BUNKER HILL BIKES

Iceman Cometh and Goneth!

2009-11-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well, number 20 is in the books with out a lot of fan fair!

I arrived at the start much I like I did 20 years ago. My mother drove me out to the start this year. We played the "Race Tape" which is U2's Achtung Baby as we recalled the many years of Iceman shenanigans!

The temp was in the upper 40's at the 8am departure. I met my water bottle support at the Middle School and they were off to Broomhead Road. I warmed up and gave my good byes to my mother and told her I would see her in an hour at Williamsburg Road.

I was off to the start in downtown Kalkaska. On the way I knew I was over dressed with knee warmers, wool socks, long sleeved skin suit and thermal base layer. My hands were just right with Specialized Radiant gloves with inserts.

I lined up in the 2nd row and with a countdown, we were off. The start was not as fast as it should of been. It seemed the 5 dudes in front of me were unsure of the start. Since I have ridden the course 10 times prior, I shot to the front and led out the group to the first singletrack! I was pegged at 189 HR! A few guys got around me because I was feeling it. By the time we reached Williamsburg Road I was cooked because I put all the eggs in the basket. From Willie Road to home I was in survival mode.

All in all, I was happy with my 20th version of the race! I got to meet all of the TSB mates and discuss all things cross and mountain.

I only wished the Iceman himself recognized the 20 year Guys at the awards party! Maybe at number 40!

38 Chad Schut Williamsburg MI 1:58:42

38th out of 107 is not bad for a very competitive class!

Many props to the following:

1. John Osgood, 9th place Expert 30-34
2. Ryan Schut, my brother, for showing up and racing despite having no groceries in the basket!
3. Curt Potocki, finally putting the knee issue to bed!
4. Todd Powers, racing at the front for a bit gathering footage for the Masher's movie
5. Warm weather, I love to race when it is warm!
6. Steve Brown for putting on a good show between Kalkaska and Timber Ridge
7. Brian Matter for holding his own against JHK and Sammy!
8. TSB for taking a goofy, tall bike rider!

See you at the next race!

-Chad

It is time!

2009-11-01T19:14:00.001-08:00

It is time to enter the zone!

Bikes are ready.

Muscles are primed.

Mind is sharp.

No more posts until Monday the 8th, post Iceman.

Eat, think, sleep Iceman for the week!

-Chad

Foiled Plans!

2009-10-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

The best two days for training this fall are a bust!

No training because the boys are home from school because of the flu outbreak.

The problem is the academy has 98% attendance despite the flu in other school system. Why shut down? No one will ever know.

I guess is will be taper training with the boys. Riding with them is a lot of fun.

I leave you with a picture from my 2007 cyclocross season:

See you at the Iceman with a dash of Icecross.

-Chad

Are You Ready!

2009-10-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

It is around the corner. Are you ready?

I will be there!

On the horizon:

1. Iceman
2. Icecross
3. Kisscross Manhattan Park
4. Holland Municipal Stadium
5. Cyclocross State Finals

I have some room in my schedule to finish out the year with some cross racing. I will be chasing the elusive state championship jersey.

What class will I be racing? Come out to one of the cross races and find out.

What will the bike of choice be? Stay tuned.

-Chad "Iceman, times 20" Schut

Happenings!

2009-10-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Another weekend has passed and much was accomplished.

The Traveling Circus made a stop by the Bunker Hill Bikes compound for a little Iceman course recon. Course recon was perfect! My wife dropped us off at the Walnut Street start in the heart of Kalkaska. We rolled out with me, DF, and DF's B.I.L (Brother in Law). Temps were in the mid 40's and the sun was out a bit. Course conditions were great with the recent rain. The sand was packed and smooth. (Did you here that downstaters?)

After wrapping up the ride, I made my goodbyes to the Traveling Circus and I was off to the house to shower and dress for a weekend of house, kid and animal sitting. Good friends of ours are in two different places; Southwest Airlines jet and Columbia (The country). The house was full of 6 kids, 1 bunny, 1 lizard, 2 dogs, 1 cat and a bunch of toys! BTW-one of the dogs hates me and avoids me everytime I am at the house. He stares at me with killer eyes! Kujo!

Sunday was a day of rest! Church with 6 kids and staying off my feet. No football because the Lions suck, NASCAR is so yesterday and Versus has bull riding!

Sunday we had snow showers for the day! Are you ready for a snowy Iceman?

In a month, the Iceman will be here! Are you ready? Bring your 29er because you are going to need it! Mike you can ride your Fuel.

