Need Parts?

So I'm parting my bike cause its easier, if you need to know anything about the parts below or want some just email or comment.

-Crank Brothers Cobalt Wheels Comes with recently replaced XT casette

-R7 Fork Freshly rebuilt

-Hayes Strokers Brakes recently replaced new rotors and pads

-Avid Elixir R's Brand New!!

-Race Face Deus Stem 90 mm

-EC70 Carbon Flat Bars

-Strong Light Crankset with XT Front

Wors Finale!!!

This past Sunday was the highly anticipated Sheboygan race course! Instead of going through a big long race report I'll keep it short and simple. I got 1st overall junior X and 7th overall comp, finishing the season with two of those! Basically I felt pretty good all race just my legs were a little noodly the first two laps, but I made it on the equalizer all 4 laps! Also I will be riding one of these with a few self modifications of course (1x9, carbon bars, etc.) So that means I am parting my Kona!!! If you are interested in anything on the bike (Hayes stroker brakes, crank brothers wheels, 18" kona kula supreme frame, R7 fork, chris king headset, so on) Just let me know through email or comment. Here is a picture of me off the log jump!

Bear Paw!

Went up Friday morning with a buddy of mine (who took a lot of great pics of me!). We camped at bear paw and let me just say now it was a blast! The weather the whole weekend was a little iffy but whatever. Anyway i prerode the course and was torn between terrible and horrendous. It was probably 65% double track and 35% single track. With I'd say at least 40% being climbing. None of the singletrack flowed and I was not feeling very confident about the race. Lined up 1:30 anyway and The Don sent us on our way. Started in the back (I don't care because 4-laps I like to pace myself) and I slowly worked my way towards the front. One funny thing I went to the finish on the right instead of the lap sign but quickly turned around. When the start of the 3rd lap came around I was ahead of all junior Xers and still feeling strong, took one last gel and hammered to the finish. Came out 1st in age and 1st overall by almost a minute, also 9th overall comp. So very happy with my result obviously and we'll see if I can close the season off good at Sheboygan where I'll need to get a fast start. I guess the course wasn't that bad but its always not as bad when you win....

Photo by Jack Amick

Photo by Jack Amick

4-Laps

You know, I wish there was a little more climbing for this race, but in all seriousness it was a good race. Four of the Junior X'ers took off early but I didn't want to follow them and bonk on my 4th lap so I just kept my pace, had a few crashes/ bike issues. But still ended up 1st age, and 23rd overall in comp with a time of 2:07 something. Let me just put out there the rigid got a little old on the 4th lap, I'll have to see if i want to get a sid or something for next year with my new tomac type x frame. The only reason I got the rigid is because I had no money to spare, but We'll see. Here's a pic for your eyes to feast on....

My pa took the bottom one

I Got 2nd?!

Well, they say you can't win them all oh well. Quick race report. I started second row as the wave was bigger then usual, wasn't worried about the start so I just clipped in and was 3rd wheel coming into the first turn. Then I was first going into the singletrack, one of the loose dirt downhill turns, I crashed and popped back up. No worries, caught back up and sat on a kid in my age groups wheel who was pushin the pace hard, I thought he was for sure going to pop later in the lap but it never happened. I stayed on his wheel the whole race then the long next to the road straight away I made my attack and had a 10 second gap, only to find out there was one last short steep sandy uphill. I completely blew up on the climb he passed and I just said, "just take it." I only lost by 10 seconds. It's weird because after all the long distance training i've been doing in the last month I thought I was going to be a lot better. Maybe I didn't mix enough intensity in. All in all I think the course just didn't suit me well because it felt like the kid was going a half a mile per hour in the singletrack, then I would try to pass him on the double track but didn't have the legs. I'm still gonna move up next race, I still got 14th overall, its just that now I might have to move back down at sheboygan if that kid wins the next 3.

Photo: Stephanie Yost

Summer Life

From the alterra race till now, i have mostly been going back to base miles. Giving me time to concentrate on high mileage, lots of trail riding, etc. Did 100 miles sunday, 1st at the wnr, and 3 laps of greenbush today. If anyone ever wants to go out to greenbush ever just email me or something. No race for me this weekend because everyone at my work is going to college and i am stuck there. So i'll be movin up at shawano. Besides even though im better at long races i don't know about 36 miles of racing.

