Minnesnowta Fats

The holiday season is my kryptonite. I think it is the combination of the short days, great food, celebratory spirit, and cold weather. All I want to do is sleep, keep warm, and eat. I haven't been on the bike since the cross state championship in early November. I have been doing a little running, but not enough.

I'll have some meat with a side of meat top with delicious cheese. Oh, and add a glazed pastry on the side...

It has been a good break, so once I get past new year's it will be time to ramp it up again.

It's Over

The season is now officially over. Nine mountain bike races and two cyclocross races. With such a wet season, who wouldn't expect that one of the last events would be in a snow storm.

On Saturday I was up early for the MN State Cyclocross Championship. When I left the house, it was snowing like crazy, with about 4 inches accumulated so far. I registered for the CX4 race and went out to pre-ride the course. It was very beautiful with the snow covered trees, but the course was slippery. I went back to my car to remove a couple of layers and warm my hands. Everything was warm, except for the hands. Tom T. and Josh C. both offered me their 'winter' gloves, so that really saved me from some pain.

At the start, the riders were called up in the order that they registered. That left me at the back of the pack. When the whistle blew, bikes were sliding everywhere. A good portion of the riders decided to run, including myself. As I was running, my left leg warmer started sliding down my thigh. Even when I was riding it wanted to creep lower and lower. Into the race only 2 minutes, I knew I was going to have to stop and pull it back up. It was irritating, but if I let it slide down it was going to get caught in something. Stopping for about 45 seconds to adjust, I lost all of my positioning and was riding at the back of the pack. The leg warmers didn't give me any more issues for the rest of the race, but now I was riding to pass.

It ended up being a fun race. I was picking people off the entire race, giving me the motivation to ride harder and faster. The highlights were the fans cheering, belly sliding down the hill after crashing, and chasing geese off the course. Finished 48th out of 65, with a new love for cyclocross racing. Next year I have high hopes.

Destroyed Legs

I started up my kettlebell routine this weekend after taking a couple of months off. Today, I can hardly walk.

Rode at Lebanon on Sunday and thought it might help loosen the muscles. No dice. Tex, Andy, and I did one full lap and one intermediate lap for a total of about 15 miles. This fall is making up for all the rain we had this summer. I hope to just keep riding through November.

The P-51 is moving along. I am almost finished with the right wing. No pictures until I start the fuselage, since the wing builds are the same...

Still Riding

The fall weather has been great. I am still able to ride without freezing, or wearing a ton of clothes. Ran two miles on Thursday, three miles on Friday, rode 18 miles on Saturday, and did a 5 mile walk with my dad on Sunday. Looking forward to the cyclocross races next weekend. It should be fun!

No change in the P-51 status. I probably won't get to the left wing until next week.

P-51 Build Status

I started on my first balsa model build last week. It is a 43" wingspan House of Balsa P-51. I have gotten as far as shaping the leading edge on the right wing. Here are some photos of the progress.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Knudball/HouseOfBalsaP51Build#

Training Ride

Friday ran three miles. Saturday rode 35+ miles. Probably one of the last days this year I can wear shorts for a ride.

Ran

4 miles as part of cross training.

New Bike

After some finagling and monkey business, I picked up a new bike last weekend. I have been riding rigid all year, so I decided to continue with that configuration for the new bike. Words won't do it justice, but I picked up a Niner E.M.D. with the Niner carbon fork. The ride weighs in at around 23#s. Excited to get it to a cross race before the end of the season.

Riding has been lacking as we lose the light in the evening. The weather has been nice enough to get mile in on the weekend, so I won't complain. Last weekend I got out for 20 road miles on Friday, 15 dirt miles on Saturday, and about 12 miles of dirt on Sunday. This weekend was 17 road miles on Friday, and some hill intervals on Saturday.

Statism

"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all" - Thomas Jefferson

Fall Day in Theo

Went out for a endurance ride on Saturday. Road to Theodore Wirth trails, 2 laps, then back home. Total mileage is just over 30. Total time is probably 2 hours and 15 minutes. Legs were tight from 3 mile run on Thursday.

I picked up a pair of leg warmers this week after last weekend's ride. Andy and I did some hills in the cold, and it really put some pressure on my ligaments and tendons. I used the leg warmers yesterday, keeping the legs warm for the entire ride. I found the warmers at REI on clearance ($25 for thermafleece PI leg warmers).

I have been looking a getting a new bike for next season, but have been a little reluctant to put down the cash. The main focus has been a Niner E.M.D., but recently I have been looking at the Niner S.I.R. My shift to the SIR is based on two thoughts: first, I want to have the ability to setup the bike as a single speed, and second, I have always wanted to try a steel frame. The obvious downside is the fact that the SIR is heavier than the EMD, and the cost is that much higher. The internal debate continues...

Results

Official results are up for the cross race. 31st out of 40 riders in Cat 4.

First Cross Race

I decided to give cross racing a try last night. A few of the guys I race with talk about it from time to time, so I thought I should check it out. When I showed up, I was surprised by the length of the course. Granted, this is a 'practice' race, but I thought the race would have utilized more of the space. This isn't really a complaint, but an observation.

I arrived at the race early enough to get in 30 minutes of riding prior to the race. I was also able to go through the course two time prior to the start. A couple observations:
1. Josh C. was right, I need to practice my dismounts.
2. I need some skinny tires.

At the start, I lined up at the back. I was more interested in experiencing the race to get a better idea of how everything works. It probably wasn't the best idea, because as soon as the whistle sounded, the front of the group took off while I waited for the traffic to start moving. It was a significant disadvantage in meeting my first goal of not getting lapped.

The pace of the race wasn't too bad. I have been running all year, so that definitely helped. On lap 3 I crashed for the first time this year. I was coming around a corner pretty fast and slid out on the grass. My chain had popped off, so I lost a few spots trying to get it back on.

