Crossroads Cyclery

Pics From Syllamo

2011-06-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Blowing out the pipes

2011-06-24T04:52:00.000-07:00

The Thursday Night Momentum road ride to St. Paul is a great ride to sit in on and 'blow out the pipes'. Wind was a factor and the pace was near the top off the bat. I was popped off the back as we rolled past the church in St. Paul on the way out to Flatwoods. I can usually hold on until Flatwoods, but not tonight. By the time we took the right heading to Highway Y I was a quarter mile back and decided to slow up and work with a couple of guys in the wind. We took turns pulling and mashed out the rest of the course back and re-grouped in St. Paul. The pace of the ride keeps you on the rivet. I can't sustain that level of HR on a mountain bike ride. HR levels were close or the same as a 3 hr MTB race. And going fast is so much fun. Thanks to the roadies for letting a couple of MTBers sit in.

Fun on Terry Road

2011-06-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Feel like expanding the lungs? How about getting rid of the lactic acid you have laying around? For anyone out there looking for a good cross ride I would like to suggest Terry Road. I forgot how long of a climb it was. Last night was the first time that I have ridden Terry since it was paved. You can take Terry to Duke, left on Duke and drop down Schlursberg (spelling?), and do some fun hill repeats. Then take Duke to F up the old Calloway Fork to D over to Bromm Park and then take the Busch Wildlife cut-thru back towards the mound. Your legs will feel the burn. Until next time....Cheers

A Hike in the Woods

2011-02-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

Hiked in some woods near the house last Saturday. A great day to be out. Temps were below freezing and the snow crunched peacefully underfoot. I hiked up on a resting deer and spooked it from about 20 feet away. One big snort at me and it was gone. I need to throw in some big Ozark hikes this spring and slow down a bit and enjoy the woods for what they are worth.

An End to Summer

2010-09-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

Summer has come to end as of yesterday. I am both sad to see it coming to a close and happy at the same time. The days are getting shorter which means riding with lights and soon the cooler weather will be pleasant. The summer did not meet the expectations that I set forth this spring. Spring was going well. Fitness was at a new level. Racing was going well, I felt I was getting better with each race. Then in late June I crashed viciously at Greensfelder almost leaving me unconscious. The next four weeks I scarcely touched the bike. The crash had sent my fitness and confidence, especially downhill confidence, in the crapper. By late July I was back riding a couple of time a week and decided to make a new debut at Rapture In Misery. This 6hr race had been on my mind since last year. First place last year left me wanting to defend. This trip to Trenton now turned into survival. Goal: Ride all 6hrs and finish. I did that with much pain and cramping in the legs. I cramped off and on for almost 5 hrs that day but stay determined enough to finish.

6hrs in the book and I was cooked. St. Louis racers had a good showing. Z and Busken came in first and second in the 12 hours solo competition with Mashor being 3rd.

The next race I went for was the Jeff City Single Speed race at Binder Lake. I was the first guy who signed up that actually brought beer. I joked with the promoters about having a class for back of the fast pack or solo rider. I find myself always riding alone in races like these. Not fast enough to keep up with the fast pack, but faster than the not-so-fast group. So I signed up for not-so-fast. I took first place by a couple of minutes and finished somewhere in the top twenty overall. It was a fun day on the bike and good practice for the Tall Oak 6hr that would be held at the same venue Labor Day weekend.

Feeling better, I set my goal on Tall Oak 6hr as a chance to get through a race and not cramp. Overall, things went well and I spent a great deal of time on the bike and only felt like I was going to cramp near the end. Todd Holtman pulled me through the last couple of laps when my mind was starting to give out on me. I owe him a big thanks for that. I think I finished around 12th out of 30 or so. My times were almost identical to last years times and the lap count was the same. I came to the conclusion that I was at the same point fitness wise as last year. I am finally catching back up after my summer crash.

