Big Wheel Racing

Big Wheel Racing was in full force at 24 Hours in the Sage in Gunnison,Co. on August 16th-17th.The race course consisted of a 13 mile loop out at Hartman Rocks recreation area.the weather was perfect and the course was in great shape thanks to a little rain the night before.Donnie Cole came in with a 6th place finish solo male (13 laps),Gavin Flury 7th solo male(13 laps) John Mazzola 11th solo male (12 laps), Jen Albright 4th solo female (6 laps), Lisa Wishard 5th solo female (6 laps) and Jeff Hemperly 4th solo single speed (10 laps).As if these 24 hour races weren’t tough enough,they would be even tougher with out our great sponsors like High Desert Bicycles, Nuun, Honey Stinger, Maxxis, Ergon, Kenda and Specialized.

By Nate

Fool Hollow Lake in the town of Show Low Az hosted the Deuces Wild Triathlon Festival on May 31 / June 1. The even consists of a “long course” (aka half ironman distance) and an Olympic distance on Saturday, as well as an XTERRA off-road triathlon on Sunday. I elected to do the Long Course race on Saturday, and headed to the lake to bag a camping spot after work on Thursday.

The long course went off at 0630 Saturday morning in an extremely brisk lake (~61F?), and thanks to the combination of altitude and cold water I had a bit of a slow swim at 37:10 for the 1.2mi (2000m). After that long cold soak on the legs it took some time to get up to speed on the bike, but once finally loosened up the bike went smoothly, hammering out the 57.5mi in 2:42:04, which turned out to be 13th fastest bike split of the day. Heat and wind started to become a challenge on the in the last 14mi (which also contains the majority of the sustained climbing on the course). The combination of Perpetuem and nuun worked flawlessly on the bike as usual. An early mistake in T1 though I think set things in motion for a problem filled run, I took a couple ibuprofen after the swim to ward off the not uncommon post swim headache, having forgotten to bring tylenol. Unfortunately, what I failed to remember is ibuprofen will tear up my stomach in a hot run like we had. The result was an inability to absorb nutrition during the run, so after the initial 6 miles pace was decreasing continuously despite trying to keep up the fuel/hydration strategy that has worked well in the past. Consequently the run was a somewhat disappointing 2:04:12. A testament to the Hammer Nutrition and nuun combination on the bike that I had enough gas in the tank to complete the 13.1 mi run with effectively no nutrition and still salvage a 5:29:38 total time. Good enough for 30th overall and 4th in the 30-34 age group.

nuun is “gettin’ it done”

With great pleasure Big Wheel Racing would like to announce that High Desert Bicycles & Specialized Bikes have teamed up to provide sponsorship for our team. We are truly thankful for the opportunity to work with High Desert Bicycles of Rio Rancho, NM which is by far the top shop in central New Mexico. With a line up that includes America’s top bike company, Specialized Bike, and their innovative products, High Desert also provide bicycles from Spanish cycling giant Orbea, and American mountain biking companies Yeti and Titus.

Here is part of the now full line up of women’s bikes from Specialized, the carbon fiber Safire!

Since a good majority of the BWR team likes to singlespeed, this bike caught the attention of several team members!

Drool at the Specialized roadie bling!

The women are a huge part of BWR’s team, as we currently have 6 strong female riders. We are always trying to grow the number of women on the team, and now thanks to High Desert and Specialized our teamates can ride in style!

Since we are Big Wheel enthusiasts, no post would be complete without a 29er!

Rich can hardly contain his excitement!

You can even buy a full team kit from High Desert’s road team, which are our new partners in crime!

Nate and Donnie talking with one of the store’s owners, John Kibodeaux.

High Desert Bicycles chose to sponsor Big Wheel Racing because, according to John, they wanted to support the local mountain bike and endurance racing scene. We are very appreciative of this support and we will strive to do our best to represent the shop. We can only hope that we can display a level of generosity back to the shop in equal to the faith they have shown in us. Thanks High Desert and Specialized!

If you visit, the shop, please tell them that you saw this post on the Big Wheel Racing website.

nuun solves hydration! Convenient, easily packable, and great flavors. An optimum blend of electrolytes to keep you hydrated without all the sticky sweet sugar of sports drinks. nuun allows you to decouple your hydration from your nutrition letting you choose how to refuel.

Use it for an all day epic, or keep a tube in your gym bag for those short workouts where you require hydration but don’t need the carbs.

Image from Adam Lisonbee. 