There were 2 other guys with mountain bikes, and we ended up riding the majority of the race together. I had the lead of the three of us until my accident. The rider that passed me was Dan K. It was good to see him again after his baby hiatus.

Saw a lot of familiar faces at the race (Brendan B, Nate G, Dan K, etc). It was a great workout, a good time, and an overall fun experience. I will definitely try my hand at a few more races this fall.

The Cold is my Achelles

Was planning on racing this weekend. Woke up Saturday morning to light rain, which was enough for me to stay home. Rode 17 miles with Andy on Saturday afternoon. He pulled me through some hills as he rode his road bike and I was on the knobbies. Didn't have much in the legs for the ride, so it was probably best that I didn't race. Fighting a cold...

I might try to ride a cross this week, but my achelles tendor is sore from the hills ride on Saturday. It feels weird... The cold air rides kill my legs. Time to get some leg warmers.

Murphy Ride

Rode two advanced laps at murphy on Sunday. Trail was fast, or maybe that was me ;)

Legs have caught up to lungs and feel pretty balanced. Rode the 15+miles in 1.25 with multiple stops to stretch, fuel and enjoy the scenery.

Next weekend is the last race of 2010. Hopefully the other riders are tapering, while I am peaking...

Pain Cave

I have been reading a few mtb racing blogs this summer and have found a new favorite phase: Pain Cave.

def. To dig deep into ones mental fortitude where physical exertion exceeds that of what is comfortable and safe.

It is a reoccurring theme in race recaps written by these elite athletes. I have started to explore my pain cave a little more, but in some cases I am fearful that I will break something. More spelunking required for next year.

It was a triple header this weekend for rides:
17 miles in the rain (Friday) - really sapped my energy trying to stay warm. Found the opening to the "pain cave".
13 miles on railroad bed with Jenny (Saturday) - got a couple hill sprints in, but for the most part it was a slow roll.
20 miles of flats into the wind (Sunday) - Entered pain cave on upwind stretch.

Murphy Weekend

I got out to Murphy this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Both time I brought the boys, so it was not at hard training ride.

On Saturday, Josh, Max, and I did a full lap. It took us 2 hours, but the boys seemed to enjoy it. If they have to look forward to ice cream, then it is worth it for them. Josh rode most of the hazards, with the exception of the elevated roller coaster. He was much more comfortable on the bike, now that I cut his seatpost down. I thought we were in trouble when Max went over his bars on one of the bridges. He cried a little, but was ready to continue on.

On Sunday, I bought Jenny a mountain bike. We went out to the trail as a family. This was Jenny's first time hitting the dirt, and she was pretty scared. The intent was to ride the green and blue sections this time, but the three boys got way ahead of mom and dad. The three of them continued onto the black trail without waiting. In the meantime, Jenny was struggling to complete the blue section, but was improving. I decided to bring her back out to the green loop, where she was more comfortable, and catch up to the boys in the black loop. With Jenny safe and sound, I took off at top speed back into the blue section. I had a great time hammering out the blue and a portion of the black before I caught up with Josh and Max. I rode the last 2.5 miles to the green with the little boys, but never saw Asher.

Although both days included a lot of slow riding, I was a little tired on Monday. I guess I will call those days endurance rides...

Good Riding Weather

The weather has been great the last week for some good riding. Went out on a 35 mile road ride on Friday after work. Followed it up with a 17+ miler at Lebanon with Josh and Andy. Feeling in top form. Ready for winter ;)

Training Triathlon

Ran a psuedo triathlon last night. First, Jenny wanted to run when we got home from work. We did our 2 mile slog with Max pacing us on his bike. The transition include a fire in the backyard with s'mores. Stage 2 was a 17 mile ride just as it was getting dark. Really felt my legs coming off a week and a half of rest. I found that speed I have been missing this season.

On a side note, the Pizza Luce that just opened in Hopkins/SLP was packed with bikers. They picked a good location putting it in the old baker's square next to the LRT bikepath.

The final stage of the triathlon was 2 laps in the tub. Victory!

Weekend Riding

Put 25 miles of logging trails and dirt road on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday. Both days were extremely windy.

Not sure what races to do for the end of the season. I won't get to Duluth for the great hawk chase, and I can't make it to Laddies Loppet. That leaves the Jail Trail in late September and a big void in my racing calendar for the next month. I guess I could look at doing some of the Thursday nigh traces, but it is a bit anti-climatic not to have an epic race for the end of the season...

Racing Recap

It has been an interesting year. For starters, I have probably raced more than I ever did throughout college. I have logged 20 races since returning in 2009, and am amazed by how much I could learn along the way. What is most important, I have found, is to have fun. That has been a struggle with some of the conditions we have raced in this year, but it has made me stronger.

There are 3 races left in the MMBS and a number of smaller races. It should be an interesting end to the season.

Border Battle

Raced the Border Battle yesterday and died of heat exhaustion (heat index over 100F). Came back from the dead to type this blog update.

Course conditions were a repeat of last year. It rained the night before, so guess what? Mud. Not a lot of mud, but enough to cake your tires and slow you down.

Felt good, but was not going to cook myself. Not a stellar finish, but was enough to move up on points with the guy in the #5 spot. Results: 13/27 AG, 105/215 OA, Three laps at Whitetail Ridge in 1:27:44

WORS knows how to put on a race...

On a funny (for me) but shameful note, I probably did the worst passing job in my life at this race. At the end of the third lap I was hitting some lap traffic. I had just passed a group of 5 riders that I was racing against, and was trying to hold a gap. On a short climb I caught up to a women followed by a man. The women knew I was there and made some room. I passed on her right, but got boxed in by the guy and the trail. I had this great idea that I could bushwhack between 2 trees and swing in front of the guy. During my elegant pass I cut across the front of the women, split the two trees and cut into the guy resulting in him going off track. Nobody went off their bike, but I was probably seen as a giant a-hole. I apologized immediately, but I don't think they took my antics lightly. Oops.