Time has been spent recently on the Ozark Trail and at Council Bluff Lake. The ICCC race is being held this weekend and Burning at The Bluff will be on the 9th of October, followed by The Berryman Epic. The season is coming to an end soon. My season has not gone as planned but that is life. Injury and all around bad luck are part of the sport. I just keep riding my bikes knowing that I would rather not be doing anything else. Here are a few random pics from the summer.

State Mtb Race

2010-06-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

The location was Castlewood State Park. The class was marathon. State Champion jerseys were on the line. The finish, unknown. I do know that I finished somewhere near the back of the pack. I was lapped by at least five riders. It was nice to think the timing chip thing would go off without a hitch, but that is technology for you.

Arriving at CW around 8:30 I got out of the car to feel that the heat was already settling in for the day. I was already sweating just pulling the bike off the roof rack. Quickly, Brian Busken and I sat up the team canopy and registered. We decided to do a warm up by riding up Love trail to get loose and shake down the bike. Stitz came along and everyone worked out the kinks. Everthing seemed to be in working order. All lathered up, I decieded to settle under the canopy and concentrate on staying cool. Busken took a trip up Lone Wolf to give his bike the final shakedown on the steep ascent to River Scene Trail.

Satisfied with my preride I took my place on the starting line at the bottom of Lone Wolf. The official gave the countdown and off we went. Well, sort of. Off everyone else went while my gears mashed away in the moist morning air. Gears 2x6/7/8 all of a sudden created chain suck and then a switch to 9 put my chain in the spokes. Time to dismount and yank the chain out of the spokes. During all this the beginner race had started and I had to get out of the way so they could make their way up Lone Wolf. I put the bike in 2x5 and stood pretty much the rest of the climb, passing the beginners, taking a rough line to get around them. I had to ride the first lap under the same conditions, standing on any slight incline. I was not prepared to push so hard so early and found my heart rate pounding near 180 for most the lap, way up in the red zone.

Pitting on my second time through the start/finish area I grabbed a Dos Equis and tried to cool down. I thought about quitting, but changed my mind and just decided to have fun and finish the race. I was so far back I knew I had no chance to be competitive. Caleb adjusted my high/lows and half a XX later I was back on the trail, riding for pride and fun.

It was a hard day on the bike. The heat was near unbearable but I made the most of the last couple of laps, even cracking a smile or two here and there. I cheered some riders on and chatted with others. This was my second race of the year, not counting the non-race. I guess I am satisified with the results, finishing that is. I came close to blowing up the first lap while trying to catch the marathon field and think without the mechanical I would have had a more respectable ride. Legs felt okay, but the heat nearly brought my head to a boil. I usually don't mind the heat but that was something else. I think I even overheard someone say they saw the devil looking for a glass of water out there. This week is Lost Valley and the forecast is more heat. I guess I better suck it up and get used to it.

St. Joe Leabbelt XC

2010-03-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

The first race of the year began in typical fashion. Rain, mud, and cold temps. The moisture misted down all morning. By race time the sun had poked out just enough to bring up some rumblings from the start finish line and then quickly disappeared. I lined up for my first Single Speed sport race. I had done one six hour race on a single speed last year. Binder Lake is a great spot to ride a single speed.

So the gun sounded and we were off. The guy who took off in the lead took a horrible line through some trees and we were all zigging and zagging trying to not hit trees and each other. Why he did not lead up the road and then drop in at the trail I will never know. I believe I hit the woods in 3rd, but most likely 4th. The pace was high and the trail was a bog. Two DRJ guys set the pace and I hung on bitterly for the first 3 miles. The mud was too much. I looked down at my heart rate and was pushing 180. I had burned so many matches keeping up through the first two miles of mud I had to reel it in a bit. Two guys passed me at this point.

The next couple of miles things got better. The feeling of puking on my handlebars started to subside and the trail was getting into some rockier conditions. In fact when the guys in front of me hit the rocky soil before me, I could hear them war-hooping up ahead. Screams of joy quickly turned into concern for another rider.