The Vapor Trail 125 is a grueling ultra-endurance mountain biking event in Salida, Colorado hosted by Absolute Bikes and organized by Tom Purvis and shop owner, Shawn Gillis.  Matt was fortunate enough to be invited to this, which required a resume of accomplishmenst in endurance racing. 

A total of 33 individuals lined up at the start, in downtown Salida at Midnight, Sept. 8, 2007.  18 would finish the course with the others dropping out at checkpoints along the way. 

Matt finished with the 5th fastest time over all, and also had the 1st fastest finishing time for singlespeeders.  

 Matt rode his Moots Mooto-x Singlespeed complete with the Kenda Small Block 8 tires. 

Honey Stinger Energy and also Protein Bars were a big part of Matt’s nutrition plan. 

Diet Power has kept the team members fit and trim all year, and we have truly enjoyed the support from Terry Dunkle.

In addition, Matt stopped by Santa Fe Brewing Company on the return trip and was rewarded with the team favorite - Santa Fe Pale Ale - thanks Ty and Brian!

The Vapor Trail 125 is one of the most grueling ultra-endurance challenges out there as it covers 125-miles of mountain bike trails, and rough primitive roads, with over 20,000-ft of climbing and at elevations between 9,000-ft to 12,000-ft.

A very detailed course description is located at the Vapor Trail website.

Less than two weeks after moving to California, I tried to continue the Big Wheel Racing dominance at the the 12 Hours of Socal above Lake Vail in Temecula, unfortunately I lack Matt’s legs and lungs. With temperatures exceeding 90F, and less than 200 feet of shaded on a 10.6 mile course, it’s safe to say that I wilted, less than most but more than the two leaders. By the end of the day (8:20 or so) I had completed 10 laps, for a total of 106 miles with 13,500 feet of climbing (not to mention the extra 2 miles and couple hundred vertical feet from a wrong turn during Lap 2), which was enough for third place in the Solo SS category (and prolly top 5 or 6 in overall solo). At 7 pm, I checked the results and saw that I wasn’t going to catch the two leaders, and no one was going to catch me, so I could’ve stopped, but the trail continued call to me, and the sunset loop was spectacular (and the temperatures were dropping, coincidence?).

The race organizer puts on an excellent event. The course was challenging (even without the heat), with very steep climbs, some steep descents, and lots of sand. The aid station at the summit of the Dam Climb, was manned all day by the most cheerful of volunteers and the coldest liquid water imaginable. It was a welcome shock to the system to down 2 dixie cups every lap, and almost painful to dump a third one down my back. Then sporadically, the promoter was encountered anywhere on the course on his quad. Inspecting the course, looking after the welfare of racers, and giving words of encouragement throughout. I’ll be back in November to compete again, this time the SoCal boys will be cold and Ill be relishing the change..

Sponsorship ShoutOut - Hard to tell from the picture, but I rocked the SockGuy reggae striped socks all day, would’ve resulted in funky tanlines if it weren’t for all the dirt on my legs with an SPF of 1000..

The Pactima kit kept me super-comfy all day, despite the amount of black on the jersey and the copious amount of water on my back that dripped down to my shorts. ‘Nuff said

And I still feel that I can ride all day long on Hammer Perpetuem, although with respect to the heat, I did supplement the Perpetuem with Hammer Nutrition’s Endurolytes. JIC..

All smiles prior to the start

3 laps down, still smiling

6 laps down, moving to a camelback, hurting but still smiling

The beginning of the Dam Climb, which continues up the ridgeline to the right, and then gets steeper as we climb the next two ridgelines

After the summit, the route continued down ridgelines on terrain resembling Fruita, or White Mesa

Count on Klinger Constructors, Inc. as one of Big Wheels Racing’s newest supporters!

Klinger Constructors, LLC constructs physical environments in which businesses and people can prosper. We offer extensive construction and design-build services in commercial, industrial, and institutional markets. Since 1982 Klinger has been based in
Albuquerque, New Mexico and has constructed a wide range of projects in the Southwest., We have completed more than $550 million worth of construction. Our customers include many major national companies including MCI, General Electric, General Mills, Intel, State Farm, Wal-Mart and Philips Semiconductors, as well as numerous regional and local firms.

Diet Power software will be supplied to all Big Wheel Racing team members for the 2007 season. This unique tool is very beneficial to athletes who are concerned about proper nutritional intake. BWR members will give reports on the program as the season moves on. We are very proud to have the support of Diet Power and Terry Dunkle.