Last of The Thursday Night at Buck

Had a great time a Buck last night. We made it a family affair with the 2 oldest boys racing. I raced advanced and finished in 1:04. Asher raced recreational and Josh raced beginner. I was able to ride most of the race with Josh. He was just starting when I was finishing.

It was a good night for all. I won the raffle and so did Josh Collins. The boys got plenty of candy and treats. Everybody was happy. We will need to do more of these next year...

Head Hunter

Played in my last lacrosse game for the season. We lost 6-5, but it was a real good time. I am going to miss seeing the guys, but it sounds like we might get a winter league setup.

For the second time in the last 2 games I clocked someone in the head (helmet) with a shot. If I could only envision a head in the goal, I might actually score.

Buck Hill Birch Bump

I had a good race on Sunday at Buck. I ran the best race I could and was happy with my finish. It was a little hot on the front climbs with the sun beating down, but that is to be expected for an August 1st race.

I started the race slow and dialed up the speed over the 4 laps. I had a good pace going until I pulled into the singletrack on the second lap. I hit some slow traffic, and couldn't get past a guy. I asked to pass and he acknowledged, but he never gave an opening. After about 2 minutes of me riding his wheel and shooting for holes, he says something to the point that he is not sure how to let me pass? The question didn't even make sense. After about 20 more seconds he pulls wide on a turn and I was able to get the inside. I lost the gap I had built on the racers behind me, and could hear them coming.

The rest of the race I duked it out with the #4 guy. He is a smaller rider with a FS bike, so he seemed to have an advantage on the climbs and rocky front sections. We raced the last 2 laps where he would gap me on the front climb, I would reel him in through the singletrack, he would gap me on the front section... On the last lap in the last section of singletrack, he gapped me enough to break away when we hit the front section. I tried to pull him back in, but the heat was really getting to me. In the end, he finished 12 seconds ahead.

Results: 5/12 in AG and 45/122 overall. Time was 1:03:54.

Lebanon Ride

Running late last night, so I wasn't able to get down to Buck Hill for the race. Decided to bring Asher down to Lebanon to meet up with Andy and Pat. Never did see them on the trail, but did get a good ride in. Rode one full lap with Asher, then did the intermediate loop at about 85% race pace.

Beers with the boys after... Good times.

Endurance

Took the little boys down to Lebanon today. Both of them loved the ride and want to go again ASAP. We did the intermediate loop. Josh rode the whole thing, Max had to walk some sections.

After bringing the boys home, I took off on a 2 hour endurance ride. Went to Excelsior and back. Three hours of riding for the day...

Happy

Raced my first Thursday night at Buck Hill with Asher tonight. It was probably the most fun I have had this season. Felt good. Finished 4 laps in Advanced in 1:04. Winning rec riders were around 32 minutes. Had my name called for the first time too. Double victory.

Asher had a good time. He wants to race again next week. Finished in Rec in 47 minutes. Not bad for his first outing...

Hills

Found a good hills route to ride last night. A good 1:15 ride. I need to get a few more of those in before the next race. Tonight - Buck Hill if it is not raining.

MNMBS #6 - Single Track Attack!

Best part of the race: No mud!
Worst part of the race: Heavy legs.

Elk River was a difficult race for me. I am struggling to find my form, and I suspect that I just need some time off. As of late, my legs feel tired all the time and I haven't been sleeping. A couple clear signs that I am over trained.

The conditions for the race could not have been much better. Most sections were firm and dry for some fast riding.

The rollout down the road and into the beginner section was fast. Out of the 28 riders (in 30-39 group) I hit the singletrack in 8th position. I maintained that position through most of the first advanced section, but was really struggling to keep a fast pace. In section 2 I hit a corner too fast and went down in some sand. I got up quickly and jumped on the bike to realize that my seat was 45 degrees off of straight. I don't have a quick release, so I had to pull the camelback off and fish out the 5mm wrench. All the while, group after group was passing me. I got back on the bike and put some hard effort in to make up some time. Not too far into section 3, I realized that the collar clamp for the seat was not tight enough and my seat was slowly going down. I stopped again to tighten the bolt and came to the realization that I was now riding for fun.

I finished lap 1 at a more moderate pace, and enjoyed the course. Back into section 1, one of the leaders from the old man group caught me, and was a real tool when he passed. I always let faster riders by as quickly as possible, and was trying to be accommodating to this guy. I guess Karma paid him back, because right after he passed we were flying through a fast downhill section and he went down on one of the corners.

I felt my legs for the first time in section 2 of the second lap, and started reeling other riders in. It felt good to start passing and really helped me keep the momentum up. I finished the race 13th out of 16 in the 35-39 AG and 79th out of 138 overall. Lap 1 time was 51:45 (with prologue). Lap 2 time was 41:58. I was 14:38 off the leader. Without the fall, I was on pace to finish 8th based on my lap 2 results being faster than than the 4 guys in front of me.

Early Morning Ride

I couldn't sleep this morning, so I decided to put in some early morning miles. I headed out at 5:15am, just as the sun began to light up the sky. Truly peaceful. Did a punishing 20+ miles hammer fest. Excited to race on Sunday (barring any rain).

Tour de Inspiration

I love July. It starts out with my favorite holiday (Independence Day), and ends with the Tour de France finish. The weather is ideal, and I really feel like I am coming in to form for the race season.

