Big Wheel Racing

Who:  Big Wheel Racing

What:  Stan’s Tubeless Demonstration

When:  November 9, 2011

Where:  La Cumbre Brewery, Albuquerque New Mexico

Subject:  Convert a Stan’s Olympic wheel that has been plagued with a tube infection back to its calling, TUBELESS!!

On November 9^th, 2011, Big Wheel Racing executed a Stan’s Tubeless Demonstration at La Cumbre Brewing in Albuquerque NM.  The mission was to cure a Stan’s Olympic/Strong and Pink CK wheel back to health by eliminating the inner tube and converting to the most lightweight and effective state by utilizing the Stan’s Tubeless System with Stan’s Rim Tape, Stan’s Rim Strip w/integrated valve and Stan’s Sealant, all whilst consuming La Cumbre’s Siberian Silk.  Let’s have short break for a quick quote from our favorite local brewery. (http://lacumbrebrewing.com/ourbrews.htm)

“I know, no Porters for 10 months and then, all of a sudden, two in a row. Well this one is actually 8 months in the making. Utilizing 100% German malts, a 2 step decoction and our house lager yeast, we have created a beer that, while opaque, feels as smooth as anything you have ever experienced, is warming without being overpowering, and has loads of milk chocolate character without being burnt in any way. The extended lagering is both expensive and a logistical nightmare, but we think you’ll agree, it was well worth the wait.

Starting Gravity: 1.090
Final Gravity: 1.028

Alcohol By Volume: 8% ABV
International Bittering Units: 45”

Big Wheel racing – Dominic Garcia, started out by gathering a crowd from La Cumbre brewing.  This brewery is a second home for many different types of local cyclists and I chose this establishment because the bike rack seems to always be at maximum capacity.  This demo started out by explaining the hardships of running tubes and a general understanding of the benefits in converting to a Stan’s Tubeless System.  Several people in the brewery that were not initially interested have now put their drinks down and seem to be straining their necks to get a glimpse of what goes on in your typical household garage or basement when occupied by a mountain phsychlyst.

First we removed the tube from the Stan’s Olympic rim and extracted the remaining New Mexico goat heads from both the inside and outside of the non-UST tire that is being converted.

We installed the Stan’s Rim Tape along with a Stan’s Rim Strip with integrated valve stem.  Then we installed a non-ust tire and secured the valve stem in place.

Then we pumped the tire up with a floor pump to ensure the bead would properly seat, and it did.  I released the air and I removed the Stan’s Removable Presta Valve Core.  Next was to inject the Stan’s Sealant into the valve using the 2 oz. sealant bottle.  The top of the bottle was cut to snuggly fit over the valve while injecting the sealant.  The bottle top without the bottle of sealant was fitted over the valve and then the bottle of Stan’s Sealant was threaded onto the already-in-place bottle cap valve while at the top of the rim in the upright position.  The wheel with the attached Stan’s Sealant bottle was then rotated 180 degrees leaving the bottle in the upside down position.  Gently squeeze the fluid into the tire without losing a drop of sealant.  Success!!!  Although proven effective I’m still not allowed to do this at the kitchen table…but I’m diligently working to change that without sacrificing the family life.

(seat the bead…pop pop…schweet!)

(Not using this today)

(My favorite short cut...don't waste a drop!)

Once the sealant was installed, I carefully removed the 2 oz. bottle and cap and installed the removable presta-valve stem.  Then I pumped it up to achieve my desired 30 psi, placed the wheel on a horizontal plane and enjoyed my beverage.

Once the wheel had been cured we watched over it, flipped it a few times and answered general questions regarding the Stan’s Tubeless System.  The non-ust tire held the air tightly with very little air loss while the sealant penetrated the tire’s pores.  Not surprised, the Stan’s Demo resulted with a successful tubeless conversion.

