just casually riding the last lap. Lucky for me. Now for my proudest moment... I saw in the distance another rider and focused on catching up. Once I got close I realized it was a girl on a single speed riding the 6 hour solo, but I showed no mercy and passed her and never looked back. We finished 6 laps as a duo and minus my mechanicals, I think we had a chance at 7, but we were content with our 6 laps. The Beast had bested us solo, something that was not easy to swallow, but I did:

1) Finish the race before him
2) And never got lapped by him
3) Beat a girl

Nothing else matters! That's my story and I am sticking to it:)

Mo Bike Fed Century was a tune up ride for the Berryman Epic. I figured if I could do a 100 on the rode, then 50 on the trail would be easy. Actually, I set out to just ride 65 but when Evenslower and I had to make the final choice between the 2, we took the 100 mile turn on the course. That was probably my biggest mistake of the year. About mile 50 something, my IT Band started flaring up again. It really began to hamper me and I really thought about calling for a SAG Wagon. Evenslower had some Advil and that really helped. Even though I struggled in the middle I finished strong. It left me with 7 days to try and rehab my injury. I iced, stretched and prayed every day.

Berryman Epic broke me physically and mentally. I am still recovering even a month afterwards. But what a good time. Good friends, beautiful weather and sweet single track. Notice I did not say fast and flowy. Sections of the trail were very wet and muddy which sucked the life out of me. 55 miles , 6000 feet of climbing and 8 hours 55 minutes later it was over. LR and I struggled on this one. My IT Band was hurting after about 15 miles in and it must have been contagious as my other knee began to hurt after about mile 20. LR was in serious pain and like at the Death Ride, I began to think we would not finish. I only had one goal going into the day and that was to beat my nemesis "Daisy". But on the gravel before hitting the highway, LR and I stopped to refuel and Daisy and Clink passed us. By the time we hit the Berryman camp site for the second time, Daisy was heading out. I grabbed some Halloween candy and some Perpetuem and headed out. LR was really beginning to struggle and I had to make a hard choice, hang back and finish with him or try and make up the time and catch Daisy. Sorry LR.

I knew I could not beat Daisy on the climbs, so I really let it out on the down hills. They do not call me Heavy D for nothing! I finally caught her, but I was tapped and then some, yet I pushed on. She would pass me on the climbs and I would pass her back on the descents. We yo-yo'd like that for quite a while. We stopped together at the last SAG. Then it was time to go. As I discovered, there was not much downhill left. During the last climb up to the gravel road, I knew I was in trouble. Fatigued and hurting I dismounted and walked the climb. I kept looking back to see if Daisy has started the climb. When I got about half way up, she turned the corner and began the climb. I told myself I would wait until she caught me, then rested, I would hop on and follow her to the finish. She blew by me and I never saw her again until the I made it to the beer truck....ha-ha. With 5 miles left she finished 20 minutes or more ahead of me.

She is a worthy adversary! Maybe next year!!!

LR did make the finish line and took the coveted Lanterne Rouge award, winning him his new nickname "LR".

I am still trying to get my knees right. I hope I can figure it out before I have to start seriously training for Hills of Hell.

State Championship

2009-06-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

Rhett's Run

With my wrists being hurt, I decided to take a break from riding and try and heal a bit. But after losing my will power to a Thursday night ride at Cosmo Park, I was easily talked into signing up for the Midwest Fat Tire Series State Championships featuring Rhett's Run in good ole Columbia, MO.

The morning started out with Thunderstorms and lightening passing through until about 10 am. The course was wet and muddy. I was much slower than I was on Thursday, but i still managed to sqeak out a 3rd place finish in the Beginner - Over the Hill category. I rode to my potential so that was all that mattered.

I finished as muddy as my bike...now that's fun!!!!

Evenslower and the Beast rode as well and I got a few video clips of the "Pit" girls doing their thing.

Better than Expected

2009-05-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

We rolled into Fruita on a Monday evening with just enough time to drop our things off at the hotel and sneak in a quick ride before dark along 18 Road. Once we got there we decided we would do Joe's Ridge. The single track had us climbing right off the bat. My legs really did not want to respond after the long car ride, but the excitement of being in this wonderful part of the country overshadowed any physical discomfort I was feeling.