I was in St. Louis for work last night and was able to watch the TdF at the hotel. Watching these guys ride is really inspiring me to get out and hit it hard. Andy Schleck is turning into a monster. The kid is still under 25, but is hitting his top form. It will be interesting to watch how he progresses over the next few years. I hope Lance wins a stage. That would be inspiration for us older guys...

Vacation from the Vacation

After 6 days off of work, I need another vacation. The 4th of July weekend was a blast, but very little sleep and a lot of activity. I decided not to race on the 4th because of the forecasted rain, but I did get in two training rides and two runs.

The first ride was a 30 miler of rolling hills. It was so peaceful out on that lonely country road. Gauging my performance against the same route last year, I am very happy with my progress.

The second ride was a dirt road circuit (15 miles) with intervals. The goal was to go fast enough to keep the horse flies away.

Bike seems to be running better with the new BB and rear derailleur. I might race tonight if I can get away from work early enough.

Seized Bearings

After a little inspection and cleaning of the bike, I discovered that the non-drive side bottom bracket bearings had seized. I looked at the crank arm spindle, and there is a smear of plastic where the spindle meets the bottom bracket bushing. I receive the new BB today, so it will be interesting to see if I can notice the reduction in drag.

My plan is to race Red Wing this weekend, but it will be dependent on a lot of different stuff:

• Grandma's 90th birthday the evening before.
• I will have to come down from up north.
• Family coming into town and meeting up at the cabin.
• Quantity of rum runners consumed on Saturday...
• Weather, no rain or mud allowed

Mt Kato

Mt. Kato is typically my favorite race of the year, but I knew I was going to have issues as soon as I woke up Sunday morning. My legs we stiff from playing lacrosse Friday night, but I thought I could still make a good showing. My plan was to start slow this week, and ramp it up over the three laps. My body started with a no, and was screaming no by the end of the last lap.

It was fun racing with Andy for a while, but he blew my doors off by the end of the second lap. He caught me at the top on lap two, and just kept on accelerating to the end. It was fun to see him in good form. I saw a lot of other friendly faces, which always make racing so much fun!

I think I am done racing the mud this year. I don't enjoy, and don't have the time for, the bike maintenance. After 2 mud races this year, the bearings on my rear derailleur pulleys are toast and so is my bottom bracket. I have a new rear der. and bb on order. I should get them later this week.

Next stop: Red Wing

Results: 10th out of 11th in 35-39 Sport. 53 out of 84 and 2:45 behind Andy.

Loop the Loop

17 miles this morning riding the loop. A little sluggish from the full body massage the night before (Father's Day gift from Jenny). The massage was nice, but not my cup of tea.

Mt Kato; ready or not, here I come...

Pizza Guilt

I ordered a pizza (large) for lunch yesterday with the intention of only eating half. Gluttony got the best of me, and I ate the whole thing. I was ashamed.

Pizza guilt drove me to riding hard last night. Rode intervals on my local hill, then pounded out 15 miles. I feel ready for Mt Kato. I will probably get out and spin a couple more times before Sunday.

Lebanon Hills

Being that it was Father's Day weekend, I had a lot of play time allotted to me. On Friday, we had our first lacrosse practice and scrimmage for Geezlax. It was a great time. I played middie, so I got a good deal of running in. After lacrosse, I went for a quick 15 mile ride on the road. Suffice to say, I was spent that evening.

Saturday was lacrosse pictures for the boys and a graduation party. I was feeling a little pain from the field running, so it was a good opportunity to rest. I also picked up a roof rack (Yakima) for the car, so I spent a portion of the day setting it up.

Sunday was the perfect Father's Day. Jenny made a big breakfast, and I opened some gifts from the kids. I did some lifting (kettle bell) in the morning and we went on a family bike ride. In the afternoon, we grabbed some Chipolte and came home and had a water balloon fight. We like to buy the full size balloons and see how big we can make the balloons. Asher made one that probably had 3 gallons of water in it.

To top off the perfect weekend, I headed down to Lebanon Hills for some mountain biking. Andy joined me for the ride, and we had a great time. It was the first time for me to get down there this year and the trail was in prime condition. We rode a total of 17 miles. Andy kept me honest on the second lap, and made me finish fast.

Morning Loop

It was warm and dry enough to hit my morning loop today. The ride is 16.5 miles with a couple of stop lights and stop signs. Rode it in 1 hour (timed from the clock at home). Probably averaged 17-18mph, based on the measurement method. I want to get a real simple cycle computer. Any suggestions?

Morning Run

My morning ride turned into a morning run today. Rain, rain, go away... Somehow I got dog or goose poop on the back of my leg. Tragedy on the trail...

Making The Turn

After a rough time last week, I think I am starting to make the turn. The cold is letting up, and the bike is set to ride. The only thing holding me back now is the weather. We have hit a bit of a cold rainy snap and it is hard to get motivated to ride the road. It really needs to dry out so we can get out on the dirt again.

I read on another blog that Dirtspanker was a mud-fest. I am glad I didn't head up this weekend, because I don't want to deal with the mechanical issues as a result of mud. It is my opinion that the chain suck incidents during Freewheel damaged my chain, resulting in the break during afton.

Two weeks out to Mankato. My favorite race of the year. I plan on racing Buck this Thursday in preparation.

I bought a new XT cassette, and was suprised by the change in appearance. The cogs in earlier versions were shiny and crisp looking. The new XT cogs look sintered and cheap.

Drivetrain Update

With the chain breakage at Afton, I spent a little time looking into other options beyond SRAM and Shimano. I found some good reviews on the Connex chain by Wipperman. Much like the SRAM chains it has a special link for easy assembly. I am also a little leary that the quality of SRAM and Shimano isn't what it use to be with a majority of manufacturing in China. Wipperman is a German company that specializes in chains, so I thought I would give it a try. I will be installing a new cassette and chain tonight, and let you all know how it works.

