Saturday May 29th, 2010
| | Sean
For my first Dirty Kanza 200 attempt, I'll once again be riding my trusty steed, the Chili Con Crosso.
This bike has served me pretty well in my last two gravel events, the Ragnarok 105 and Trans Iowa. I also just really enjoying riding this bike and back and forth to work because of its versatility. River bottoms home? Sure. Longer ride through Edina? Why not. Behind that shopping mall, through those people’s backyard, and then the secret trail next to the creek? Why not.
The SRAM Rival 'cross crankset and drivetrain keep my shifting dialed. While my Easton Orion II wheels keep me rolling. I also threw on a Cane Creek Thudbuster and my butt and back have been thanking me ever since. An old Salsa prototype stem plus FSA Omega handlebar keep things comfy up front and a Jandd frame bag help me keep most of the weight off my bike.
I stuffed the bag with a lot of food for the Trans Iowa and used my Camelback hydration pack to have enough fluid to go a full 100-miles without stopping. I really enjoy this setup and have to agree with Eki in that it doesn’t bother my back either and I enjoy the storage. I also have been running the Continental Speed cross tires and I think these are the ticket for fast rolling gravel races.
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This post filed under the topic(s): Dirty Kanza 200 , chili con crosso , Gravel , Sean
Thursday April 29th, 2010
| | Sean
It was about 3:30 in the afternoon and for the second time that day I found myself alone. Well alone, as in no humans, because if you counted the pig farm 200 yards from me I guess I wasn’t technically alone.
I looked around. The rain had just started, the pigs wouldn’t shut up, it was a foggy, cloudy mix that just looked cold, and I had broken off a second stick in my mud packed fork.
I was trying to get the mud out because I knew if I couldn’t I would end up with the second tire sidewall rip of the day. I looked around, no luck on other sticks; plus they were probably all water soaked anyway. I didn’t know it at the time but it already rained almost 2 inches and it was about to rain a lot more.
I finally hopped back on the bike, trying to make sure I sat softly so as to be careful with my already sore butt. I began pedaling and finishing off my second Cosmic Brownie by Little Debbie. I was glad I brought those things. Who knew you could pack so many calories and fat grams into two little squares? But it seems the experts at Little Debbie do the impossible everyday.
I got back into my cadence but dreaded the already rain-soaked gravel roads as the rain was just pouring on now. I had been riding with Matt Brown but he was now ahead of me and I didn’t see anybody behind me. I had ridden most of the day with a great and very strong group of riders – Charlie Tri, Charlie Farrow, Jason Buffington, and Tim Ek. Joe Meiser and John Gorilla had also ridden with us for awhile but at a B road made their breakaway. Those two guys were riding with the strength of many men. I believe in the winter they go to Siberia and bike up mountains very similar to Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV.
I'd been lucky enough to ride with this select, strong group of veterans for awhile until my first flat. I then borrowed some duct table from Cory “Cornbread” Godfrey and kept moving till this latest B road. Where, once again, my fork clogged up again and put me next to the pig farm poking out the miniature adobe house from under my fork crown.
So maybe you’re asking 'What were you doing?' Well I would answer in the best old Western movie voice I have, “The Trans Iowa lad.”
If you have heard of the Trans-Iowa well then you know just what I’m talking about, but if not...then it’s just 315 miles of what I just described. Bring a whole box of Little Debbies.
Trans Iowa v.6
Salsa Sponsored Rider Tim Ek's Account of TI 6
Salsa Sponsored Rider Matt Gersib's Account of TI 6
Salsa Product Designer Joe Meiser's Account of TI 6
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This post filed under the topic(s): Sean , Trans Iowa
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