Man, that water's cold...and deep too!

Everybody has heard the old joke about two guys standing at the urinals in a public bathroom. Well, I wasn't standing in a bathroom. I was standing waist deep in Melton Hill Resovoir, Clinch River, the water that comes off the bottom of Norris Lake, on the last Saturday in October, with the temperature creeping towards 50*...and it was cold as Heeellll!

I had just tumbled down the slope at Racheal's Landing. I spun out on a root going up the climb. I could't get my cleat unclipped and fell down the hill. So far, So good. It was a soft landing but it was very steep. I started sliding down the hill waiting to hit a sapling or something to slow my descent. I think I found the only smooth slope on the bank. So, off the bank into the water still clipped in. Head first! Did I mention it was cold as Heeellll? Well it was.

After I separated myself from my bike and stood up I tried to catch my breath. I was standing waist deep and there was a bank about even with the top of my head above me. No way to climb out. Fortunately Phillip Burgess came to help me get my bike out. He pulled it back up to the trail. I looked around and decided I need to move about 30' down the bank to find a shallow enough spot to climb out. It was cold as Heeellll!

I rode out but never did warm up. Slogging (and sloshing) up the HOT and E Ridge didn't even warm me up. My team, the Butt Crackers, had some curried chicken stew that along with dry clothes and a fire warmed me up.

This is before.


This is after 3 or 4 hours of cooking.


Team Butt Crackers.
Me, Fran, Jaques and Matt.


A few of my favorite pictures from HOT.

Jimi, checking out the New Belgium cruiser bike we raffled off. Looks like she's having more fun than is legally possible.


The band was awsome. I'm sure I heard their name but...somebody will have to help me out.


Jon's truck Sunday morning.
"Now that's what a great bike weekend looks like!"
Jon Magnuson October 26, 2008


Jaques and Fran warming up.


Me in my Butt Cracker team kit.


The guys from Tri Cities always seem to be in the spirit of the HOT.



more here.
http://s164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/clipper_pics/HOT%202008/

October Rides and Stuff

Thursday night we have been doing a road ride from the Fountain City Peddler bike shop. Last Thursday we decided to do a little different ride. We rode out from the shop and on to Market Square.

Luke and James at Preservation Pub.


The group, Jen, Jaques, James, Luke and me.


Saturday John Baker and I "worked" as course marshalls at the inaugrial Windrock XC race. Everyone seemed to have a good time except for a couple of missed turns.


Getting ready to start.


JB hard at work.


We hauled water and beer to the top of the ridge. Nobody took any water.



The views from the top of the ridge were fantastic.



On Sunday I built some ladder bridges to see if we could make something that would work at Hastie.
I had a lot of help from Lulu the wonder dog.



The bridge is 15 or 16 feet long and gradually tapers to a 4X4 I placed at the end. After a couple of runs it was easily rideable.

Black Bear Aftermath

The 2008 Black Bear Rampage was this past Sunday and was bigger and better than last year's version. At last count there were 275 racers (unless they let some last minutes in). It was the biggest clydesdale class I raced in all year. 20 starters thundered off the line.

I got caught talking at the line and let some of the big guys get up the road. I had an idea who might be fast and it turned out correct when the big guy in orange took off. He was passing people like they were sitting still going up the road section. I tried my best to not drop back but was a little worried about starting too fast and dying at the end.

I hit the Brush Creek section and we started rolling like a train. I was into the sport class that started 2 minutes in front of me and all I could do was pick them off one by one. I found one local guy and rode his wheel as we rolled by several racers. Brush Creek is a blast, especially in a race. You can run as fast as you want with no hills and banked corners.

We hit Boyd's Gap and the downhill with the culvert of doom then onto Old Copper Road. On Old Copper we settled into a nice pace and we were still passing folks but not as many. Some guy came up behind me and ask so I pulled to the right to let him pass. I hit some rough stuff and my chain jumped as I was peddleing thru and the quick link came loose...Shit!



Open the seat bag, find the replacement (damn, I need to start carring my reading glasses on the trail). Turn the bike upside down and fix it. My racing buddy Stanley Wills was broken down at about the same spot and he helped me get it together. Poor Stanley lost a pivot bolt from his swingarm and was out of the race. I don't know how many people passed me but it was quite a few. Get back on and start cranking.

I whizzed by the first rest stop with plenty of fluids. Up Bear Paw on the climb I could hear a grinding noise. I thought it was coming from my chain guide (I'm running 1X9). When I got the Chestnut Loop it was driving me crazy. I turned the bike upside down to discover I had mis-threaded the chain thru the derailier. Break it down again, rethread and fix then go like hell.

The rest of the race went by without incident. I passed people all day long and felt pretty good. I could feel my legs on the verge of cramping and I was able to get a gear and an effort level that let me hammer to the finish. I eventually worked my way back up to 5th place. My time 3:49:30 was about 40 minutes faster than last year. I'm pleased with my effort and the improvement but I can't help thinking what if... I finished about 12 minutes out of 3rd and 22 minutes behind the leader. I really can't complain much. Out of all the races I rode this year, that is really the first mechanical I've had all year. Like Stanley said "I you do enough races you have to expect a mechanical every once in a while."