Special thanks to:

1. Stan’s
2. La Cumbre Brewing
3. Big Wheel Racing
4. Our new Stan’s Fans for participating

Wow, what an AWESOME day on the bike for the 8th Annual Crested Butte Classic! Three loops from town as usual, but this year the Dyke Loop first and the Deer last, which in my opinion made it much harder. The totals came to 96.23-miles and 12,033-ft of climbing. However that did include some extra miles as I accidentally climbed Canal and Strand Bonus in lieu of just climbing Strand – should have paid better attention to the directions! Finished at 10:09, 4.5-minutes slower than last year, which considering the wrong turn and some map reading time, I’d say the sub 10 day was in the cards if my head had been screwed on better. I ran the Divinity gearing, but would recommend Divinity + 1 for next year as teammate Danny Powers ran and ended up first singlespeeder after he dropped me on the steep last Deer Creek loop. Congrats Danny with the 1st place and 10:01 finish time (14th overall). I ended up 16th overall, and 2nd SSer, so I’m happy – but will try again next year for that sub 10-hour time for sure.

Thanks to Dave Ochs, Dan Loftus and the Brick Oven, Jason Stubbe and his awesome support and a whole slew of others out there making the CB Classic the best 100-miler out there right next to my DDC. And neither cost a nickel!

Check out the awesome video and story by Chris Miller at Mountain Flyer: (Thanks to Chris for the photo above as well – that is me in our European Team kit and USA Team vest.)

This is the absolute best of Grass Roots Racing……it’s only growing and the freebies guarantee the best return on investment.

Full report located here complete with Photos.

I entered a running race this last weekend, called the Lead King Loop 25k, held in Marble, CO. As a coincidence, a couple of years back, before I had heard of this race, I actually biked the loop when returning from a business trip to Aspen – and I was surprised to ride through a ghost town and see an amazing old mill – which turned out is one of the most famous historical relics in all of Colorado.

Much to my surprise, the race turned out to be the USA Track & Field state championships for 25k distance runners. Cool, so this meant the race had a lot of the states top runners on hand.

Like the weekend prior, I left Durango a midst a rainstorm, only this time I ended up going through snow at the northern passes! However, as I descended down to Ridgway, the skies cleared up and it appeared to be a bit drier than in the La Platas. That nice weather would hold through the entire weekend.

The plan was to stay over night in the small town of Paonia and then drive over McClure Pass and drop into Marble the following morning for the race for the 8:30-AM start. Paonia ended up being pretty cool, and I found the local micro-brewery – Revolution Brewing. The brewery is located in an old house, and they had a really nice Colorado Red Ale, which is made with all Colorado ingredients. I decided to carbo-load so I had four beers, including their IPA.

I struck up a conversation with the owner about a bottle of beer on his shelf. He told me that Revolution is actually the third ever micro-brewery in Paonia, and the bottle shown below is from their first one – Fire Mountain. This was bottled in 1979 – and has never been opened. So much for Samuel Adams and their “we were first” claims like Gary Fisher and mountain bikes, eh?

Back in 1979, I believe I was in Greeley, CO and doing the roller disco thing, drinking “suicide sodas,” and actually working my first job as a paper delivery boy on a bike furnished by the Greeley Tribune. I only got the job because my buddy Jeff Vargas got sick of delivering the papers and gave it to me. (For the record, I didn’t last long – there were too many complaints about newspapers ending up on rooftops). Jeff and I later broke the bike frame doing parking lot jumps, BTW. Wow, that was a long time ago!

The race morning was chilly, with a 35F start. But since the route immediately took us up mountain – with a 3k climb right off the bat I just wore shorts, a shirt, arm warmers and thin fleece gloves. I also was fortunate enough to have my car parked about 75-ft from the start line so any last minute decisions were easy to make on the clothing. I knew the course would be very chunky and gnarly as I remembered a ton of rocks from the mountain bike ride a few years back, so I wore the Hoka One Ones I bought from Barb, and it was a great choice. I am NOT a runner, I just pretend to be one as I really only run 1 day a week, and ride a bike on four or five of the others days. The Hokas have a ridiculous wide and spongy base that allows me to run a course like as someone with cardio fitness and muscle strength – but completely inadequate joint strength required of a runner. It is amazing – and I cannot stress this enough how awesome the shoe was for this. This shoe compensates for lack of joint strength in my opinion.