My questions to you guys is, "how long do your chains last?" The chain I had fail was raced at Powder Monkey, Chequamegon 40, Jail Trial, Freewheel Frolic, and Afton. Plus I use this bike for all of my training. Is that too much to ask from a chain these days?

On a side note, I also threw some barends on the HG. I like it.

Bittersweat Ride

In line with the economy and the success of my company, we had some deep cuts (layoffs) yesterday. I was kept on, but over 1/2 the people I work with are leaving over the next month. I wish them the best...

With the news of the layoff, we were all sent home for the day. I took that opportunity to get in a good 35 mile ride. It was a good opportunity to get focused on the pile of work ahead...

MnMBS #2 Pics - Courtesy of Dana Schoppe

Now that I can look back, it was fun while it lasted...

Afton Suck Fest

Let's just say that things didn't go as planned at Afton. After going out fast on the first lap, I was struggling to find sections to recover in. I didn't find any. On the second lap, I dialed back the pace on the front section to recover a bit. Took a gel in preparation for the next series of climbs, and brought my heartrate down. The gel and recovery started to kick in on the first climb. I climbed at a good pace and started to pass a few people. On the long double track climb, I passed two guys in my age group that passed me on the first lap. They were walking, and I was riding. I made the first crest and headed into the twisting singletrack. I was bouncing around on a rocky section of downhill singletrack when, clink...clink...clink...(quiet)... My chain had exploded into 2 sections. My race was over. At first I thought I would hike a bike to the finish line, but after considering the 3-4 mile jaunt, I quickly changed my mind. I went straight down the hill and walked the road back to the finish. DNF. Makes me mad. What else can I say. I was reeling people back in, and was hoping for a strong finish. Next week...

Secret Blog

I got out and put a little spin on after lacrosse practice. I hit some hills on the spin and felt strong.

Jenny found out about my 'secret blog', and all the follows I have ;) I told her that I was going to write about this...

Anywho, I plan on re-cabling the bike tonight. The shifting and brakes still suck after the first (mud) race.

MnMBS #1 Official Pictures

The official photos are up. In one I look like a scared monkey. Enjoy.

Life Strikes Again

Coming into another summer with the expectation of putting on a lot of miles has gone out the window. I am not throwing in the towel, but I am definitely going to have to restructure my training schedule. It seems that if you have any experience with lacrosse in this state, there are organizations that need you as a volunteer. For the third straight year, I am coaching lacrosse. The plan was to take this summer off, but unfortunately there hasn't been anyone to step up and take my job. Oh well, it could be worse...

I haven't been on the bike much, so I am a little concerned about the Afton race this weekend. I am excited and all signed up, and will just have to ride within my capabilities. In returning to racing last year, Afton was the race where I fell apart after the first climb and literally had to stop and catch my breath. I guess I can be happy that I am far from that former self, and that I can get out and enjoy a race with friends.

Morning Ride

I got up nice and early this morning and hit 'the loop' with Dan Knudsvig. He is 1/2 related on the Knud side of the family ;) What a perfect morning. It was 71 and sunny at 5:45am on May 25th. Beautiful. I think I did about 18 miles. I need a cycle computer...

Josh posted some more pictures of the race at Salem. A couple of goofy ones too. http://www.flickr.com/photos/31854552@N07/sets/72157624006750555/

Racing Goals

These are lofty goals for this year, but it is something to work towards...
If I keep them to myself, I will have nothing to live up to.


1. Minimum of (1) top 25 finish in Sport Class


2. Minimum of (1) top 10 finish in Sport Class


3. Minimum of (1) podium finish

4. Race in a minimum of (7) MNMBS events

5. Top 10 overall in age group

Dirty Fun

A nice picture of the muddy situation.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grizzlyadam/4634401434/

Freewheel Frolic

First race of the year was fun, but messy. After a 2 hour delay due to rain the race was one of the muddiest experiences I have ever had. I already cleaned the bike twice and I am now considering pulling some things apart. There is grit everywhere. I think it was best described by another rider, 'it was like riding through peanut butter'.

This was my first sport race since entering my 30's and it felt natural. I ended the day with a 4th place finish in my age group, and 44th/160 riders. I don't think this was a good measure of my performance, as there were a lot of riders who didn't finish the race (or start for that matter). It will be interesting to see if any new names show up as front runners at the next race (Afton). Here are the results for my age group: http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0011/5518/MNMBS1-AgeGroupResults.pdf

Hammer Time

I got out for a good ride last night. I rode my typical Wednesday night route from last year (route map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112190094690078853123.0004706589e2521d532e9&ll=44.94609,-93.34774&spn=0.135347,0.373192&t=h&z=12 ). It is a 10 mile ride to Theodore Wirth, two laps on the trails and back home. My focus this week is to work on my recovery. I have been very slow to recover from hard rides this Spring, and my legs were still heavy from last Sunday. I started with a good warmup, and worked on race pace to and from the trail. Put a couple of intervals in the ride for good measure. Total mileage was 27. I need to put a computer on the bike so I can start gauging performance.

Apple and Cinnamon - Racing at Elk River

Sunday was a bit of a struggle for me. I wasn't quite prepared for the distance/time in regards to water and fuel. I decided to ride the Advanced race and felt pretty good at the start. It is early in the season though, and I knew that I have been training too hard leading up to the race. I made it through the first lap in good position, but I didn't drink enough along the way. I found it very difficult to drink on this course, and would have used a camelback if I had to do it over. Not to mention, I lost one of my water bottles about midway through the first lap. On the second lap I was making a concerted effort to drink. It was too late. By the end of the expert section I was out of water and needed to go through 3 more sections to finish. By the end of section 2, I wasn't feeling well. I was moving at a crawl through section 3 not only out of water, but was bonking pretty hard. At the end of section 3 I decided to pull out of the race. I was really bummed, because I don't like to quit. I thought it was the best thing to do, because I wanted to be ready for the real race next Sunday. I met Josh back at the car, and decided that if I got some water I could go back to section 4 and finish the race. With all the drama and dicking around, I was prbably one of the last guys to roll across the finish. Not what I was expecting, but definitely a good experience to build on. With the longer races, I will have to be more in tune with eating and drinking. I thought I could push through to the end, but I was very wrong.