I caught up to Loreen Mattson, an expert women challenger, and was following her for a bit of downhill. She knows how to handle a bike in these conditions. Loreen hit a dip and I am not sure if she hit a rock or just washed the tire out and went down hard. I could see two trees about baseball bat size smack her in the upper chest and near the head. I was truly concerned having seen it all from behind. Staying with her until she regained her senses may have put me out of a third or fourth place, but I am not here to win championships and hope that someone would stop to see if I was okay if I was in her situation. She hit those trees so hard that her visor flew off her helmet. I was glad to see she got up and rode on and placed second in her category.

The race became more of a ride for me at this point. First lap was finished and I could still see some of my challengers in the woods ahead of me. I did not have the desire at this point to chase so I just throttled things back knowing that if I suffered through 3 more miles of mud I could enjoy the last half of the course. There were so many back and forth creek crossings, a ride through a culvert, and some dippidy-doos to be had on the second half of the course. Mike Barro asked me how the race went, I told him "I was only a few minutes off the pace the first lap." Then he asked about the second lap. I said, "More of a nature ride, Mike." He just laughed.

Caleb Hulsey put in a good show for Momentum, winning Sport 20-29 while Brian Busken ripped out three laps using "The Swede's" training principles. Barro won expert in his age class, racing against himself. Not a bad day, considering. We wrapped up the evening by heading the CB Joe's BBQ near St. Francis State Park. Good BBQ and BIG portions. Overall, I have nothing to complain about. 6TH place in my first SS race. I know my form is not there yet and this was a good gauge to see where I am. Lost Valley is the next test.

Indian Camp Creek

2010-01-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

The heat wave set in today so a I met a few friends out at the Creek to break in some trail. The group consisted of Brian Busken, Chris Dial, Matt Keeven, Christian Stitz, Keith Weinkein, and your truly. Stitz broke trail on the new section as we all followed and made our way to the first fork in the road. We chose left, or I should say, Stitz chose left with Keeven and Busken following. I thought, ouch. The snow was flying and as we rounded one corner Busken's rear end washed out and down he went. As he lied there laughing in the snow I zipped to the left and snapped off a limb of a tree, almost whacking the trunk with my shoulder. We regrouped at the top of the hill I noticed that the trail was rerouted. Into the woods and down to the street. This next section had already had some wheels on it so it made for a more flowy, fast ride. Busting out onto the field I was feeling it a bit, but remembering the cedars up ahead pumped my blood up. Weinkein turned on the camera and shot some footage. I hope it turns out so we can put it up on here. After the last downhill and through some flats we pop out on the park road. Feeling cooked but not overdone, we turned around and did it all in reverse. Snow and a receding sun made for ten miles in some great conditions with some great guys. A cold sunday riding in January could not have turned out any better. Happy New Year and the best wishes to all in 2010.

Middlefork Ozark Trail

2009-12-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was a day to remember. The trail was in pristine condition. The snow fall rested on the leaves. The temps were cold but not unberable. Working any harder than I did would have made me sweat. A December day in the Mark Twain Forest could not have been any nicer.

Brian Busken and I rode to one spot with a nice waterfall. You can almost see it in the background.

Been Awhile

2009-11-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

Has it been that long? I guess I have forgotten my blog and left no time for reflection and other non-sensical things....

Burning at The Bluff turned out to be a great weekend of cycling and beer drinking. I performed much better at the beer drinking than I did the cycling. With the help of the most interesting man in the world and a few co-harts from Momentum we were able to successfully hammer back many a double X.

With the Most Interesting Man keeping an eye on things, Busken took the Bluff as a 12 hour soloist. Some are just here for the pain and the beer is extra. Busken is one of those types. Weinkein, Sarantakis, and myself rode as Team Natural Mystics for the second year running. Seeing Team Natural Mystics was not here for all the pain and mostly here for the beer things could not have gone better.

Taco took the first turn out of the gate. The start/finish area was a zoo. Riders where all packed in and ready to go. A chill was in the air. Reports of course conditions confilcted from perfect to unridable. Tensions raised, the riders where chomping at the bit to get out. Upon asking Stitz what place he was shooting for, he flashed me the number one....always playing to win.