We took off and I settled into the ~ 3rd group of runners. There were a few in the group that were pushing it hard and as we climbed they would drop out. A few people speed walked the steep sections, but I made it a point to run everything. My only limitation was tight Achilles tendons, especially my left leg. After tearing the right Achilles early last season (while biking in the Dawn til Dusk 12-hour race), I did my best to run on the balls of my feet, and take very short steps. If I can continue to get these tendons loosened up, I should be able to take bigger steps and move up faster for steep uphills, as breathing or fitness was not the issue. That said, I was positive in the climb as I passed more than passed me. The big descent would be my real test here, as the Burner 25K run last May proved that I had no business hanging out with runners on the descents due to the joint strength.

The top of the climb is around 11k, and it is stunning beautiful. We abut US Wilderness for a while and the ring of peaks were all snow packed. There was one runner in front of me who I had followed up the climb, but could never quite pass him, so I set him as my mark on the downhills and I was successful there in doing so. The downhill started out gentle and then got ridiculously steep. I did not quite have the muscle memory to run down at this pace and had to arrest a few times with shorter steps – which put a lot of stress on the thighs and butt. I ended up doing very well on the downhill run for me, as for the ~90-minute descent I passed 3 people and was passed by 5. After having what seemed like 100 people pass me at the Burner this was a success for me.

The 90 minute run actually trained me how to run fast downhills as I only got better and better it seemed. I had one loose shoe that became untied with 1.25 miles to go, but other than that it was the fastest I think I have ever run in my life. The last 2 miles are steep, but mag chloride treated back into town, and I only wish I knew how fast I ran there – it was crazy!

My goal for the big loop race was 2 hrs, 30 mins and I made it at 2:32 – which considering the loose shoe and a silly stop at one aid station to eat a goo (that I did not need) and fill up a bottle (that I did not drink) – I was amazed at how close I was to goal – considering my Garmin Computer was tucked away and out of site the entire race.

The race had some very fast people – some of the fastest in the state – as the course record was bested by 3 people. The living legend Bernie Boettcher came in fourth, which is surprising considering how many races he wins on dirt. I ended up doing quite well for me – I was very satisfied with the finish – and believe I got a top 30 out of some 140 racers for the 25k – and in my age group (40-49) came in top 5, as most of the runners in front of me were much younger – 20s and 30s. They moved only Bernie out of the 40-49 Age category – I assume because he was a pro or something of the sort – so that left me in 4th place 40-49 – just one spot out of a podium. Cool beans! I can’t wait to see the results posted.

I’m a mountain bike racer first, so this was nice feedback on how I have improved as a runner over the summer – even if it is the one day a week plan.

The food was excellent at the finish, and then I drove home. I took an awesome photo shot of Red Mountain on the drive back.

The skies are now blue and it looks like a lot of riding now needs to be done. I’ll get the bikes back together and try to go for my first ride since Vapor Trail this week. Cheers to fall!

-Matt

Whew, what a trip! I made it out to Bend, OR for the 3rd ever High Cascade 100, another National Ultra-Endurance (NUE) race. Nice write up here at Singletrack Magazine. The start was pretty chilly, but only because we started at 5:30-AM!

I chose the usual Divinity gearing for this and was a bit under geared at times, but others finished ahead of me who rode lesser and greater gearing. So as usual its about how you spin it, not what you spin.

I wore the Breckenridge jacket for the first loop in lieu of the vest and arm warmers, mostly because they had an on-course – and well placed and timed – clothing drop-off. Really first class approach here, because while the 5:30-AM is a pain in the arse, I do understand why they do it. This is a race of heavy hitters, but it also allows some slower riders the chance to finish. Last year they let some guy race for 16:35 on the course. Wow, that only helps grow the sport and this 100-mile format is sure to be the future of mountain biking racing because it is participatory for both pros and amateurs. You get more racers showing up for NUE events than you do for USAC, thats for sure.