I leave you with this:

-Chad

Busy Weekend!

2009-10-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

The weekend is over and it is time to for work!

The weekend looked like this for me:

1. Stack wood at a friends house, all day Saturday! (Feeling it now!)
2. Church on Sunday followed by an Open House at the Coast Guard Air Station.
3. Grocery shopping at Miejers. Doing hand to hand combat and body slamming with other shoppers to get the best deals!
4. Watched a movie called "Taken", Liam is one bad mo-fo in the movie!
5. Off to bed to nurse the soreness now taking over my body.

This week will be hard in the saddle to prepare for Iceman. Of course training will follow painting the kitchen, prepping one son's room for paint and other duties assigned to me by my wife.

Iceman news:

1. I have the secret plans to the Death Star, opps, wrong scenario! I have the secret plans to the finish venue for the Iceman at Timber Ridge. All I can say is, "Preride."
2. Todd Wells is coming to town for the Iceman!
3. The Traveling Circus is coming to town on Saturday for Iceman recon.
4. I have a section of the course, near Timber Ridge named after me, Chad's Chute. Kind of a play on the mispronounciation of my last name. Most probably seen it in the Glacier Gazette.

See you in a month!

-Chad

Weekend Shenanigans!

2009-09-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

What a weekend!

Saturday was spent at Shetlers Dairy Farm.

Hay rides, cows, pigs, milk and ice cream!

The boys loved it!

Sunday brought cool temps for the Leelanau Harvest Tour.

The plan of attack was to get up early and ride out to Glen Lake Schools to check in. Then it would be off on the 67 mile route.

I hooked up with Karly Boy and Vin-Dog for a fast loop around Leelanau County. We covered the 67 mile route at a 22 MPH average. I was wrecked as I came into the school for lunch.

During the ride we stopped at 4 aid stations to take in fresh, baked goods and drink.

I even rode with a group pace lining the course. Strength in numbers! Most were suprised at my road skills.

Stats for the day:

7 hours, 20 minutes in the saddle
151 avg. heart rate
189 max heart rate
126 miles
17.1 average speed
42.5 mph (Fastest speed for the day)

Remember, all the training is for the Iceman!

-Chad

NEVER FORGET!

2009-09-11T09:42:00.001-07:00

On this day, 9/11, please do not forget the 3000+ Americans who lost their lives to Islamic jihad!

Yes, Islamic jihad!

And the President decides to remember those who died at the hands of Islam by telling us to serve our community! What a joke! What a shame!

Please take the time to remember those who died, innocently, at the hands of terrorist!

Check out the weblink for a no, nonsense look at Islam and its rise in the United States:

http://www.insidetherevolution.org/

Now that I have stepped off my podium, a few things cycling:

-5 days of road training yielding 225 miles!
-No weekend riding, I will be a concert goer in Chicago!
-Leelanau Harvest Tour is next Sunday, big miles with El Jeffe.
-I might do a cyclocross race next Saturday if work does not get in the way.

Thanks for reading!

Never Forget!

-Chad

What is next?

2009-09-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

No Cherry-Roubaix road race on Sunday because of a cold and a long week of camping.

So, what is on tap?

How about a little round trip ride to Mackinaw City?

The Leelanau Harvest Tour is up next, too! 130 miles for the day. I do it the difficult way. Ride to check in, do the 67 mile route and ride home.

Peak to Peak mtb race will be in October to check the fitness before Iceman.

Iceman Cometh is the big one followed by a little cyclocross action at Timber Ridge.

Also, there are three cross races in the TC area including my organized race in October.

Check here:

http://tccyclocross.blogspot.com/

The brunt of my training will fall on the Roubaix. It is ready to go for some serious miles.

Watch out at Iceman!

-Chad

Road Racing!

2009-08-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

This is next:

http://www.cherry-roubaix.com/

Time for camping in the UP. See you next week!

-Chad

Rides to come!

2009-08-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Since school is starting up for the chitlins, that means I will have some time to ride in the afternoons. Call it my "Second Season."

Here are some rides and races on the list:

1. Leelanau Harvest Tour

2. 2nd edition of the Mackinaw Tour

3. Peak to Peak Mountain Bike Race

4. Iceman Cometh

The Leelanau Harvest Tour is a great ride through Leelanau County. Great aid stations and good time with my buddy El Jeffe. This is traditionally ridden on the street version of my Quiring 29er.