A wrong turn or 2 later we found ourselves not on Joe's Ridge but on Zippedee, the expert trail. No problem, we can do this. Pretty much the entire trail was set up as a knife with sharp drop offs on both sides of the trail. Here is a picture to better describe it.

We all stopped before a rather steep descent with a rather steep ascent right after. I asked what do we do now? Cole said, just point her downhill and go. I did. Instantly I went for zero to 21.9 miles an hour, a second later I hit the transition and carried that speed up the other side. I could see a part of the trail maybe a 100 yards away, so I thought the trail over this hill went straight. I could not have been more wrong, it jogged to the left. As I crested the hill with more speed than I should have, I had a split second decision. Do I try and hold it together and ride my bike off the knife and plummet down the side of the mountain or should I ditch the bike and try to grab onto Mother Earth and remain on the knife. I chose option #2. As my tires landed into the overly soft dirt, I grabbed a handful of front brake, let the bike dig in beneath me and did my best impression of Superman or was it Super Idiot? Anyways, I would typically attempt to roll with the fall, however that would have me cascading 200 feet down a steep hill. I used the 3 prong attack and jammed both hands and my head into the ground for traction. Poof!!! All Cole and Jason could see was a cloud of dirt and my bike sailing through the air. It took a few minutes for me to recover. I have had wrist problems all year and now both of them hurt equally bad.

Needless to say, the "women" I came with walked their bikes down and up the hill and came to see if I was OK. I said you're not going to try that??? They laughed. Getting back on my bike and feeling the all too familiar pain in my wrist and the crick in my neck had me concerned if I would be able to ride the next day.

After an evening of food, beer and ice, I awoke relieved knowing I did not need a halo and 2 casts.

We drove to Moab that morning to ride some trails there. We chose Amasa Back. It is a sweet out and back single track just outside Moab. I can say, this is the most fun I have had working through a trail. We took our time, enjoyed the view and chatted about the awesomeness of this area. Once we made it to the top, the view was just amazing. You could see for miles down into the valley below. The trail was made up of deep sand, baby heads, dirt and slick rock. It made for interesting and challenging riding. The descent was just as much fun as the climb up.

You can check out photos from the links below:

http://www.pbase.com/dondo576/cole__moab
http://www.pbase.com/dondo576/donovan_moab
http://www.pbase.com/dondo576/jason_moab

It was the craziest thing seeing the homes that people had built in the side of a rock cliff as we left the trail head. I could not blame them and it made me appreciate the things I have in life.

**ADD VIDEO HERE**

We headed over to Slick Rock. The winds were picking up and blowing about 25 miles an hour when we arrived. Slick Rock is a 12.7 mile loop so we were figuring on 2 hours to ride it. The sign we read at the trail head made us reconsider.

We ended up doing the practice loop to make sure we were not in over our heads. After riding the practice loop, I could not figure out why they call it slick rock. My tires stuck like glue and I and sure if I had fallen, my skin would have too!

Where Do I Start?

2009-04-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

We have ridden in Fruita and Moab over the last 3 days. I will post more when I get back from the Kokopelli ride. I will leave you with some photos until then.

T Minus - One Week

2009-04-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

6 months and 800 miles of training (mostly winter miles) later and there is only one week to go before my epic ride. Part of me feels ready and another part thinks I need another year of miles under my belt. I have been diligent in my training, so live or die, I will be comforted that I came prepared.

First, I travel to Colorado/Utah for a little mountain biking with friends for a couple of days. We have talked about doing Amasa Back, Joe's Ridge, Zippity Doo Da and maybe Baby Steps. It's a vacation, so I will just go with the flow and throw the whole schedule thing out the window.

After putzing around for a few days, Cole and I will head out for a 3 day ride on the Kokopelli Trail that will cover 150 miles and 18,000 feet of elevation gain from Fruita, Colorado to Moab, Utah.

I spent part of my weekend getting things organized and cleaning "the bike" in preparation.

A new cassette and a bash guard finishes off the bike bling just in time for the epic ride...