Top Calorie Counter & Diet Coach

Leading Weight Loss Software Offers No-Strings 15-Day Trial

Of all the weight loss programs on the market today, only Diet Power guarantees reaching your goal weight on your target date. Our award-winning diet software makes any diet* more powerful by helping you control what all diet plans have in common: calories. Our software also balances your intake of 33 vitamins and minerals by recommending foods you like. This extraordinary degree of personalization is one reason weight watchers rate our calorie counter and diet program the world’s best.

Besides Counting Calories…

…our diet software shows nutrition facts for 11,000 foods, plans menus, tracks calories burned in exercise, charts body measurements, “doctors” recipes for healthy weight loss, delivers personalized nutrition news and features, lets you meet weight watchers online, and more…

Use Our Diet Calculator Free—No Obligation

Try our complete diet program free for 15 days. (You can download now or get a CD in the mail.) If you like what you see, pay $49.99. If you don’t, there’s nothing to cancel, nothing to return—We’re Not That Kind of Company™. (Even after purchase, we offer an unparalleled one-year money-back guarantee.)

From Road ID’s founders:

The concept for Road ID hit home while I was training for my first marathon. My father, being a concerned parent, said “What if you had an accident while running? What if you were hit by a car, tripped and knocked yourself unconscious, fainted, suffered from heat exhaustion or, heaven forbid, had a heart attack?” To my father, I said “Ah dad, don’t worry about it.” To myself I said, “Man, I’d be up $#!t creek without a paddle.” The hospital would have no idea who I was, how to pull my medical records and most importantly, who to contact. It freaked me out to think that I could be lying in a hospital and neither my friends nor my family would know where I was, simply because I did not have ID.

It wasn’t long after my first marathon that my father (Mike) and I (Edward) teamed up to create Road ID. If you are a runner, cyclist, jogger, walker, hiker, climber, skater, skier, boarder or someone who just doesn’t spend all of their time on the couch, then I encourage you to invest in some security - order a Road ID now. Don’t wait until it’s too late. While you are on our site, take your time. Make sure you find out everything you need and should know about wearing ID. If you have any questions, just contact us. We are happy to personally address any of your questions.

ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN!! Each year, over 450,000 of us are taken to hospitals unconscious and without Identification. If you experience an unexpected injury or sudden illness, when not at home, don’t you want those who come to your aid to have quick easy access to YOUR IDENTITY? Road ID not only provides safety and peace of mind for you and your loved ones, but Road ID can prevent serious delays in medical treatment and possibly even save your life.

Our mission is two fold: One, to educate runners, cyclists, walkers and other athletes who participate in other sports such as rollerblading, skiing, climbing and hiking about the importance of wearing ID. Two, to provide these athletes with innovative products that impel them want to include ID as an integral part of their gear. Whether you engage in cycling, bicycling, running, walking or any other sports, let Road ID assist you in making ID an integral part of your gear.
Please support Road ID by going to www.roadid.com Tell them Big Wheel Racing sent you!

Ride424™.com was conceived with one simple goal -  to help grow the sport of off-road ultras by providing information to help newcomers and experienced racers alike get more fun out of these challenging and rewarding events. By providing a forum for the North American racing calendar we also aim to help race promoters coordinate with each other, fostering constructive competition among those who bravely step up to the plate to promote ultra-MTB events.

Karl Etzel founded Ride424™.com in 2004 to address the needs of serious (and not so serious) ultra-endurance MTB racers. Recognizing that the sport is young and unorganized, and that racing is often a significant expense in both time and money, he built the site into a consumer review page for athletes trying to make informed decisions about which races to pick. Karl has a background in engineering and was a marketing manager in the Silicon Valley tech industry prior to founding Ride424™.com and Momandpopcoffee.com.

Big Wheel Racing proudly supports the efforst of Karl and Ride424.  Please check out his website and patronize his sponsors in order to help keep this valuable racing resource viable. 

Whether you are in the market for a starter bike or pro level gear for the road or dirt, BikeSource has you covered. With six locations throughout the United States, you are sure to find a location nearby or simply visit them on the web. BikeSource carries a wide variety of bicycle, clothing and accessory brands including Specialized, Serotta, Cervelo, Orbea, Pearl Izumi, CycleOps and Oakley.

BWR thanks BikeSource for its support of grass roots racing!

Whether you’re jumping out of the gate in BMX or mountain cross, lining out the sprint in the local crit, screaming along on your favorite downhill, or climbing to the top of the nearest mountain just to ride back down, you don’t have to worry about what’s underneath. Go ahead and focus on the race, the course, the competition, the ride – leave your tires to Maxxis. Maxxis takes pride in the development and construction of high–quality performance products that riders trust on any surface.

