Julian Death March 64 miler

Hoffman before the race

Just started cramping on the singletrack in this section

The best pepsi ever

Finishing the 64 miler!

Yes, I was feeling that bad

About mile 62 after climbing the Banner grade, I unclipped right and fell left.

A sun burnt Hoffman taking a picture for his peeps

If there is a ride with the word "death" in it, I get a little intrigued so when I heard about it about a year ago I knew I had to do it.  They have three distances: 50 miles with 7000' of climbing, 64 miles with 9000' of climbing and 86 miles with 11,000' of climbing.  A couple months ago I signed up and as usual figured I would be riding alone.  Turns out that Hoffman thinks the same and wanted to do it too.

The week before Hoffman completed Vision Quest which is 55 miles with 10,500' of climbing race and I doubted that he would join me on this.  Apparently he didn't want to hear about my ride knowing that he could have gone so he signed up too.  After emailing the race director, we found out that you can pick your distance during the ride.  For most people that would mean you can bail out earlier.  For Hoffman and I, we started debating about doing the 86 miler as long as we were within the time limits, weren't cramping or bonking.  At a minimum we would do the 50 miler.

On Friday night after dinner, I left home to pick up Hoffman at his friend's house in LA and we were on our way for our 2:30 drive to the campground.  Luckily the campground is 5 miles from the start and it was very quiet.  I slept in the van on a slope and Hoffman was in a tent.  We were going to wake up at 6:00 and get over to the start.  Turns out that Hoffman was awake since 4:00 and was just waiting for daylight to get going.

Once we got there, it was a very laid back group and we got registered.  Even at 7:00 it was getting warm and ideas of wearing arm warmers and a vest changed.  It wasn't scorching hot but hot enough to still overheat on the long climbs.

Once we got going, we quickly realized that Hoffman's in better form than me especially since he's been training for VQ versus my 3 hours a week of exercise.  He recovered from last week's ride better than he thought and had to lower his pace for me to keep up.  Even then I still started cramping at mile 30 but I still was able to keep going albeit more cautiously.  By the time we hit the fork around mile 42 for the 50 miler versus the 64 miler, it was my call for which to do.  According to our requirement, we were still within the time limit.  1 out of 3 but that was enough to go.  At the end of the loop was Oriflame: a steep, technical hike-a-bike portion and Hoffman and I both bonked.  Luckily at the top of Oriflame was a volunteer and we had the best pepsi and the sugar and caffeine helped a ton.  It was also at that time that I was able to check voicemail (there was actually a signal on most of the ride since Hoffman was getting messages and texts the entire ride) from Nancy and found out that Megan has pneumonia and got some antibiotics.  At that point if there was a direct way to the car, I would have quit the ride but there was none and considering we were still 3 hours away, we finished the ride.  I spent the rest of the ride thinking about Megan and wanting to be home.  The last climb before the finish was Banner grade which is an old toll road and it was steep but at least it was rideable.  By the time we made it back to the start, we were 30 minutes past the time limit to go for the 86 miler so that was lucky.  Knowing us if we were within the limit, we would have tried it.

In all the race was good.  For doing things off the couch, I'm not surprised to cramp or bonk, it's actually expected.  The things I loved about the ride was the remoteness and beauty.  It helped that it was spring and some wildflowers were out but I loved that at places we couldn't see any other signs of civilization.  It was great.

In terms of food, my brown rice and bacon rice cakes with skratch mix worked perfectly.  I had no digestive issues during or after the race.  To keep fueled, I drank about 2 bottles and ate 2 rice cakes in first 1.5 hours, then a bottle and rice cake an hour.  I still bonked but that is due to lack of fitness and not fueling issues I think.  Only problem though is eating rice cakes while mountain biking is hard.  Although I don't like using a backpack bladder, it is the way to go for mountain biking.  I was able to keep hydrated and drink through technical sections instead of waiting for mellow spots to reach for a bottle.  Using the Geigerrig is great too with the pressurized system squirting water instead of having to suck water from the bladder.

Now the next question is what's the next adventure?

Backbone Trail

Topanga Fire Road overlook with Hoffman

Someone put up two hammocks for people to enjoy.  It was awesome!

On Sunday I did a ride with Hoffman in the Santa Monica mountains.  It started right out of Santa Monica on a 2100' fire road climb and descended on the Backbone trail to Will Rogers park.  It was one of the best singletracks I've been on.  Amazing time.