I wore our European Team kit, as I did for the Breckenridge 100. I really like how it feels, especially the shoulders and sleeves of the jersey which are one piece, spandex type material – with no annoying cuff.

The course ended up being 108-miles, with 12,281-ft of climbing, with the lowest elevation around 4100-ft, and the highest around 6300-ft. There were no big climbs, and the course had to be near 100-miles of singletrack, it was incredible! Nothing but flowy, moto-style singletrack, with some logs and rocks to contend with. In fact, I did more log rollovers on this race, than I have done the entire season combined.

I would have liked some long sustained, high elevation climbs, but then again thats what I have here in Colorado, so it was nice to ride something else. I did crash pretty hard around mile 86, and the forensics of the crash left me with a sore left leg – Charley Horse – no bruising thank goodness, and my saddle was knocked so hard it pointed almost straight up. I think I hit a pedal on a log, dunno for sure. I crashed again around mile 102, just being careless. No mechanicals, other than my bottom bracket worked its way loose again, like it did at Bailey 100. A tad annoying and it did ruin all stealth capability out there. I finished 7th place SingleSpeed, with 6th and 5th just less than a couple of minutes in front of me. The crash knocked a bit out of me, but as it stands I did this race somewhere around a comfortable pace – only 12-minutes anerobic, which is 5 minutes more than Breck 100. I’m gonna have to step it up a bit, or just continue having fun riding these and be more strategical for next year. I had fun though, and even though the drive was so incredibly long, it was worth it, at least on the singletrack.

On the way back, I camped up high outside of Provo up at Strawberry Reservoir. Really nice up there, and I would liked to have ridden, but man, I just wanted to get home.

I always take these night before the race bike shots in the hotel room. Cool thing for this race was that I got a personalized number plate. Wish I could have arisen to the occasion though, but that said, these NUE events are truly National Races, and it’s not like going against the boy scouts up in Delta. Tough, competition, and I am proud to be a part of the NUE series.

I met up with Gerry Pflug, the national SingleSpeed champion for the NUE the last few years pre-race and we went out to dinner at the Cascade Brewing Company. Really good food, and so convenient since it was accross the street from the hotel, and just a few minutes from the race starts. Thanks to Jeni and her accumulated Marriott points, the room was free as well!

Bend, OR is a real cool place. It was a lot larger than I had expected, and it’s more a Breckenridge type of town, than it is Durango. Trails and soil were a lot like Flagstaff, but the town has a more west coast, dare I say, California type feel. Lots of tourists there in the town, but I did not see one trailer mounted with ATVs and Texas licence plates – whereas I did see a lot of Lexus type vehicles on their way to the golf courses. So there you have it.

The drive to and from Bend, was very long and mostly uneventful. I was somewhat taken aback though when entering Oregon and trying to fill up for gas. They have a state law that requires that gas station attendants actually pump your gas for you. In fact, one station had them in full dress from the 1950′s – think Navin R. Johnson.

I’m home now, somewhat rested and ready to ride.

-Matt

As the song says….”it’s a long way to the top, if you wanna rock-n-roll.”
Very fitting for the Vapor Trail as the climbs are long, and the descents rip roaring fun. I entered for the 5th time this year, and got my fourth finish in this event in the five tries. The gearing was different again this year, with the choice of 34×22 instead of last years 32×21, and as such a little more than half a gear inch taller. If I am smart enough to remember to read this for next year, I’ll recommend to go with the 32×21.

Clothing was the same as the 2009 report here in this blog, except that I never once put on the leg warmers – as the Boure knee warmers worked well. I did wear the Lake winter shoes and changed to my Sidis at Monarch. Only a jersey under the Pactimo Thermal Jacket was all I needed on the upper body, and the Craft Lobsters shells over the Black Diamond wind block fleece gloves did the trick for the hands.