That trust is earned through continual improvements in technology. Assisted by their champion sponsored riders, who offer feedback on performance and durability, Maxxis’ engineers develop innovative tread patterns and pioneering technology. Many different compounds and durometers - joined with features such as Kevlar® belts, our exclusive silkworm technology, butyl inserts and nylon breakers – let riders conquer any terrain. The resulting improved performance and durability translate to victory for professionals –and a trouble free ride for the enthusiast in all of us.

BWR thanks Maxxis Tires for their support for grassroots racing!

Fat Tire Cycles is the home of Albuquerque’s finest selection of bicycles and accesories.  They eat, sleep, and dream bicycles and offer a complete selection, from Junior’s first training wheels and Mom’s Comfort bike to the bikes ridden by pro racers in the Grand Tours of Europe.

Please visit Fat Tire Cycles and tell them that BWR sent you. 

Back in 1988 the Santa Fe Brewing Company established themselves as New Mexico’s first microbrewery.  Their first beer, of course, was the now legendary Santa Fe Pale Ale, which is a staple in the great southwest.  The history of the company is located here.

Santa Fe Brewing Company is New Mexico’s  oldest microbrewery, distributing only naturally conditioned beers in its home state of New Mexico and surrounding states including Colorado, Texas, Arizona and California. Santa Fe Brewing Company brews their beer in Santa Fe, New Mexico, featuring favorites such as Santa Fe Pale Ale, Santa Fe Wheat, Santa Fe Nut Brown, State Pen Porter, Chicken Killer Barley Wine, Fiesta IPA, Viszolay Belgian Ale, and Maxwell’s Silver Stout.

By agreement with Big Wheel Racing, the Santa Fe Brewing Company is now a proud sponsor of our team.  We look forward to a long relationship with this fine brewer so stay tuned for more information!

All of our beers are made from the finest hops shipped directly from the grower in Washington along with specialty malts imported from the UK. We pride ourselves on not only using high quality ingredients but also using no preservatives or pasteurization. Our beers are natural conditioned in the bottle in which the beer undergoes a secondary fermentation that creates the carbonation naturally and gives our beers a rich complex taste. This is what makes our beers unique and taste sooooo good.

SANTA FE PALE ALE Anything but a typical American Pale, Santa Fe Pale Ale is as full bodied as its most robust English counterparts, while asserting its American origin with a healthy nose resplendent with Cascade and Willamette hops. It finishes with a well-balanced combination of the subtle, almost Pilsner-like maltiness accentuated by the German yeast used to brew this Santa Fe classic, and a hop bite sufficient to leave a lingering smile on the face of any fan of American Pale Ales. Availability: year round Starting Gravity: 14 degrees Plato Ending Gravity: 3.5 degrees Plato Malts: 2-row pale, 30-37 l. Carastan, 70-80 l.Crystal Hops: Cluster, Crystal, Willamette, Cascade Yeast: House Ale Alcohol Content: 5.5%

SANTA FE NUT BROWN The Brown Ale style originated in the pubs of England, where beer drinkers desired a beer that was both flavorful and complex, but at the same time mild enough to be a session beer. The Santa Fe Brewing Company’s interpretation of this style uses a combination of high mash temperature, hard water, and low-alpha acid hops to produce a product that is both true to the style and distinctly Santa Fe. Brewing jargon aside, Santa Fe Nut Brown Ale is an easy-drinking beer, mild, smooth, and always a favorite. Try a keg at your next party! Availability: year round Starting Gravity: 13 degrees Plato Ending Gravity: 4.5 degrees Plato Malts: 2-row pale, 30-37 l. Carastan, Chocolate Hops: Willamette Yeast: House Ale Alcohol Content: 5.2%

SANTA FE WHEAT A true Bavarian wheat yeast, sixty percent wheat malt, and German hops make Santa Fe Wheat Beer as true to the style as any American rendition can be. German Wheat Beer, with its hints of banana and clove, its delectable, spicy, hops, and its pale golden color, is becoming increasingly popular in America’s craft brewing world, and with good reason: wheat beers are both light enough to please light beer drinkers, and complex enough to please true micro-brew connoisseurs. To mimic a classic German Hefeweisen, after pouring your Santa Fe Wheat Beer into a glass, swirl the last few drops in the bottle to loosen the yeast from the bottom, then pour the yeast over the top of your beer. Availability: year round Starting Gravity: 13 degrees Plato Ending Gravity: 3 degrees Plato Malts: Wheat, 2-row pale Hops: Hallertau, Cluster Yeast: House Wheat Alcohol Content: 5.25%

In the meantime, please check out the Santa Fe Brewing Company and tell them that we sent you!