Photo: Gus

Coffee Beanssssss

This was an important race for me, I don't know why but it was, there is a rule before everyone of my important races. Something bad has to happen, For Subaru cup it was I just couldn't go and for this one I got sick on friday all the way till now. I raced anyway, I lined up at the start line, and of course 30 seconds before my start my chain fell off for no reason and I have a 1 x 9 so I have one of those chain stops so I had to bend my chain stop to quickly get my chain back on and refocus ten seconds before my start. I think we were third wave witch made for an interesting 1st lap. I ran into a lot of guys who wouldn't let me through and it was becoming a bit of a problem. I think I probably could've shaved a minute off my time if I wouldn't have run into so many problems. But whatever that's racing. I ended up first in age and 5th overall. So not a bad result. One more win and I should be good to go for Junior X where there will be much less passing problems! Pic TRAVIS SCHIRPKE

To Lazy to Update the Blog

First things first, I really like endurance races. 24-9 was soooooo fun. I wish there was more people racing though. I could see my self in the future doing a lot more endurance stuff since I've always been better at longer distances anyway. There was only two teams in our class and of course our team was up against the expo squad (Aris, Gage, Caleb, and Myles). So I wonder who won? So great job to them, but I'm still happy with most of my laps Cause I think Myles' dad said I had the fourth fastest junior lap. Also this was my first time night riding and it was HARD. I dont know if I'll be purchasing a set of lights anytime soon. I did this event for training and for fun, and let me tell ya it was good for both! Group ride tonight @ Crystal Ridge hopefully it won't get rained out.

Fire Cracker

This race/venue is in my top 3 for Wors, and once again it didn't disappoint. I headed up with Brendons bro early saturday, setup camp, pre rode, etc.... Anyway onto the race. I started in a pretty hard gear which gave me a fantastic start (second wheel coming into the single track) I knew I could bust a gap in the singletrack so thats exactly what I did, I held it off the whole race and came out with a first in age and 9th overall. Bad thing is my helmet broke. It must have had a little crack in the top or something cause I hit a low tree somewhat hard, and it fricken sliced almost all the way in half. O and Chris I'm rocking the skinsuit at every race from now on.

Photo Travis S.

First ride on my carbon rigid

Went out to glacial blue hills today to test out my new fork (I like testing everything on those trails because if it works out on those trails then it will work anywhere). Anyway, one word summed it up, Badass. The bump vibration was almost just as could as my R7. I whipped though the corners and rocketed up the climbs, and don't even get me started about the power transfer on the flats. The only thing I was definitely slower on is the rocky descents, but that takes a little getting used to. Overall I'm glad I snatched this bad boy up. Now my bike tops out the scale at 21 pounds and 3 ounces. I'll be rocking this fork at the metro challenge 6 hour duo.

Am I crazy............

for going carbon rigid on my 26 " bike. Oh well. Did the dairy land today and road like a mountain biker on a road bike. Didn't know what the hell I was doing and pulled for like 2 laps. I just want to hammer I don't have time thinking through all these god dang tactics. So I bonked at the end and didn't do that great. But It was still fun, I guess I'm just a dirt racer. See you all at the WEMS race? Going to do some six hour duo action with a kid in my age group.

Subaru Cup..........

I didn't go to because I was the last one to ask off at my work and didn't get off. But on the bright side nobody in my series did well so I still have the first place spot. This week I have The fondulac crit on the plate, and the wems race. Looking forward to both as I haven't raced in 2 weeks. As for my fork situation I may be getting an 07 reba world cup, or if that doesn't work out I might run a 26" carbon rigid.

Warsaw

I was on the fence about this race, wasn't sure If I was even gonna go but I ended up going only because I needed to set up my xo rear derraleur for a friend cause I got a short cage for my. So any way onto the race. Had a terrible start but slowly worked my way towards the front. Hit a tone of lap traffic on the ochman trail. My mud tires worked good but slipped a lot on roots and rocks and were super slow on the open trails. My legs felt really flat that race, and I crashed 3 times (I need to work on my rock skills) But I still took 1st in age and 39 th overall. I was kind of disappointed with the overall result considering I was 14th last race. But racing in the mud isn't really my thing. Congratulations to Brendon for the Cat 4/5 state road race champion!!!!!!!!!!! O yeah and does anyone have any forks 80 mm? I possibly might buy a new one

Photo Mountaingoat

Hodag Country

Headed up to hodag country early saturday, fished for some muskies, ate some smores, blah blah blah. Anyway onto the race, I was excited for my call up so I went to the line and was third wheel coming into the singletrack. Felt really good during the race and ended up winning a break I had against a kid in my age group. I took 1st in age and 14th overall in sport. Brendon wasn't feelin good the day before (yeah right) and raced sport and took 2nd overall and 1st in age. So a good weekend a racing for the both of us. We skipped school on monday to stay one more day and fish etc. Gonna do the alterra ride this thursday and get one more hard effort in before the race on sunday. But what should I do, the state road race or warsaw? hmmmmmmm. O yeah and I cracked my carbon seatpost.