I have been approached by some heavy hitters to do a 2nd edition of my Mackinaw Tour. Remember the 260 mile round trip over a weekend. I am up for that!

Peak to Peak might make the calendar. I want to use this race a prep for the Iceman or to gauge my training. I have big plans for the 20th edition of the Iceman. Watch out!

Iceman. What is there to say! The sand race is 20 years old and I have done every one of them! I am shooting for a first place in my class. Let the training begin.

Some parting shots from the Mackinaw Tour:

Dog Days of Summer!

2009-08-13T09:31:00.001-07:00

It looks summer has finally arrived! Temps for the week will be in the upper 80's, which I love for bike riding.

The Ore to Shore has come and gone. This is my favorite race of the year. It offers a great mix of two track, orv trail, water crossings, pavement, and fast, rocky descents and some singletrack. This makes for a fast race! My congrats go out to my buddy Brian Matter for a smoking win!

My race went as expected. Going in I knew I would not be in top form due to the scooter accident from 5 weeks ago. No excuses, I went out as hard as I could holding my position in the top 100. Around mile 30, my legs were blown and I stopped to puke. My old addage has always been, "You know you are going hard enough if you puke in the mouth." I regrouped and went on an assault to the finish line.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturalsolitude/3801494363/in/set-72157621858393653/

My efforts netted me a 17th place out of 50 in my age group and 145th overall out of 443 riders. Not to bad for being off on training.

Things I learned:

1. Do not play around on kids toys
2. Do not forget your TSB jersey
2. Put some more road miles in for Ore to Shore
3. Take additional day off from work to relax in the UP.

So, I have put together a road training program for the next 2 months. The 20th edition of the Iceman Cometh will have me in prime shape. I am going for the win in my class.

Have a good summer!

-Chad

On Deck!

2009-07-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

Since I have healed up from the scooter accident, it is time to clamp down for the Ore to Shore Hard Rock.

This is my favorite race of the year. My buddy, Marquette Cowboy, goes all out for us by cooking up slabs of lasagna, fresh salad, bread and blueberry cobbler!

Plus, sitting in the middle of the woods for 3 days is a nice break from the rat race.

Some things I am throwing around in regards to bike set up:

1. Rigid fork
2. 1X9 drivetrain: 38tooth up front, 11-32 cassette in the back

Stay tuned for big boy bike set-up updates!

Until then, enjoy the summer!

http://cu.miningjournal.net/pages/photo_page.php?mm=1938839&gallery=300101

-Chad

Street Fighter!

2009-07-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I participated in my favorite non-competition ride.

The RAT or Ride Around Torch. Typically, I ride up to Elk Rapids, sign up and take off on the 100 mile route. Then I eat at every food stop with conclusion in the park having lunch.

Things were different Sunday. I signed up for the 62 mile route with one of my buddies. It was very fun to ride with someone instead of going solo for 135 miles +!

I finished the day with 83 miles because I elected to get a ride home. I was hurting the entire way because of a driveway accident a week earlier. Darn kid's razor scooters!

I decked out the Quiring 29er street fighter style! Quiring fork and Kenda Kwick Roller tires! It was smooth and fast!

Next up, The Ore to Shore Hard Rock!

-Chad

It was stinky!

2009-07-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Those were the words from Ignacio to the Sister when she asked where his robe was.

The movie: Nacho Libre!

My week consisted of working during the day because of the annual July shut down at the pie plant. So, I took advantage of it by commuting to work on my bike.

No issues other than getting sprayed by a skunk 1 mile into my ride on Friday morning! Luckily my shoes and fork were the only items affected.

The Sidi Dominators were treated to with some special pet deorderizer/shampoo to get rid of the skunky smell!

Next Sunday, The RAT!

Click here to see: http://www.cherrycapitalcyclingclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=87045&module_id=38607

-Chad

Slowing Down!

2009-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Not much has transpired since the Lumberjack 100.

I have been eating ice cream bars and getting the ghetto pool ready for the hot summer.

I will kick in the miles to prepare for the my favorite race, Ore to Shore Hard Rock.

Couple of things on the mind:

1. School
2. Ride Around Torch
3. Ore to Shore
4. Home improvement

Draw your own conclusions!

Blogs are lame!

-Chad

Lumberjack 100!

2009-06-21T04:31:00.000-07:00

It is finished!

Here is a mini race report:

-55 out of 175 racers
-9:50:57

I went into this race well prepared. However, it seems I was totally thrashed by the second lap. After that it was survival mode! Many times the DNF demons were pressuring me to quite.