I went out for my first lap, #2 of the team, and did not fail to duplicated last years feat. Mechanicals basically put us out of the running. Last year it was 2 flats and this year it was the totally massacre of my rear der. Just two weeks after gearing the rig for the big race all was lost on mile 8. I found myself having to walk the final 5 miles. I could only take pride in the fact that I finished the lap in under 2 hours. After that, I turned the RIG back into a single speed and ended up with my fastest lap ever at Coucil Bluff. Three laps this year, one in the dark. Our team moved from last into seventh, I believe. Another well put on race and great course.

Here is the 12 hour solo winner, Mitch "The Masher" Johnson

A few more pics

video here

RIG goes geared for Burning and BT Epic

2009-10-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have decided to run the Rig as a 1x9 for the remainder of the race season. The lure of the 29er has taken it's hold. Running the RIG as a SS over the last few months has left me with an insatiable appettite for the big wheel. My poor and lonley GF Big Sur has sat in the basement gather dust as of late. Christian Stitz of MTB United fame has helped me put together a geared 29er piece by piece over the last week or so and I owe him many thanks. One last rotor and we are ready for a test drive. Bring on the BURNIN' and The BT EPIC!

Rapture In Misery

2009-08-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

We left STL heading for the far reaches of Missouri on Friday afternoon. Brian Busken followed with young rider Caleb Hulsey. With only beautiful skies ahead of us we pulled onto the highway and merged right into traffic and found ourselves immedianlty drafting Team Seagal. We began to take pulls at the front, alternating between Momentum cars and Seagal cars, time trialing if you will, all the way to the Highway 65 interchange. That is when the chain broke.

The fireworks/gas station was almost as bad as described by Team Seagal. Keith bought, what he called later the worse sandwich ever, (he seemed to enjoy it immensly at the time). I pondered for a long time over the immense firework selection. I really do love a good smoke bomb. As I checked, out the charming ladies at the register had a hard time ringing me out with all the complaing about what time they wanted to shut the place down. Fuel in belly, we pushed on.

Trenton was a nice enough town. The people I encountered seem nice and genuine. Lakeview Motor Lodge was going to be home for a couple of days. I think their slogan was "you get a free breakfast.....and I ain't meaning one them continental ones neither." Leaving behind the Motor Lodge we headed for greenier pastures. Crowder State Park was only a few miles away. There we met up with Mitch Johnson and Greg Ott and pre-rode the course. Great course full of rock gardens with names like "the boneyard", downhills with names like "humpty dumpty", open fields, super fast descents, and leg punishing uphills. Just over nine miles of pure R.I.M waiting.

Next morning we had breakfast with Mitch, Greg, The Holtmans, Busken, and Caleb. Twus no contitintal breakfast at all. Over all, really just about as good as Denny's is when you not drunk. We finished up and headed out to Crowder to begin the days festivities.

Just finished bombing down the 'humpty dumpty' section. If you look close you may see smoke coming off my rotors trying to make that hard left at the bottom of the hill.

The six hour 30-39 podium

Wed. Night Ride

2009-08-06T06:43:00.001-07:00

We left Bromm park off DD after one lap and headed over to Busch Wildlife to get a feel for the cut-off. As the sun went down the temps dropped and the night became cool. I need to do more night rides, I forgot what a blast they are. When we got back to Bromm Keith and I headed out for another lap, totalling just under 25 miles for the night. I think I could have done at least another lap, my legs were just starting to feel good.I just love to ride at dusk and into the dark!

Stitz nice enough to show us the way from Bromm to Lost Valley via the Busch Wildlife short-cut.

The dusty roads of Busch Wildlife.

Finishing in the dark, passing lake 38.