Greenbush trails

camped and tried the greenbush trails monday, they're fun trails they just are a little bumpy (probably wasn't helping that I was running larsen 1.9's) But They were still fun. I dont feel like typing so thats all!

Crash!!!!!

I'm sure you've heard the story, but I'm gonna give a first hand version of Ty's and Tim's crash. So the last 5 miles the group was going at a brisk pace of about 25 mph. We were closing in on the last 2 miles and I was towards the front with Ty coming up for the final sprint. I was on his wheel and all of the sudden he hit a series of bumps knocking the handlebars out of his hands. He started going sideways and hit the pavement at about 27 mph. As I was trying to avoid him I had that feeling when you know you're about to get hurt really bad and you can't do anything about it. Luckily I dodged his wheel by about 2 inches almost doing a bunny hop as a feeble attempt to not go down. So I veered off to the left and looked back, Tim went down with him and Tim's head it the curb hard. We pulled them to the side of the road both very beat up. The guy in the garmin slipstream jersey(I forgot his name) was quick to call the ambulance and I'm glad he did. That's all I know of thus far so hopefully they both recover quickly. But as for me it was by far the worst crash I have ever seen and it took me a while just to take it all in that night. So best of luck for a speedy recovery.

Iola

Saturday morning i headed to baraboo to take brendon to the road race/ he raced cat 4/5 and took 6th so thats pretty good. then once eric was done with his race we went to iola to pre ride and race on sunday. At the start of my race I forgot that it was the first race and everyone was going to line up early so I started way in the back. So the whole first lap I was working my way towards the front. So once I got there I was pretty tired and my legs were absolutely killing me the last 2 laps. But I still ended up with 2nd in my age and 27th overall. Im looking forward to rhilander because its a recovery the week before so Im hoping to get a first. Great job to tim and regina for there elite race. Heres a picture of brian from saturday so I don't leave ya hanging with just words.

Best Weekend in a while

So Saturday at 4:45 am i headed to the baraboo road race with brian P. So when we got there we drove the course in the car so I could see everything and all that good stuff. But anyway onto the race, at the start 2 californians broke away right away with a michigan and wisconsin junior, I was thinking about going with but I was afraid i might pop after the first lap at that high speed. So they were never caught but a group of 5 of us were fighting for a 5th place finish, so on the last ascent I got a gap and held it to the finish, taking a 6th place finish (3rd if you don't count out of state guys) It was a really hilly 27 miles but man it was fun. I'm glad i kept that gap because im not much of a sprinter. Then on sunday i was planning on doing lacrosse but Brian and I headed out to john muir for some fast long trail ridin'. It was an awesome weekend. Here I will leave you with a picture of "the wall" from the baraboo road race.

Weekend racing

Just a quick race review before I head to bed. On Saturday before I went to the alterra party I hit up Mukwango for a junior crit race, I did OK for my first road race I think I got like 7th out of 14. Then on Sunday I braved the elements and headed to sheboygan for some sloppy condtions. I raced the junior 15/18 and tried to get eric dobberful a win to advance in points, I pulled the field into the final 2 laps and broke away with Eric so he could catapult up the final climb, but for me I got a 4th out of 8, which is decent, I just had nothing left. Then I suited up again in my wet and cold clothes for the cat 4-5 race, 3 stronger riders pulled out right away, and were not to be caught, but I pulled pretty much the whole race finishing with a 7th. So all in all a good weekend of racing and hope to do some more road races (I like it a lot) but i still like WORS more

For Chris..........

Skinsuit babbbbby

Colorado Trip

So I went to Colorado last week for spring break, here are some videos with the helmet camera, watch my brother fall on the first one, and the second is at the summit where I had to climb and ski down the lakeshoots.

after uploading this first video I don't feel like uploading the second cause it takes to long but make sure to catch the end of this vid

Little Video

I've never put a video on my blog, but I got one of those mini cameras (just a cheapy one) that strap to your helmet. Here's to more vids in the future.

New Road Rig

Got my new road rig on thursday, gonna hit up some road races this year and just race my mtb for cross. I took this bike out twice already and I think my MPH average has increased b y at least 1 mph. I like it a lot thanks extreme for hooking me up. Now pray for warmth

I didn't get no memo

I didn't get the memo for the Alterra ride on saturday, so I signed up for the email list again, oh well though.

Looking For a Ride?

I was