Not much else to say!

This was my last Lumberjack 100 race. I decided in January of 2009 not to do it again. 5 years is enough for me.

My TSB teammate Brad finished very well in the single speed class. Much respect goes out to him because he beat the Master and finished the race on a rigid 29er. He was smoking fast when he passed me. I worked with him for a while, but I could not hold his pace! Way to go, Brad! Sorry I could not hang out with you after because my family had plans that evening!

-12th place SS out of 47 riders
-9:01:06 finishing time

My son did an awesome job as support for the race. He had everything ready for Brad and I for each lap. Not bad for a 10 year old. I have trained my Patowan learner well!

Next race, Ore to Shore Hardrock!

-Chad

A Little of Everything!

2009-06-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

I am glad do close out the week. Many things happened this week that were emotionally and physically demanding.

I had some issues with my side of the family that drained me emotionally and physically. All is good now.

I did manage some riding this week. I set the Quiring 29er up for the Lumberjack 100 by dumping the 1x9 and going back to a 2x9 set-up. Novemeber of last year I had the Q hooked up with a 38 tooth ring in the front with a 11-32 cassette for the Iceman. I finally switched to a 42/32 ring set up with a 11-34 cassette. I need the lower gearing for Lumbersmack on June 20th.

I also sealed up my Kenda Karma's on the Mavic Crossmax wheels. The front took a while to seal up, but eventually everything was good. I love riding the MTB with a tubeless set-up. Nice and comfy at 28 psi!

Sunday I went for a long, hard road ride on the Roubaix. I pounded out 62 miles with a climb up Wayne Hill at the end of the ride. I was smoked by the time I got home. The hard rides will be reduced as I taper for Lumberjack.

All is looking good for Lumbersmack! Keep the fingers crossed for good weather!

Photos of the Lumberjack version of the Quiring later.

-Chad

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

I kicked off my Memorial Day Weekend early with a no show for work.

I had to take my middle brother to the doctor for some issues after being up for 26 hours with 2 hours of sleep!

Saturday my wife took a vacation day from the family, she needed it. She had her nails done, hairs cut, and did some garage sale shopping with my mom.

Sunday we went to church and had my mom over for grilled goodies. Earlier in the day I did some intervals on the road bike which had me almost puking. 2 1/2 hours of intervals in prep for Lumberjack. We took a trip out to Honor to the Cherry Bowl. The Cherry Bowl is an old school drive-inn. We watched Night at the Museum and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. We were home in bed Monday morning at 3am! Yikes!

Monday we hung out at my brother in laws beach haus on Deep Water Point. It was a relaxing time with my boys playing in the 48 degree water while we looked on. I even soaked my sore ankle in the water. Planting shrubs is a dangerous thing for cyclist! We grilled hot dogs!

Tuesday I had the day off because of the floater holiday for work. I spent the day painting the interior of the house because it was raining.

Now it is time to go back to work. Nothing to say about that.

No riding this week because of a sprained ankle.

-Chad

Mackinaw Tour Photo Dump and Part 2!

2009-05-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, here is part two of my Mackinaw Tour accompanied by photos.

It was a sweet trip. I still grin when I think about it!

Day 2 was a low key affair. My goal for the day was to not stop until Gaylord. Gaylord would be my solid food stop or lunch as I call it. Hey, you can only drink so much Heed and Perpetuem on a long trip!

I made it to Gaylord without stopping. That meant doing everything on the bike in motion such as changing gloves, answering the phone, and digging for jerkey in the pack. I did it and eating lunch at Wendy's was my reward.

A bit of history involving Wendy's. Wendy's is the traditional post ride food stop when completing one day rides on the High Country Pathway! Many a triple combo were inhaled in those days!

After lunch, I shoved off for home. Again, my goal was not to stop until I hit the garage door at home. Coming across C-38 from Otsego to Mancelona was not fun. 20 mph winds out of the west meant for the hardest and longest stretch of my day. 22 miles at 11.2 mph average.

I did take a different route home from Mancelona. I took 571 south to Nash Road into Kalkaska. Then from there it was on the dirt roads of Island Lake and Sand Lake. I even rode part of the Iceman Cometh course from the dump point into Sand Lake to Broomhead, on a road bike!

I was glad to be home. After that I showered, dressed, got groceries and took the garbage to town.

Enjoy the photos!

-Chad

Day 1-Somewhere north of Vanderbilt.

Day 1-Stretch of trail between Cheboygan and Mackinaw City.