Race Day...continued

2009-03-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

One of my peers told me, if nothing else, I had to visit a place called Meers while I was in Lawton. So after our practice ride, we decided to go find this place. A couple of guys that worked at the hotel knew where the place was.

"Just go this way for 13 miles. You can't miss it!" one of the guys told us.

Another guy piped in with a thick Okie from Muskogee drawl, "They have boogers as big as my head...and I have a BIG head!"

Ok we were sold. Did you know a GPS does not do you any good if you can not spell the name of the place you want to go...Mirrors, nothing...Miers, nothing....Meirs, nothing. Good thing we had a 3G signal and an IPhone...Google----> Lawton, OK best burgers in the world http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=lawton%2C+ok+best+burgers+in+the+world&aq=f&oq=

This place is in the middle of nowhere, with dilapidated buildings all around you, but you know what? These are the best F'ing burgers in the world, no kidding.

This place was amazing, they made their own unfiltered wheat beer, homemade ice cream and a burger...you guessed it, the size of my head...and I have a big head!!!

The race was a blast. It was only half the distance as advertised, but I got to see some pretty wild things along the way. First off all 200+ riders were gathered for a mass start. As people fought to get to the group that was riding their speed, the first climb began. In true Heavy D fashion, I stuck to the back tire of the girl that was in front of me and started climbing. At one point, my back wheel kicked out on some loose rock and I took a rider out behind me (Sorry Cole) but I stayed up and kept pedaling. We went down a short hill and then started the mother of all climbs. My goal was to get half way up it, maybe even three quarters if I felt sassy. I fell way short when the girl I was behind wiped out and I had to stop. The hill was so steep, I could not get back on and pedal, so I walked and walked and walked.

Once at the top, there was a a fast downhill with several little drops. I let her all out and was flying, when I saw a downed rider, dammit another girl was ahead of me!!! She was lying in the middle of the trail on her back and looking dazed. Her bike was another 10 feet down the hill, so I knew she had fell hard. That was the least of her worries as about 150 people were cresting the hill and plowing towards her. I managed to veer left and get around her and a did not dare to look back as I had a feeling it would get ugly.

I saw several riders frantically fixing flats as I trudged on, concentrating on breathing as I tried to find a rhythm. Riders ahead of me kept jumping off their bikers to get through tough technical parts, creating a log jam. I just passed who I could and kept aiming for the next rear tire and hanging on until I could pass again.

I was following a rider that was pulling me along just outside my own comfort level. This was good as I knew it was a short race and I was going to have to suffer if I wanted to make a good showing. After about 10 minutes we began another short climb and all of a sudden the guy in front of me pedaled his crank right off the bottom bracket. It was still clipped into his shoe, just dangling there. I heard him say WTF as I passed him.

Most of the racers were really courteous and encouraged you to push harder as you passed them. I wound up falling behind 2 numb nuts who could not climb, but would not let me pass, forcing me off my bike. It took a bit of time to get around them as we were on a very technical part of the trial. I had to bomb down a hill just outside my ability to really control what was happening just to get around them. I looked down and my knuckles were white from the death grip I had on the handle bars. I told myself to relax and find a good pace just short of death the rest of the way in.

At one point I heard a couple kids sitting on a rock yell, your number 67 keeping going!. That is just what I did. As I came down the last hill back to the 1/4 mile stretch of pavement to the finish line, I set my sites on a rider about 300 yards ahead of me and hammered on the pedals. I did not catch him, but ended up only 2 seconds behind him.

I did not realize it until after they overall was posted, but there was a rider on my six trying to take me at the same time. He finished 1 second behind me.

I ended up taking 57th overall, getting beat by a girl by several minutes and loving every second of it. We met some guys from Tulsa that rode the whole thing on single speeds and finished 23rd to 29th ahead of us. Pretty amazing!!!

The Tulsa Boys

Cole Jason and I

Oh, I finished 14th in my class. I have room to improve:)

Race Day

2009-03-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

Well the Hills of Hell cometh and goeth, but the memories will remain. Cole, Jason and I met early Saturday morning and drove to Lawton, OK.

Seeing the mountains in the distance always makes me feel like I am entering a different world. You have to remember I am born and raised in Kansas, so seeing anything but a flat piece of farmland is exciting.