Castlewood Challenge

2009-08-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

Big crowds and lots of racers made for an exciting Sunday of racing. The course was fast and in great shape from the bit of rain on Saturday. My pre-ride went great and that was about the best thing that happened to me. I was leading by over a minute on the second place rider after the first lap. Climbing Grotpeter I saw Brian Buskin changing a flat. It was then that I realized that I had forgot my pump at the car. I told him I thought I had a big lead and powered up the hill. I hit the first false flat and realized that I had flatted. A good guy in a Gorc jersey loaned me his pump and some 20 or so guys passed me on their way up the hill. Things only got uglier. I did not know how to use that guys pump so it took a few extra minutes to pump it. I rode out the rest of the race looking at the flowers and the trees. Flatted one more time before the creek and walked the rest of the way across the finish line. It was a great day to bike and hike the woods of St. Louis County.

Show-Me Games

2009-07-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few picks from the race. The day was perfect for racing. Afterwords we had Shakespeare's Pizza, a first for me. Great place.
Rounded the first lap 44 seconds ahead of the closest competitor, the guy in red in the pic of Jay below. We rode together the first 5 miles and then I pulled away from him at the top of the big, middle climb. The pic of the creek (below) was where the climb began. About a third of a mile into the second lap I flatted and that was the end of my race. Within a couple of minutes four guys passed and all I could settle for was my fastest tire change ever. Fifth place is not so bad. Had a great weekend and can't wait to get back to Columbia for some more single track and pizza. Jay walking away with the hardware!

the world's most interesting man...doubt it.....but stay thirsty anyway friends!

Keith fueling up for lap 2

Greg O put in a strong ride

some of the beautiful sites at the park

Long Saturday

2009-07-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Took a long, 54.5 mile Saturday morning ride. I met Jay Wright and Christian Stitz at the Mound parking lot at 8 am. We headed down the Hamburg to connect with Lost Valley. One lap there and we hit the KATY Trail to Klondike. Klondike to Matson, one lap, and then back to Lost Valley. Met up with Keith in the parking lot....a little late I might add, but there nonetheless. Two Schlafly's in the belly, I decided to head back out for another lap of Lost Valley. A great way to start the weekend. The only thing left to do was go home and start up the grill.

Sac River

2009-07-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Binder Lake SS Race

2009-07-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

After relaxing and enjoying the Lake, we decided to meet up with a couple of the Momentum guys Keith and Brian at the Binder Lake Single Speed Race. I have to say that this was a great course and I can not wait for the 3/6 hour race later this year. I rode one lap with beer in tow and took a few pics.

Took a Few Days At The Lake

2009-07-04T23:31:00.000-07:00

Rode a great ride with my brother, Ben. Across the Bagnell Damn and the Toll Bridge to the the fancy BP on highway MM? I think? The views where great, the hill where steep, and the locals where aggressive on the road! Hit top speeds while chasing harrassing vehicles. Hope they expand the Columbia bicycle harrassment law state wide.

St. Joe MTB Race Father Day 2009

2009-07-04T23:25:00.001-07:00

St. Joe MTB race

2009-07-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

Talk about hot. The temps were up that day. Momentum showed up in force in the beginner class. All three podiumm spots were taken by the team that day.

The course was a mix of rocky chunks, roots, and smooth fast soil. All in all, it was a fun day. The temps climbed near 100 degrees. Pre-riding the course helped out a lot on conservation of energy. The big climb at mile 4 or so was in my mind and I knew what pace I wanted to ride. Michelle was there for the team, supplying fresh, cool, water bottles after the first lap.

Two laps, Keith took home the gold. I was two minutes off while Jay wrapped up third. A super fun day. The heat was near unbearable but it was a good lesson in how the body works under stress.

2009-06-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Rhett's Run Fat Tire Series State Championship

2009-06-15T05:48:00.002-07:00

Rhett's Run at Cosmo Park in Columbia, Mo. turned out to be a test of will and desire. I expected that there would be a challenging and determined field at this event, the Fat Tire Series State Championship. The true test for me came with the conditions encountered during the race.