On a good note, I tried the apple and cinnamon hammer gel. Damn they are good.

Rain, Rain, Go-Away

It has been about a week since I built up the 96er, and I still haven't been able to get out on the road/trail. At this point, I am really tired of spin classes, but it is all I have to get the miles in. There is the possibility that I will get out and race Buck Hill this Thursday, but it will depend on what the weather looks like. Josh and I are planning on riding Salem this Sunday to get a feel for the course prior to the Freewheel Frolic. Others are welcome to join us...

I Wanted To Poke Stan's Eye Out

I picked up the new 29" wheel from Freewheel last night. I was so excited that I brought it home and immediately began preparing it for installation. I went with standard Velox for a rim strip, because I am planning on using a tube for now (yeah, doesn't make a lot of sense). Velox didn't appear to be the best choice for this type of rim, but it seems to work.

A little note on the wheel build. I built up the Chris King hub with a standard three cross spoke pattern. The spokes are 14/16 double-butted with standard brass nipples. The rim is a Stan's ZTR 355 in white.

Now, back to why I wanted to poke Stan's eye out. The tire I am putting up front is a Maxxis Crossmark. The first bead went on with some difficulty, but I was finally able to seat it in the rim. I then inserted the tube, and proceeded to seat the other bead. With the Velox, the bead can't sit as deep in the inner channel, thus leaving alot of tension on the bead. I have never worked so hard to get that last bit of bead seated in the rim. I was sweating, cursing, and throwing shit across the room. Jenny came into the room during the struggle, and I almost bit her head off (sorry Jen). I dug deep and was finally able to hear that last "snap" as the bead dropped into the rim. Dripping with sweat and severly wounded (from stabbing myself in the hand an number of times with the tire lever) I raise the tire above my head in victory!

I mounted the wheel on the bike and rode it around the neighborhood. Everything works great, and should be ready for Thursdays first ride. If I can only get over the emotional strain...

First Dirt Baptism For Homegrown

I got out for my first dirt ride this year. I am a little bummed that it had to wait until May 2nd, but it is still a month ahead of last year's 'first-dirt'. Sunday's ride has been one of my favorite training routes. I ride from my house to the greenway, to cedar lake, to Theodor Wirth, and onto the trail. The distance is typically around 30 miles, with about 7 miles of singletrack thrown in the middle.

I felt really good and fast on the single track. This was also the first time out on the fully rigid Schwinn (but with a 26" tire up front). I have to say that the carbon fork in da-bomb. It was a little rough, but that was balanced out with how it railed the corners and felt snappy on the climbs. I don't regret changing out with the Fox Talus. The carbon absorbed a good deal of the abuse, but didn't feel like it flexed too much.

The new Schwinn weighs in at 21.5lbs on the fish scale. This is with a heavy 26" wheel up front. When I get the 29" wheel, I bet it won't add more than a pound. Unfortunately, I never weight the bike before I removed the old fork. All I can say is that I feels a lot lighter. Later this spring, I will probably rebuild the rear wheel with a lighter rim. I am running the Ryno-lite in the back, and could drop 180grams if I go to the ZTR 355. Only if I have some money burning a hole in my pocket...

I pick up the new 29" wheel on Wednesday. I plan on bringing it back out to Theo for a comparison ride. I am particularly interested in how the larger wheel will handle the rock and log piles. The 26" tire did fine, but there is room for improvement.

With a few weeks until the first race, I am feeling better prepared for the start of the season. I am down another 11#s to 189, and still feeling strong. I guess I can't race cydsdale anymore...

New Bike - Kinda

The Schwinn is getting a face lift for its second year of racing. Inspired by Mark Lalonde's "freak bike", and wanting to reduce the overall weight of my rig, I decided to go 69er. Careful, not that 69, the 69er setup with a 29 inch wheel at the front and a 26 inch wheel in back. The 69 setup doesn't reduce the weight of the bike, but it allows me to replace my heavy front shock with the bounce of a 29 inch wheel and rigid carbon fork. Here is a picture of ol' Blue before the facelift.

I'll have to weigh it before and after the transformation. It looks like a could cut 2 to 3 pounds from the bike, which would really help me push my up those hills. I guess I could finally take the rear rotor off the hub. I don't really need it for the v-brakes. Maybe I will get rid of the seatpost and seat. Who needs those....

Flying Wing

After crashing beautiful Stryker, without even getting it in the air, I decided to go the cheap and easy route with my next series of builds. Andy sent me a link that describes a bluecore flying wing that uses 2 pieces of foam to form an airfoil. I built a 36" wingspan version last weekend with some success. After dialing in the controls and CG, the wing flew great. The problem is that I had a number of hard crashes, that eventually killed version 1.

Since I had the template for cutting version 1, I decided to move forward in building versions 2 and 3 for this weekend. I took what I learned from version 1, and made some simple modifications. Both versions will have pusher props with a stronger motor mount. Version 3 will have some surprise features to be debuted at the maiden flight. 