We went for a pre-ride to scope out the track. On the first climb, Cole and I realized we needed more meat on our tires. The Larson TT's we were running could not bite the loose rocky soil on the steep climb. We dealt with it, but knew we had to make some changes once we got back to the hotel.

The ride was pretty awesome. we were surrounded by granite rock and in typical Heavy D fashioin I excuted yet another flawless turtle back maneuver. Jason had not had an opportunity see it up close and personal. I think he was impressed.

If you do not know what that is, I do not blame you. It is my signature move to protect my bike when I crash... Here is an example.

Well we followed the orange arrows for the most part which mapped out the race course. We took a power bar break at the top to enjoy the scenery or was it really to catch our breath?

Here is Cole and Jason with their bikes. Is Jason making a statement with his larger wheels?

We continued on the course, climbing and decending, working through some pretty technical terrain. There is always that perfect balance between hard and too hard. Most of the course was challenging, but some of it we found just not rideable. I am sure that speaks of our lack of skill, but hey we are just weekend warriors anyways.

more to come tomorrow....

Good from Bad

2009-03-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

There is not much to look forward to when your job asks you to go review 30,000 plus letters. But I am telling you, it could have been worse.

Every now and again you get lucky to run across a person who is exceptional in more than one way and you are lucky to call them a friend.

It is almost unheard of running across a group of people that have that kind of an impact on your life, but I was lucky enough experience it.

Here is to my new found friends...I wish you well and stay in touch!!! Letters suck, but you don't!!!!

Nothing but Mud!

2009-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

This took a while to get clean

Mud Fest

2009-02-08T19:58:00.001-08:00

I had high hopes of a wonderful weekend of mountain biking which started on Friday. I went to Rock Bridge with John to get in a little workout. I did not know what I was in store for, but i soon realized when a rider came off the trail and was bunny hooping his bike to knock the mud off.

We asked how the trails were and he said, a little muddy on the flats, but the inclines are good. What a lie. We rode up the bench cut incline and sailed down the single track into the bog that was once a trail. The "Freeze-Thaw" effect is pretty amazing. It was like pedaling through wet concrete. We only lasted an hour before we were so fed up that we left. I did discover my new favorite climb that will help me with not only my stamina, but my technical ability too.

So after being out of town for 2 weeks, I spent all day Saturday with the kids. I could not help but wonder if the trails had dried out a bit. After talking to the "Beast" later in the day, he informed me they were still crap. Who the heck made the call to open up Rockbride?

So Sunday arrives and I drive to Landahl Park to meet Cole and Jason for a little riding. I am pleasantly surprised to find 6 other cars in the lot when i got there at 9 am. A jogger was just getting back to the parking lot and said the trails were OK. Being once bitten and twice shy, I decided to look for myself while I waited for my buds to arrive. The trail looked nice. I went maybe 50 to 75 yards into the trial system was very excited for today's ride.

Once suited up, the 3 of us headed in. Swoosh, into a turn, swish over a rock and plop into mud. The trail suddenly changed from tacky to wacky as we entered into the bottoms. The mud acted like a leaf vacuum and picked up every leaf on the trail. Soon my derailleur was jumped up with mud and both my tires looked like a rolling pile of leaves. Cole and I had to stop many times to clean the mud, sticks and leaves out of the rear tire and the frame. I felt like I was riding with the emergency brake on. At one point my chain sucked and had to remove the chain to fix it.

We ran across another biker heading in the opposite direction. he said the trails were fine once you leave the bottoms. So we headed on. From previous experience, and one wrong turn, we ended up riding everything we had ridden before backwards and it all felt uphill. But we kept riding and soon left the mud. We cleared Root Canal, Rim Job, Mike's Tantrum, Swedish Erotica, Gun Barrel, Turkey Poop, Little Moab and Death Drop (Which I am pretty certain that is where I did my endo).

By the time we made it back to camp, thank god for the Garmin, we were all ready for a beer and some cooked beef.

The day did not live up to the expectations, but I think I got a better workout then if it had been pristine conditions. I never regret hooking up with friends and having a fun time.

After a Week of This!!