I met Hoffman many years ago through our mutual rock climbing friends.  We never climbed together but have run into each other at random places.  I ran into him years ago surfing at Trestles the one time I was there but I don't even think we even surfed together.  I think I was going in as he was coming out.  Then we ran into each other at a cyclocross race a couple months ago and found out that he's been mountain biking for a while.  We made some plans and this is our second ride together and realize that I relate to fellow climbers the best. We both realized that climbers tend to give it a go more often than others.  I've found out that Hoffman's signed up for Vision Quest in a couple of months (80+ mile mountain bike ride with 12,000' of climbing) and I wanted to do that too.  He's also done the Everest Challenge which I want to do.  I've done several double centuries and he wants to do some.  My hairbrain mountain bike ideas that I tell co-workers which get eye rolls gets accepted by him.  I guess rock climbing does attract a certain personality type and also has taught us that we can push our limits.

Rock Lobster Plans

I'm posting this here so that I don't lose it but Paul sent me the actual design layout he used to build my Cross Euro bike in 2011. Since he nailed the geometry, I don't want to lose this valuable (to me) piece of info.  Besides if I ever get another cyclocross/road bike built by him, I would use the same geometry.

Seat tube (c-c): 482 mm
Seat tube (c-t): 529 mm
Effective top tube: 540 mm
Top tube (actual): 524mm
Top tube rise angle: 8 degrees
Head angle: 71 degrees
Seat angle: 75.5 degrees
Chainstay: 424 mm
Head tube: 129 mm
Bottom bracket drop: 71 mm
Rake: 41 mm
Dropout to crown race: 400 mm
Front center: 602 mm
Stack: 571 mm
Reach: 392 mm
Wheelbase: 1014 mm

Extras that Paul did for me: pump peg, chain hanger, sterling silver headbadge, drain hole (with plug) on bottom bracket and braze-on chain guide under bottom bracket.

Edit 9/12/2013.  If I did it again, frame would fit a standard crankset (I told Paul I would only use a compact crank so this was my fault), won't have chain hanger since I have rarely used it, have front fork drilled for caliper brakes so I can use as fender mount, front fender mount and have room for Stages power meter (this came out after I got the frame).

Road Bike

In the last year that I've owned the Rock Lobster, I have ridden my Colnago less and less since the RL fits me so well.  So much so, that I sold the Colnago two weeks ago and have a set of wheels specifically for the road.  All I have to do is take one minute to switch out both wheels and I'm ready to roll.  Of course, I got the HED Ardennes GP wheels to match the same width as the HED wheels I have on my clinchers and the HED tubular race wheels.  At one point I was thinking about getting a RL road bike that could fit wider tires and finally realized that I have that already!  The only difference between them would be caliper brakes instead of mini-v's.  Even that is so minor that it is not an issue.  So I just really love my Rock Lobster.

Salsa Spearfish 1

I've ridden this everyday since I brought it home

Salsa Spearfish 1

I finally made the jump to a full suspension mountain bike.  After years of a sore lower back after long rides, I went for it.  It's been a big jump going from a rigid, singlespeed 29er to a full suspension 29er.  Nancy was very cool and let me have my birthday present much, much earlier.  She even let me get it built up so that it has all the components that I want.  Actually she knew that it was better that I get everything right the first time instead of me trying to buy and sell parts to get the ultimate bike.  As it stands now, the only change I may make on the bike is a different handlebar to get the fit right (I was expecting this anyway).

The ride has been really fun.  Going down technical trails is no longer stressful and I'm holding the bars easier versus my normal death grip.  The difference is dramatic and the result is just being less tired from the jarring and concentrating.  Climbing is better than I thought.  I'm coming from a rigid SS so my perception is different.  When I'm sitting down and climbing with both front and rear shocks open, there is slight movement.  When I stand up, I bob up and down but if I lock out the front fork, it tones it down dramatically.  It has been real nice having the fork lockout on the handlebars.  I do find myself locking out the front fork and switching to propedal on the rear shock on long climbs since both switches are easy to reach. The shifting is incredibly swift and accurate and the all mountain crank is the best.  If I can't get up something in a 22x36 then I really should be walking.

The things that I have to get used to is the steering on tight switchbacks.  It is not as precise as my SS.  When climbing uphill, it doesn't want to steer as easily so I end up going wide.  Not always that great when it is really tight.  (Edit: I found out that the 'fish is 1.5" longer wheelbase than On One.  If I use more body english, then things are fine).  The other thing is that the Specialized Fast Trak isn't as grippy as the Maxxis Ardent 2.4.  Of course, we're talking about a 300g difference in weight too but then again, no washouts.