Christian Stitz, Keith Weinkein, and myself went to Columbia the Sat. before the race to pre-ride the course. The track was fast, the ride was fun and we were all looking forward to a great race course for the State Championship race. Tight, twisty downhills, hairpin uphills, and plenty of roots and rocks to keep you focused all day. After preriding, I kept coming up a mile short on my computer of the published race course distance. I found out on Sunday's warmup ride that we missed an entire section of switchback climbs.

Sunday morning came and I had the usual pre-race breakfast of pancakes with honey and maple syrup and a soy protein shake. I loaded the VW and faced overcast skies all the way to Kingdom City before the first sprinkle hit the windshield. Looking at the radar, I saw a huge storm right over top of Columbia. I remembered reading, Rhett's Run was "rain or shine". When I arrived at Cosmo Park it was sprinkling. The pre-ride with Jay Wright and Brad McLaughlin went smooth and was not too muddy. The only hiccup was the section that was "new" to me.

Heading back to the car to get some food and clean up the bike, I ran into Team Trail Monster, who I would like to thank for all the encouragement during the race. The cowbell was awesome. As soon as I cleaned up the bike and settled in with a peanut butter and nutella sandwich the skies opened up and it began to downpour for another 20 minutes or so.

The start of the race was without rain but the course was slick. In the first lap I witnessed or was a part of at least five pile-ups, with the last one leaving me in 8th place, stuck, with no place to pass. I thought my race was over. On the second lap, the field was spread out and one by one I was able to make some passes. I saw riders with mechanical issues and fatigue issues. I came up on Brian Busken on the second lap from Momentum doing the marathon class and he graciously pulled me up that last hill before the field. Crossing the start/finish line at one hour the race organizers sent me out for a third lap.

By the time I headed out for the third lap I had only 3-4 gears left. I had so much mud and grass in my rear cassette that the chain would not take hold, all the while I was trying to keep just enough pressure on the pedals to keep the wheels rolling without my chain binding up because of the adobe rear derailleur. At one point I had to throw the bike down and dig out as much of the mud as possible before I could continue. Climbing the middle section of switchbacks, I just kept telling myself, "good lines, steady pedal, and finish strong". I did not know where I stood in the standings, only that I had not seen another number from my class in quite a while. Climbing a section that gives you a peek of a downhill ahead, I looked to my right and saw the guy from the Czech Rep. coming down. He was maybe a 1/2 mile ahead. A few minutes later I rounded the corner and there he was putting his back tire on.

I crossed the finish line in first place that day. No flats, three gears and a lot of mud. I thought, not bad for a guy who wanted to stop after the first lap. I am glad I didn't give up and pedaled through the pain and did not let mechanical issues end my race. Race day intensity along with some extra strength from friends and family pulled me through. A special thanks goes out to my new fiance, Michelle. She could not be at the race but was in my thoughts all throughout. A Toots and the Maytals song, She's My Scorcher, popped into my head halfway through the race and stayed with me the rest of the way. Thanks for the strength, baby. Rhett's Run was a great experience that I will take with me to all my future races. Never give up!

Team Natural Mystics Possible Reunion?

2009-05-27T17:20:00.001-07:00

Rumor has it that Team Natural Mystics may reunite for Burning At The Bluff 2009. Nothing has been confirmed yet. Rumors have swirled all season about six hour solo runs in preparation for the Berryman Epic. Taco says he is in but has not put a total stamp of commitment behind the words. Another rumor has surfaced about the introduction of the 'power blender' at the Burning.

Last year, Team Natural Mystics succumbed to the power of the almighty PBR. Crossing the finish line in 7th place, Keith put up a stellar 3 laps. Taco pulled his weight in the number two hole while I flatted three times in two laps and almost lost the nut to my rear axle. The beer was too much temptation for the trio who had never done a mountain bike race before.

Beer and the wonderful pasta dish cooked in a dutch oven put an exclamation point on the weekend. Each of us walked away with a pair of socks for 7th and a great t-shirt for just going down and participating. It was truly a great weekend of friends and cycling. Can't wait for 2009.