2009-02-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

Having to review 35,000 letters in 2 weeks is bad enough, but to have to accomplish this in

Bloomington, IL makes it even worse. With snow in the forecast and the temperatures in the single digits and low teens, the trainer was my only option to continuing to train for Kokopelli.

Pedaling in a hotel room really puts a damper on the fun.

With the arrival of the weekend, I did manage to get out in 27 degree weather and ride in 4 inch deep snow. What a work out. It tested both my endurance and my balance, trying to navigate the snow. Comlara park is located north of Bloomington by Evergreen Lake. I parked next to a cornfield and the wind was blowing at a steady 30 miles an hour. The snow was crusty in areas and as long as I stayed on top, it was not so bad. As I plowed deeper into the trail system, I found myself trudging through 4 inch deep snow and struggling to keep my balance as I bounced between ruts. After 3 miles, I decided that I might want to turn and head back as I was quickly running out of gas as there was no roll to the ground and I had to work for every foot I adventured. My tires were nice and clean by the time I got back to the car though:)

One and Done

2009-01-24T18:55:00.001-08:00

This was the tire I had intended to have on my front wheel during the Kokopelli ride, the S-Works Eskar 2.35 2Bliss.

I took it for a test ride at Grindstone Park. About an hour into the ride on a gnarly steep decent, we stopped at the bottom to recount the run, when someone said, hey you have a flat.

Needless to say after using a mini pump viciously to get the beads to hook up again, all you could hear was the lovely sound of psssssssssshhhhh.

The sidewall was trashed, so we threw in a tube and went on like no body's business. It's a real shame, because i really liked how the tire hooked up with the trail and it really rolled well.

Maybe I will test it's brother the Armadillo Eskar.

Hills of Hell

2009-01-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

After much deliberating, I have decided to register for the Hills of Hell race in Lawton, OK on March 8th. The course is just about 18 miles in length made of very steep and rocky single track.

The scary part for me is the mass start. In the past they have had upwards of 400 participants of all skill levels on all sorts of equipment. The is a recipe for disaster just waiting to happen, especially if you have my skills and luck. If I survive the start, this race will focus on my extreme weakness, climbing. They do not call me Heavy D for nothing.

One article described the ride like this...

The Hills of Hell takes place on Fort Sill, Oklahoma's rugged granite slopes. Better known as the stomping grounds for the great Comanche Chief Quannah Parker and Apache Chief Geronimo and the notorious James Brothers, the Wichita Mountains provide the perfect setting for the world's #1 sport.

With craggy, gut-wrenching climbs, house-sized rocks, wet-your-pants downhills, and spiders as big as your hand, there's nothing mild about this ride. While the distance may seem a bit short for many experts, the difficulty factor ensures that nobody finishes begging for more.

I found a few photos from past rides that might give it just a little perspective:

New and Improved

2009-01-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been doing a little surgery to the Mojo to get it race ready.

Ceramic Bottom Bracket - Smooth as butter!

At "The Beasts'" Shop we began to dismantle the old bottom bracket

Then came the rebuilding. Very pretty!!!

The difference in force needed to turn the cranks makes me think I had a lemon for a bottom bracket or maybe ceramic is just slicker than Owl shiat.

Of course what really made it all worth it was partaking in some "Almost Infamous" Fowler Creek Nut Brown home brewage after the operation. Thanks for the assistance MB1!

I added a new stem, seat post and some carbon bars for lightness.

Now I am in the market to acquire some serious skilz and I should be all set!!

Time to Get Serious

2009-01-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

It's official!! Cole and I are signedup for the Kokpelli ride. 150 miles along the Colorado river from Fuita, CO to Moab, UT in 3 days time and 15,000+ evelation gain.

So I am cutting back on this:

And doing more of this:

So I can do this!!!

Bikerpelli Ride Schedule

(Ride times are for an average strong rider and are actual pedaling times, not including rests, stops, etc.)