Knoxville was well represented. Dave Holmes finished 2nd SS. SMAP was 4th SS. Racheal was the only woman on a SS and finished 2nd in sport 19-35 (but I think she got the shaft when they combined the women's classes and the had more than a lot of the other classes??? Jaques Palin finished 3rd beginner 19-35 in his first race with that kind of distance (and only a couple of rides that long!). Jeremy Chandler was 4th expert 19-35 and 8th overall. Mary Mayhew was 3rd expert woman. Caleb Ryan 9th expert 19-35. John Ryan and Johnathan Moorehead 11th and 13th SS. Men's sport 19-35 Mark Morgan 4th, Andy Bailey 9th, Jeremy Zetans 10th and Derek Jamison 16th. Other clydes included Beau Bradley at 10th and everybodies favorite shirtless rider Kevin Trent at 11th. Lee Walter was 2nd burley bear and in the sport 50+ Vick Dyer, Ed McCauley and David Jordon were 4th, 5th and 6th. If I left anyone out, I'm sorry.

This is the cool stem cap that was in the goody bag.



Good race, well organized with a great trail. This is a good race for XC folks to try longer distances.

Stars and Cirles

I've got one of these cool jerseys on the way.

In my very first blog I put it out there that I was going to try to win a state champions jersey. I have to say there is as much satisfaction in stating my goal and then doing it as there is in winning the jersey. I had a great time racing against Daniel, Shawn, Ted and others this year.

Next year I think I would like to do some longer distance stuff and some grand master races. I might also do some SERC and I'll think about clydesdale class for those races. I think SERC races are a little more competive in clyde.

Mission Accomplished

After last weekends race at Booker T Washington State Park in Chattanooga I have officially secured enough points to earn the state champions' jersey in the clydesdale class.

http://tbra.org/seriesstandings_2008.php?type=mountain&mode=racer&catid=54&Submit=Submit

The Booker T race was a little disappointing as far as competetion goes. My friend Shawn and Daniel who is closest in points both missed this race. My time was 11:27 ahead of 2nd place. I cleaned up, changed clothes and ate before anyone else finished.

http://www.tbra.org/results/2008/20080831_bookert.htm

My wife Ginger went to the race with me. It was nice to have family at the race although I almost took her out on a water bottle hand up. I told her to have a bottle ready for me but I forgot to tell her how and when she tried to walk to me I almost ran over her.

Booker T was in great shape. Since last year the Chatt folks have built berms on many of the turns. That makes for more fun and a little faster course. I always appreciate a race that starts on time and we did. It did seem like it took a long time to do awards though.

One more race in the series. Next week we go back to Lock 4 in Gallatin. Lock 4 is one of my favorite venues. I think both Shawn and Daniel will be at the race and mayby some other new comers. I would love to have a big group at the line.

TBRA Series results:
Chickasaw Trace 3rd
White Lightning TT 1st
White Lightning XC 2nd
Montgomery Bell 1st
Mouse Tail 1st
Haw Ridge 1st
Lock 4 1st
Stanky Creek TT 1st
Stanky Creek XC 1st
Booker T Washington 1st
Lock 4 ?????????

I Swear I Don't Do This On Purpose..no really!

I did it again. I took the guy in front of me out in the Stanky Creek Race in Memphis this weekend. I really, really tried to miss him, no, really.

Shawn James(2nd from the left next to me) and I raced together wheel to wheel most of the day. Shawn is my buddy. We met at Land Between the Lakes in the parking lot and since I travel to that area quite a bit we ride together often. He is coming off rehab on a bum knee and is pretty much back to full strength.

We went off the front together and he led the 1st lap until I decided to press the issue towards the end of lap one. With the pace quickened, we opened up a bigger gap. Just at the start of the 2nd lap I lost my chain. Shawn went ahead and I spent the next 1/2 lap chasing him. I caught him about 1/2 way thru the 2nd lap. I got greedy and hit a tree and he opened a gap again. About 3/4 of the way thru the loop there is a long, flat wide section that can be as fast as you want it to be. Going in I saw Shawn up ahead. He looked back when I was about 100' behind. He looked like he was slowing a little. I put it in overdrive. I was thinking I could sneak (blow) by him on the right side. Just as I started around on the right, he looked left and then cut right in front of me. I was probable at around 22 or 23 mph and he was at about 13 or 14. I took the right side of his handle bar with me as I went by. He ended up about 20' into the woods.

I stopped. I ask him if he was OK. He said he was and to go on. I told him I was so sorry and that I surely didn't mean to crash him. I finished the rest of the race at a slower pace and Shawn finished 8 seconds behind me.

After the race He told me he knew I was coming and he was trying to get over but his left grip slipped off. When that happened he went to the right and right into me. "Rubbin is racing" indeed!

There are some more pictures, a video and some results posted here. http://www.stankycreek.com/

If you are in the Memphis area Stanky is definitely worth checking out. It is almost flat and twisty and parts of the trail are very fast. It is in Bartlett at exit 18 off I40. The trail is well marked and I don't think you could get lost if you tried. The race was 9.2 miles long and I think it covered pretty much all of the available trail.

Awsome Amigos at Walden Ridge

Wednesday afternoon BHann broght his group of Awsome Amigos to Walden Ridge for some trail crewing.


BHann looking all spiffy in his bee slayer outfit. Maybe I should have had one also. 17 stings...


Louisana Lou, Jeff Harkleroad, Jay Basile and I worked on the trail along with the Crew.
[IMG]http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u34/clipper_pics/Walden%20Ridge%20Work%2081308/IMGP1088.jpg[/IMG]














Jeff and Lou