The biggest thing is my position and I feel too high.  The risers bars puts my body in a more upright position than I'm used to.  I think a flat bar would be good since I already have the stem slammed.  Not seeing a size small in person, I wasn't able to figure out how tall the headtube really was.  The other thing with the bars is that I may want more sweep on it.  I think the one I have is 9 degree sweep.  If it is 9 degrees, then a 17 degree sweep from Salsa instead?  Either way, the flat bar is the way to go.

Build:
Frame: 2012 Salsa Spearfish 1 (small)
Fork: 2013 Rock Shox Reba RLT Tapered, 100mm, Solo Air, 15QR
Rear shock: Fox Float RP2
Shifter: Sram X9 trigger, 2x10

Front derailleur: X7, 2x10, high clamp, dual pull

Rear derailleur: X0, Type 2, medium cage

Crank: X9, 170mm, 22/36/bash; BB30

Cassette: Sram PG-1070, 10 spd, 12-36

Headset: Cane Creek 40 series, tapered.  40 ZS top cover, 110 ZS 56 lower

Stem: Thomson X4, 0 deg, 80mm

Handlebar: Truvativ T40 RB Stylo, 9 deg, 30mm rise, 31.8mm clamp, 680mm

Brakes: Shimano XT brakes

Rotors: Shimano XT Ice tech 160mm, 6 bolt

Seatpost: Thomson Elite, 31.6mm x 367mm

Chain: Sram PC-1031, 10 speed

Wheelset: Stan's ZTR Arch EX wheelset, 15QR, 12x142

Tires: Specialized Fast Trak Control 2.2

Saddle: WTB Volt SLT

Grips: ODI Ruffian "Path"

Weight: 26.6 pounds

Handmade Bike Show

Boo is a bamboo bike and the owner is a pro racer.  He does cross and his bikes takes a beating but is very comfy.  I would love to test ride one.

Cielo cyclocross.  It even looks fast.  Only bummer is they don't do custom sizing.

Ira Ryan cyclocross.  He's another big time racer and sponsers a small cross team.  I love builders that have sponsered riders.  It's the best way to get feedback.

Dean was using an Exagrid which are titanium tubes that have cutouts and filled with carbon.  It makes the bike more rigid yet have the durability of ti.  The best of both worlds.  The singlespeed 29er in the background weighs 18 pounds.  Wow.

I took pictures of this Eriksen but not a full shot.  One of the best looking bikes at the show and it even had Dugast 45c tires.  Incredible welds and just all the touches.  

This year the North American Handmade Bike show was back in Northern California.  The last time was about 6 years ago in San Jose.  This time it was in Sacramento and we timed it with a visit to Grandma.  There were so many incredible looking bikes there.  After getting my Rock Lobster cross bike, I realized that custom is really the way to go.  Nothing like getting a bike designed for you.  Amazingly, custom bikes in some cases are still less than the higher end production bikes.  A good fitting bike trumps a lighter bike every time, in my opinion.

The new trend is for the large head tubes with inset headsets.  They are said to be stiffer but who knows?  If I was to get another bike (cyclocross or road), it would be another Rock Lobster.  Why go to anyone else when Paul nailed the geometry on my bike?  If I got a full suspension mountain bike, I would likely get a Waltworks or Curtlo since they both do custom full suspension 29ers.  If Paul did full suspension, I would have him do that too.

One of the cool things at the show was running into my climber friend Rob.  I don't remember going on a trip with him but we knew the same friends and he's a cool guy.  He's now working for Moots so the next time he's in So Cal we're going to ride in the Santa Monica mountains together.  While talking to him, there was another guy that looked familiar.  Turns out to be Steven who sold me my road bike when I started riding again and he's a climber that Linh knows.  He now owns a very nice bike studio in Santa Monica.  At a bike show and the people I run into are climbers.  Such a small world.

Bike Skills book

Just recently I bought this book because my bike skills are not at the level I want it to be.  After a season of cyclocross, it became even obvious that turns are my weak point.  I was lucky enough that my cardio is strong so I was able to compensate for it.  I know that won't work next year because I'm moving up a level and all those guys are strong.  Now that it is the offseason there is no better time to work on weaknesses.  Actually it is not a bad thing since I usually end up liking my weaknesses and they end up as a strength like slopers and scary topouts in climbing.  I was horrible at those but after working on them, it turns out I do well at them and now I like them. 

I'm only on chapter 4 and in the last 3 rides, my times have already improved.  The funny part is that my times on climbs have been faster and that's my strong point.  This should be interesting to see how I can put this all together.  At the end of last cross season I was in the bottom third of Men's B.  Maybe if I learn these skills I could be in the upper half at the start of the season.  That would be very cool.  Still seven months away.