Day 1-Lake Huron, getting close.

My favorite transit line to Mackinaw Island!

Day 2-Lunch stop in Gaylord. It tasted awesome!

Day 1-Lunch stop in Gaylord. Double meat footlong!

Day 1-Dixie Saloon in Mackinaw City. Fueling up with whitefish dip/chips and Cowboy burger!

Night stay! Two beds: one for me, one for my gear!

The best sight in the world after a long day in the saddle! Hot tub and a bed!

Did I mention bikes stay for free!

Day 1-Turkey vultures hoping I would drop dead! Dream on freakin' ugly birds!

Day 1-One of two tunnels on the trail from Gaylord to Mackinaw City.

Day 1-This pissed me off! This trail marker brought back memories of a failed attempt on the Mid to Mac.

Day 1-Topinabee Hardware. Looking for carbon grease to keep my seatpost from slipping.

They had sandpaper instead! It worked.

Day 1-Two miles from Cheboygan I find this little guy on the trail. I thought he was dead.

Little did I know he was catching some warm rays. Went back to remove what I thought was

a dead snake carcass, only to have him jet away off the trail!

Day 1-Between Wolverine and Indian River. One of two passes under I-75.

Day 1-In Cheboygan the trail was fresh and fast!

You see a lot of these along the trail since it doubles as a snowmobile trail in the winter.

Day 2-Goofing off! Passing the time by taking some action shots. Do not try this at home!

The rider thinks he is a professional!

The route on Saturday morning to Mackinaw City:

The End, well until next year!

Mackinaw Tour Report

2009-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

I had a terrible night of sleep going into Saturday morning.

Thursday of the week I sliced my thumb and index finger on the potato slicer which required a trip to Urgent Care to stop the bleeding. While there I had a Tetnus shot. Who can remember when the last one was!

Speed up to Friday night, the eve of the Mackinaw Tour. While at work I started to feel like I had the flu! Fever, aches, headache, and upset stomach! Great I am getting sick. It is either sickness or weather that dooms a big ride around here.

Well, my symptoms were from the Tetnus shot according to the nurse at Urgent Care. I went home to get sleep. My sleep was interupted by soaking sweat and chills. By 5 am I was alright and slept for an hour before getting up at 6:15am for my 7am departure for Mackinaw City.

Saturday morning greeted me with partly cloudy skies with a morning temp of 41 degrees. That meant I had to buttom up with arm and knee warmers with shoe covers.

The trip up was non-eventful. I rode up to Gaylord on the back roads of Northern Michigan. Once to Gaylord, it was time for some crushed limestone rousing!

The North Central Trail is a great piece of trail. Well maintained and groomed. The Roubaix was born to ride this terrian. The Kenda Kwick Roller 28's rolled smooth without any flats or other issues.

I made it to Mackinaw City and it was a welcomed site. I stayed at the Hamilton Inn Select. Pretty posh place to stay and it was only $49 for the night!

Once in Mack City, I had dinner at the Dixie Saloon. Actually it was the only place open for the season. Once the food was consumed I headed back to the hotel for some hot tubbing. The hot tub was a great thing. It helped me recover for Sunday's jaunt home. I sat in the hot water for 45 minutes soaking it up. I was in bed at 10 and up at 6:30am for the return trip to Williamsburg.

Day one stats:

Ride time: 8:16:29

High HR: 175

Low HR: 152

Avg. HR: 156

129.1 miles

15.7 avg. mph

Up at 6:30am, breakfast at 7am, and on the bike at 7:45am. I told myself I would not stop until Gaylord for the day. So off I went on the trail and put Mack City behind me. I did have some difficulty getting the body going for the first 5 miles. Nothing wanted to work and then my six Ibuprofin kicked in and all was well.

I made it to Gaylord around 1pm. I did manage to talk to my wife on speaker while riding somewhere around Indian Lake. That was nice for passing the time.

Once in Gaylord, I made a food stop at Wendys! Wendys is the traditional food stop after riding the High Country Pathway. I downed my Frosy, burger, fries, and cherry Coke and off to the my final destination.

There is a lack of events or details in the report because it was a good ride. No issues or bad experiences. So I apologize for a lack of substance in the report. You have to ride it to understand how fun it was.

I made it home at 5:45pm. I did take a different route from Mancelona to home. I took the dirt roads consisting of Island Lake road, Sand Lake road to Bunker Hill road.