We started at the now usual 10-PM in downtown Salida at the bridge, and got a nice police escort out of town. Tons of people were downtown cheering us on and it was very cool to see that. When the long neutral start finished, I settled into the second group of racers headed up to the Colorado Trail, following Huck and Dan from Crested Butte, both of the Brick Oven Team (Dan owns the Brick Oven actually, and Huck has his office just right above it). We hit the CT, and we quickly strung out so that there was no conga line or any leap frogging going on. Nothing spectacular, except for the banana I found on the trail right when I was starting a hike-a-bike section, so it was just too easy to pick it up, eat it, and move on. Hey that thing came all the way from Central America, hand picked, loaded on mules, floated on barges and overseas cargo ships and then trains and trucks to a supermarket here in Colorado. I HAD to eat that thing given its journey to the remote trail up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains!

The moon was full, the trails were wet and packed down, and the usual aid stations were well stocked and full of great hosts. I grabbed some grilled cheese sandwiches at the first one, a pancake and sausage breakfast at the second one, and cookies, Hammer Products, cokes, etc all through the race. I did this race again with just 3 water bottles and no pack on my back, and toward the end, just filled up 2 bottles because once past Aid Station No. 2, they are all less than a couple of hours apart after that..

I did not see any other single speeders all evening, as Jeff Hemperley rolled pretty slow after the neutral roll out. No Kevin Thomas this year in his backyard, and of the other single speeders, I recall seeing Andy Lapkass and his fully rigid bike; I met Chad Brockmeyer; and later learned Esther Horiyani was also rocking the one gear. There might have been others, but I did not see too many this year. I ended up finishing 9th place overall, and the 1st singlespeeder to finish again, which is the third time this has happened at the VT 125 for me. Results are located here. I actually was in 7th place up until mile 123, but got passed by two geared riders on the flat paved road right near the finish. I knew it was coming however, because it ALWAYS happens like this for single speeders on this course. Last year it was 3 or 4 who slipped by me at the end, and it’s always somewhat frustrating to see. You would think an offer for a road pull might happen, but hey it’s racing and it comes with the territory of single speeding. That said, perhaps someday a geared racing may wish to go down in history and pull one of us into the finish.

The ending at the Shawn Gillis household was great as usual, with burgers cooked up on the grill, Avery Beer, and my favorite – the chocolate chip bars and iced brownies! You would think I would skip the sugar after eating all the sugar during the 16+ hours of racing, but nope, these taste too darn good! Had some good conversations with friends, and then rolled into the Silver Lodge Motel, in lieu of my planned camping up at Blanks Cabin. I just wanted a shower, a bed, and some TV.

After doing this race so many times, this year was so stress free and casual from the preparation, to the event itself, and to the finish. I purposely left the Garmin 305 off of the bike this year and had no clock or mileage computer, and that added an extra level of peacefulness out there. I ended up looking at the scenery more this year, perhaps in part because of the full moon and how it lit up the massive mountains an valleys. In fact, after Dan Loftus dropped me on the Old Monarch Pass – a tad before the halfway point – I rode the course alone, except for some recreational riders along the way, many of whom were out to cheer us racers on.

The White Brothers Loop fork was perfect and I just love the 100mm travel now. The Moots did work flawlessly, and I only had two mechanical issues – the Moots CinchPost slipped again like it did at HC100 – and I bent my 34t chain ring pretty bad. The ring is a Surly Stainless Steel cog, and my front tire kicked up a sweet potato sized rock that hit my shin and then bounced right under the chain and I pedaled through, bending the cog. Good thing this was steel, as i just kicked the ring back into “true.” Prior to that i actually thought I may have a DNF with the bent ring. If that ring had been aluminum no way would it have been salvageable.

I’ll be back next year, and am proud to have finished this monster again.

Matt