Day 1
• Loma to Rabbit Valley Sag 3:30 avg ride time/22 miles
o technically tough, mostly single track
• Rabbit Valley to Westwater Camp (Bitter Creek camp) 1:45 avg ride time/12 miles
o Much easier terrain
o OPTION – Western Rim trail - Lots of sweeping singletrack, considerably longer

Day 2
• Westwater camp to Sag 1 (Hwy 128/Yellowjacket Canyon) 3:00/36 mi
o easy terrain, lots of fast miles

• Sag 1 to sag 2 (Dewey Bridge)
o via YJC (fairly challenging after 36 mile morning) 1:40/10 mi
o Via hwy 128 0:10/4 mi

• Sag 2 to Fisher Valley camp
o Via Entrada Bluffs Rd - riding the whole thing 4:30/18 mi
o Via shuttle to Cottonwood Canyon 2:45/13 mi
(eliminates 1000’ up along Entrada Bluffs Rd)

Day 3
• Fisher Valley to Rock Castle sag 3:15/17 mi
o Long, sustained climb. Technically moderate.
• Rock Castle aid station to final summit (La Sal Loop Rd)
o Via pedal power 1:00/6 mi
Granny gear paved climb, not hard at all
o Via shuttle to top 15 min
Why not? It’s a paved climb, nothing new here
• Summit to Moab
o Via Sand Flats Rd 1:30/22 mi
Casual traditional finish past Slickrock Trail
o Via Porcupine Rim 2:45/ ~25 mi
Some of the best technical singletrack in the country.
It will beat you silly.

Total for trip ~143.5 miles 15,124 elevation gain (no shuttles or alternate routes)

I wanna go!!!

2009-01-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

"http://www.youtube.com/v/Iof7QJmjhts&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1">

The Holidays

2009-01-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

My trip back to Wichita was very busy, getting together with family and friends celebrating Christmas and New Years. even though there was not a great deal of free time, I did get an opportunity to go ride with a couple of friends.

On Tuesday, we set out for Arkansas City to ride on the Horizon trail. Jason led the way on his 29'er which was cool to see in action. The trail made a 9 mile loop up and down the side of a large ravine. Parts of the trail were very technical and I found myself getting off and on my bike many times. Large steep and rocky climbs with plenty of step ups prevented me (due to my lack of ability and fitness and fear for my bike frame) from navigating it under pedal power. It really did not matter to me as I was very happy to be with friends and enjoying the 50 degree weather. We came upon "Cardiac" hill and I must say I was impressed with Cole's climbing ability. He set the bar by being able to ride it all the way to the top. I petered out about 100 yards shy of the summit (can I really use the word summit in Kansas?) and walked up the rest of the way.

Jason's 29'er was set up as a 1X9. He definitely got a great workout with all the steep climbs that day. He will be much more the man when he finally gets back on his 26". I was really impressed with how the 29'er handled the flowing portion of the track. It cornered well and ate up the trail in the parts where it opened up and let you get some repetitions on the pedals.

I think I was the only person to have a substantial fall that day, go figure. My ankle bone landed squarely on a rock and broke, not my bone, although for about 10 seconds it sure felt like it, but my ratchet buckle on my right shoe. I was able to get it to click in, but I could not tighten it down. The local bike shop was able to get me a replacement buckle the next day.

We met up again on Thursday morning around 6:30 am. You know the morning after a New Years evening of eating and drinking. We departed Wichita in 32 degree weather headed for Stillwater, OK. Cole, Jason or I had never been to McMurtry Lake, but the web write ups said it was a nice trail system. Although it felt cold getting out of the truck, we quickly realized we were over dressed and started to peel off layers. The temperature, around 55 degrees was absolutely perfect.

I was impressed with the 2 trails we rode. They flowed really well and had some decent technical areas, but not so tricked up the average Joe could not ride. Unfortunately for Jason, brake problems prevented him from being really aggressive, but I still think he had a good time. I can not wait to see the Titus in action next time we get together!

Here is Jason on his 29'er

Here is Cole getting some air!

Here is Cole working the camera...stick to riding bro!!!

Can you say DA?

2008-12-20T07:56:00.000-08:00

Click on the Title and see for yourself.

What is he thinking?

2008-12-14T18:49:00.000-08:00

I am trying to plan my year's worth of rides/races. I use the word "race" very loosely. They don't call me Heavy D for nothing.