Black Ops Night Ride

It has been about a week since I was on the bike, so I decided to conduct the black ops night ride. In all seriousness it is probably dangerous, but you do what you have to when you are restricted to riding after 8:30pm. I call it the black ops ride for a couple of reasons:

1. It's is dark out.
2. I don't have any lights.
3. My cycling cloths are black.
4. I hide from cars.

My typical objective is to make it from my house to the green line trail without any cars passing me. Once I am on the trail, I am free to hammer without the fear of being run over. By turning it into a little game, I am able to ride a little faster with fear. At night, you can see the lights of a car approaching from a good distance. When this happens, I start to sprint to my next turn, or some other location where I know I will be safe.

Once on the trail, the trick is to not run over walkers and cyclist coming from the opposite direction. You also have to be careful not to get jumped, as this has been happening more often along the green-line. That is probably one benefit of not having light, as the 'bad-guys' don't see you coming. You have to stay alert, which gives me adrenaline to ride faster.

I averaged about 18mph last night, and made it home without from my 16 mile out and back without issue...

Getting excited -- SPRING

With Spring-like weather hitting this neck of the woods, my thoughts are shifting from building, to flying. Not to mention, I am also excited about the approaching mountain biking race season. I guess that's the closest I get to "flying" around the woods. With that said, I will probably start to have some posts that may cover either subject.

I ran another motor test on the 36mm motor. I wanted to re-evaluate the perfomance of the 5S battery with a 8x6 prop. This was a quick test, because as soon as the throttle was increase beyond ~75%, the motor was pulling 100 A, and the ESC cut power. I definitely want to look at a 7" prop with the same setup. Should be a possible solution for the Stryker.

On Saturday I went riding with Josh, Andy, and Dan Knudsvig. Fun ride, but I couldn't keep up with the group. I guess I have some work to do... We went for a good 26 miles through, and around, beautiful Afton. I hope to get over there a few more times before the first race in May. A lot of big hills for training.

Control Surfaces

I picked up a DU-BRO hinge pocket cutter for $10. I started using it last night, and was very happy with the results. It has a self-centering fixture that aligns the cutter blade. I should have all the hinge grooves cut out tonight.

Tomorrow, the airframe wil be ready for paint. I wanted to allow the water-based PU to cure before covering with lacquer. I am afraid that if there is any water in the PU, it will make the spray paint bubble. Maybe I will hold-off until this weekend...

On more thing...

I was playing around with the flex of the Stryker airframe yesterday, and wasn't really happy with the rigidity of the single layer of 3/4 ounce fiberglass over foam. Since I was in the process of cutting out the elevons (balsa) and glassing them, I thought I would add another sheet of glass to the underside of the airframe. It is going to add a little weight, but after playing with the final product this morning, I am very happy with the results. The airframe is very rigid now, and will be able to handle those high G turns expected.

The only thing I am re-evaluating is the motor selection. With the added weight, it might be nice to have a motor that can produce more torque (i.e. 36 mm). I guess I will have to get this thing in the air to final make that decision...

Motor Testing

After quite a bit of messing around, I finally came up with a solution for testing the two motors for the super-Stryker. I actually had to do some machining to make the Custom RC Parts mounts to fit the Turnigy motors. I was then able to bolt the two mounts to a ¾” piece of pine I use as a hobby cutting board. With the motors securely attached to board, I could run through the different setups I wanted to test.



First off, the  motors I tested:

• Turnigy 2836 – 3200kV outrunner with shaft mount

• Turnigy 3648 – 1450kV outrunner with shaft mount


The ESC I decided to run is a Castle Creations ICE 100 amps BESC. I also picked up an 85 amps Turnigy as backup. After some initial range finding, I determined that only 2 batteries were able to deliver the amount of power needed to break the 100MPH mark. The two batteries tested were:

• 5 cell, 2200 mAh, 40C (85 amps continuous)

• 4 cell, 2650 mAh, 40C (106 amps continuous)



The test consisted of running the motor at WOT for ~20 seconds. During the run, Vmax, Imax, and Watts were recorded using a Turnigy watt meter. The results are as follows:

Prop / Motor / Batt Vmax / RPM Imax Watts Prop Speed (RPM*pitch in.*.00095)

8x4 / 36mm / 5S 16.2 / 23490 87 1428 89 MPH

8x6 / 36mm / 5S 16.5 / 23925 83 (70% WOT) 1373 136 MPH

8x6 / 36mm / 4S 13.1 / 18995 86 1163 108 MPH

4.75x4.75 / 28mm/4S 13.5 / 43200 72 1008 195 MPH

4.1x4.1 / 28mm / 5S 17 / 54400 66 1150 212 MPH

4.75x4.75 / 28mm / 5S 16.6 / 53120 97 1647 239 MPH



This is merely a sampling of the best runs, and I may look into trying a 7” prop on the 36mm motor. Let’s just say, I am not going to publicize my final choice until race day. I want to keep some of the suspense for my competitor.



On a side note, the Turnigy 28mm motor is one tuff cookie. It got pretty hot with that 97 amp run, but never blew a coil or smoked itself. That might be an inkle to where I am headed with the build…

Waiting For Hong Kong

The fast Stryker project is still on-hold due to a late shipment from Hong Kong. I ordered a new 85 ampere ESC last week to use for the motor testing, but it hasn't arrived yet due to the Chinese New Year. I received an email notification that it was boxed up, so I will probably get it by the end of the week.

I am torn right now between the 28mm and 36mm inrunners. I think I would like to keep the wing loading low, so I am starting to focus more on the 28mm motor. the only downside is the prop combination I would have to use is not as efficient as the 36mm choices. I guess it will really come down to the bench results once I get the new ESC.

Both mounts I bought from customrcparts.com are very high quality, but did require some machining to work with the Turnigy inrunners. Everything is in place to run the bench test this weekend. I know I am going to need the 85 amp ESC, as I ran a test last weekend on the 28mm motor, 4.75x4.75 APC prop, and 60 amp ESC, and acheived 50 amps @ 1/2 throttle. It was a little scarry to watch, so I am definitely looking at a remote test stand.