Day two stats:

Ride time: 9:36:17

High HR: 157

Low HR: 133

Avg. HR 143

132.3 miles

13.7 avg. mph

The Specialized Roubaix Pro worked awesome. It is a endurance road bike with enough comfort to make it fun.

All in all, I would do it again.

On with the photos:

The start on Saturday. That jersey is HOT!

The end! Halfway through the ride!

I wonder if I could get a backwoods massage? I needed one!

Are we there yet! My butt is killing me!

Sunday finish! Can I take a nap now?

Look for more photos from the middle of the ride in part two of the Mackinaw Tour.

-Chad

May 1st, Eve of the Big Ride!

2009-05-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to May 1st! Maybe we will start getting temps in the 70's and 80's!

It is the eve of the big ride, Mackinaw Tour! I renamed it to give it the Spring Classics ring!

The bike is set for the 250 mile round trip. Edit: The ride will be 250 miles not 300 miles as previously stated.

A few changes to the Roubaix:

-Mavic Askium wheels for less flex and better durability.

-Kenda Kwick Rollers for comfort. 700C x 28. Plus they have the IronCloak to prevent flats.

-Little red blinky light for the early morning departures.

-Kenda and Sram decals for marketing.

All the gear is ready to go. Here is the list for a bare essential ride:

Multitool
Tire lever
Tubes-5

Pump
Speed patches
Side wall patches
Compass

Jerkey
Perpetuem/Heed-Two bottles worth
Gel
Clif Blocks

Deoderant/Shampoo/Toothbrush/Toothpaste-Travel size

Chamois butter
Chap stick
Hand sanitizer

Windpants
T-Shirt
Crocs
Hat

Cap
Socks
Jersey
Shorts
Camelbak
Bladder
Gloves
Inserts
Shoe covers
Arm warmers
Knee warmers
Sun glasses
3 water bottles
Rain jacket
Pull over
Hand warmers
Helmet
Rear light
Helmet light

Glasses
Camera
Wallet
Cash
Reservation
Map

It seems like a lot, but all the items are small and fit into my Camelbak Ventoux easily. The pack is not heavy at all. And most of the items will be worn!

I specialize in the bare essential, self supported epic rides!

I will have a full write up Monday afternoon with visual stimulation, IE photos!

Until then, keep the dirty side down!

-Chad

A New Toy!

2009-04-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Whoa, a new toy!

That was the line in the movie Robocop when Clarence Boddicker brings this super gun to the city street where his minions were waiting. Clarence then blows up Joe's 6000 SUX.

Then Emil grabs the super gun and blows up something and says, "I LIKE IT!"

I have a new toy and I like it!

I put together a 2009 Specialized Roubaix Pro frame.

It is dressed with Sram Red shifters, brakes, crank, cassette and chain. The derailleurs are Sram Force. Sram supercork tape. Other goodies on the bike include 3T bar, Truvativ Team stem, HED wheelset, Kenda Kaliente tires, Specialized Toupe saddle, Specialized carbon post and Specialized Rib cages.

In race form the bike weighs 15.80 pounds for a huge 61cm frame!

I took it for a 40 mile shake down ride to get final adjustments. This bike is super comfy.

I did manage to get a rear flat with the super racing tires. I sometimes forget that road tires are not as durable as mtb tires.

It will be put to the test on my Mackinaw Tour ride this weekend. The bike will be dressed a little differently. I will be using my Mavic Askium wheels with Kenda Roller 28mm tires. A little comfort and flat protection on the crappy northern Michigan roads.

Look for a ride report Monday on the bike and trip.

-Chad

Big Ride!

2009-04-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Tour of Mackinaw!

May 2nd and 3rd.

A 300 mile round trip from Williamsburg to Mackinaw City.

Great prep for the Lumberjack 100.

2008 North Country Trail Ride from Conway to Mackinaw City

-Chad

Assorted Ramblings!

2009-04-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am back on the bike after a lengthy illness. The flu has moved out of my household for good.

Temps this week are going to be in the 60's! It is about time!

Thursday I will be taking out the Quiring 29er for some offroading in the woods. There is a bit of snow deep in the woods.

Ramblings:

1. Doing a backroad ride from Williamsburg to Mackinaw City. Staying the night and coming back the next day. I would do it on the cross bike. The month of May would be the shove off!

2. Mclain Cycle is having a VIP/Open house for the new Specialized Concept store at the end of the month.

3. We added a new team car to the bunch. I bought my wife a Ford Freestyle! Leather with all the goodies! Of course it is used, who can afford new right now?

Time to go!

-Chad