I am planning on doing the Hills of Hell/12 miles of Hell in Lawton, OK the weekend of March 7&8 to gear up for my Kokopeli ride in late April. I definitely want to do the Flint Hills Death Ride which should be mid July.

I highlighted the 4 races closest to Columbia that I will try and hit as well. Are there any other rides you guys are looking at?

2009 Provisional Schedule

March 8 - Oz Epic, Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Kaiser, MO
March 22 - Lost Valley, St. Charles, MO
March 29 - Rim Wrecker, Council Bluff Lake Recreation Area, Potosi, MO
April 19 - Le Tour de Tick, Neosho, MO
May 9 - Castlewood Challenge, Castlewood State Park, St. Louis, MO
June 7 - Rhett's Run, Cosmo Park, Columbia, MO
June 21 - St. Joes State Park, Farmington, MO
July 12 - OMBA Caramba, Sac River Trails, Springfield, MO
July 26 - Show-Me State Games, Rock Bridge State Park, Columbia, MO
August 9 - Spanish Lake, Spanish Lake, MO
August 23 - Cape Race, Cape Girardeau, MO
September 5 - Binder Lake 6-Hour, Jefferson City, MO
September 12 - Castlewood ICCC, Castlewood State Park, St. Louis, MO
September 27 - Greensfelder, Eureka, MO
October 24/25 - Berryman Epic Tour/Race, Steelville, MO

The Christening of JJ

2008-12-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

Although I am not sure if John has landed on a name or not for his new addition to the family, I like to think of it as Josh Jr. of JJ.

We had a window of opportunity, so John and I went to Cosmo Park to stretch our legs and give the new bike a test ride.

Here is a video of the Triple "J" threat!!!!

Dude Look at the Penalty for Failure

2008-12-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

If I ever hear these words, I will know what to do.

Hint: Click on the title

Beatting the Snow

2008-11-29T19:12:00.000-08:00

Mike and I hooked up for a mid-moring ride at Rock Bridge. I can tell I am making some progress, but I have so far to go to get back in the form I was in 18 years ago and to be ready for the Kokopelli Ride in Arpil.

We rode for a little over 2 hours and I had a blast. Mike just followed me around and I am sure saying to him self, "D" you really took an ugly line there; one of these days maybe you will learn how to climb; and on and on. I reached a new heart rate max today 183 bpm and I lived to tell about it.

The sad thing is I really felt like I rode well today. I went the entire flat loop without using the brake. No major spills. Well except for the one where I was not moving, clicked my cleat in and then fell completely over in slow motion. I even hopped some trouble on the trail and had my flow going.

Here are some shots of Mike and I playing around:

There is no thing as the Great Prumpkin, Charlie Brown!

After making Mike jump that log 3 times before I could get a decent photo of him, I think I was able to sky him. I guess I am as good at photography as I am at biking. Takes a few tries, but i finally get it!

Mike tested a small but steep side trail and made it look easy. I lined up for it, but then said no. Maybe another day.

Watch the video:

Notice the "Pro" kick out at the end.

By the time I got home, it started to mist and rain and eventually turned to snow...We will have to see what tomorrow brings....

Front Deraileur

2008-11-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

This post will hopefully help my buddy when attempting to change his deraileur. You see he is the proud owner of an Ibis Mojo too!!!

Ibis - Day 1

2008-11-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

Well after taking a short layoff (18 or so years) I have gotten back into mountain biking. After going out and buying a Trek hard tail, I gained an appreciation for how much mountain biking and the trails have changed over the years, not to mention my body and my so called skills.

It did not take me long to decide I need a full suspension bike, but there have been so many advancemments in 20 years. I had to do some homework and decide what was important to me.

I finally settled on an Ibis frame with Fox suspension. The DW Link is the bomb! Built up some Stan's ZTR 355s and finished it off with SRAM x-9 coupled with an XT crank. This is a smooth bike and it weighed in at 25.5 pounds. That is 4 pounds lighter than my hard tail.

My first trail ride with the new bike was at Landahl Park ( My new favortie place to visit).

I even made a little video of "the Guys" having some fun!!!

Happy Thanks Giving and see ya on the trails!!!