Hiatus

I will be going on vacation later this week, and won't be back in town until the 13th. That will leave me with approximately 2 weeks to finish up the Stryker before the competition. The tasks remaining are as follows:

• Determine prop - motor - ESC - battery combination: I have a few test to run regarding the best power output and prop combination. The props I plan on testing range from 4x2 to 7x5. The motors I have to test are a Grayson Super Mega Jet, Turnigy 28mm inrunner (3200 kv), and Turnigy 35mm inrunner (1700 kv). The batteries range from 3S to 5S, 20C to 40C, and 2200 mAh to 3000 mAh.
• Mount motor
• Cut out battery box
• Paint airframe
• Reinforce elevons
• Install elevons
• Install horizontal stabilizers
• Setup electronics

See you in a little over a week...

Hot Glassed Stryker

I finished the fiberglass reinforcement of the Stryker airframe. I have to say that I am very happy with the final product. As described in my previous post, I used a 3/4 ounce glass fiber fabric along with a waterborne polyurethane. The first coating was watered down to saturate the fabric, while keeping the urethane from drying too quickly. I then added a second coat of WBPU mixed with baby powder (talc). I have read that by mixing the talc with the WBPU you fill the voids in the fiber resulting in a smooth - light weight finish. After the second coating I sanded the surface smooth. The texture of the fabric was beginning to dissappear. I recoated and sanded 2 more times for a total of 4 light coats. The resultant frame is solid and extremely smooth. Here is a closeup along with some of the other pictures I promised.

Final surface ready for paint.

Shaping the foam

Foam cutting for spar

Spar gluing

Filling post shaping

Filling elevon tabs

Glassing bottom

Airframe Modification

Last weekend I started on the airframe modification to the Stryker for the speed competition. The first step was to smooth out some lines on the front end of the plane. There are some cosmetic air intakes along each side of the canopy. The fronts of the intakes are flat and have a significant impact to the orthographic projection of surface area for drag. I took my handy wire cutter and streamlined the profile freehand. Some final forming was done using a medium grit sand paper. The imperfections were then filled with a lightweight spackle and sanded to a smooth finish. The overall area reduction is not huge, but at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, it will have an impact.



The standard Stryker has 4 cavities in the foam at each training edge to accommodate the elevon tabs. Since I am making custom elevons out of balsa (with control hinges), I filled the cavities with spackle as well. Once filled, the training edge was sanded smooth.



During the modification I added a 6mm carbon tube to the underside of the wing. The spar was set into the foam using my hot wire cutter and epoxied in place. The position of the spar is just aft of the servo pockets, extending from wing tip to wing tip. I have see some discussion in regards to reinforcing this airframe with additional pieces of carbon, but it is my belief that with a fiberglass surface there is more than enough strength in this airframe.



With the spar epoxied in place, I sanded the entire surface of the airframe to remove any molding imperfections in the foam. I then wiped all surfaces with denatured alcohol to prepare the surface for glassing.



Last night I began the glassing process on the bottom of the airframe. Using a .75 oz fiberglass cloth, I cut out a single piece that would cover the entire bottom surface. I then mixed some water-based polyurethane with a small amount of water. This was done to prolong the dry time of the PU, so I could work the surface smooth. With the glass laid in place, I worked the PU over the surface and into the weave. I started the application at the fuselage, and worked my way out to the wing tips. With the surface whetted, I used a business card to squeegee the excess PU for an overall smooth surface. With the PU drying, I took an exacto knife and trimmed the leading edge of the wing. I then went back and applied more PU along the edge to verify that the glass was secure.



Pictures to be added soon…

Flying Videos

In addition to the modified F-27 Stryker I am building for the speed competition with Andy, I also build a Parkzone Super Cub over the Christmas holiday. This is not your standard cub, and definitely not a trainer anymore.


• Turnigy 35-36c motor turning APC 11x8e, 54 AMP ESC, and 3S 2200mAh 30C battery

• Covered with Econocote

• Added ailerons

• Zero dihedral wing with 6mm rod reinforcement



I received a small HD camera for my birthday, and have been recording some of the flying done this winter. I will have some video up of the cub in the next day, or so. I have been having some issues with some new video editing software (Adobe Premiere Elements 8), but I don't want to get started on that issue.



Here is my version of a WW2 Navy J-3 Cub. Yes, I took some artistic license with the design.

Throwing Down The Gauntlet

THE CHALLENGE

Winters are long in Minnesota and we all need to find things to keep sane. Over the summer I started flying RC airplanes with a buddy of mine. As winter approached we were discussing builds that would keep us busy. As the discussions progressed, the tone turned more competitive. An RC speed competition, where the only rules are that the plane must use electric power, and must continue flying after the top speed run has been captured.

The prize is for nothing more than the honor of building the fastest plane, but I plan on creating some sort of traveling trophy for the winner to hold until the next challenge. The competition will take place some time in early March, but a firm date has not been set.

THE BUILD

My initial build plan was to create a mid-body pusher YF-22. I had some initial models created, but was worried that the amount of design work would keep me from meeting the March deadline. I started to focus on commercially available foam airframes that others have already modified for speed, and had a proven flight envelope. The final decision was to go with the Parkzone F-27 Stryker airframe. It's cheap, it has good slow flight characteristics, and it has been modified to fly at speeds of 130+ mph. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSM2kAYxIx4

STATUS

At this point I have all the components to start the modifications to the airframe. Specific details regarding those modifications will be outlined in the coming days. At this point I am sanding the body smooth of all molding imperfections and surface defects. After the sanding is complete, there will be some information regarding reinforcement of the airframe. Unfortunately this work can not be complete until I receive the motors from Hong Kong. Stay tuned...