Dickie Scramble P/B Silence

LCR math time... 5 of my guys were in for the Scramble, but they all dropped like flies (each with a unique excuse) leaving none. 15 min prior to start up flies a Johnsen with all grins. The one guy that didn't commit was there in the end.

Great loop, similar but different to the Queen of Gravel (Ragnarok). More pavement to connect the gravel dots. 2 very worthy minimum maintenance roads. 1 DH worthy of suspension and knobbies. Some public land visits, keep your head up or miss the sights. The data proclaimed 5,200' of climbing in 81 mi, that's more than the Queen had in 107 miles... Nice job connecting the dots Silence.

My race- same excuse as Ragnarok, legs soaked with acid for the first half. I'm not a fan of the cat/ mouse roadie tactics. So when it came to pulling the chase group back to the front I did the bulk of the work with a red jersey'd Hollywood guy and Fullton Isaac. Johnsen again all grins as he pulled back in on my wheel on a gravel road dh into the check point.

Second half, after a regroup session at check point and a good climb out of the hole, legs finally shed the acid and was firing, reeling in targets. The downside, data. I found you can only follow the Garmin line in chase mode so long before you error. I made a few, one put me out about half a mile before my brain registered 'dummy your off the line'. That bonehead move was close enough to the finishline which kept me from sights of a top 10. Still drilled to the finish, which makes the day more than pleasing.

Thanks to Drew Wilson (aka Silence) for putting a worthy loop and event together. Was certainly worth the drive to the southern edge of north iowa to partake in his version of a legit grind fest.

Top 15 results... Riddle that.

NOTE- Good work Johnsen, on the fat non fat none the less... Some know him has 'Herman Cluse', but Rule X, you can't name yourself.


Up next- Nothing in my target, MTB season is coming, just fill the legs with more acid.

Do you wheelie on your road bike?

Said my Sister The Goat (angered) as she finished the road climb to the peak of The Ribbon trail (epic dh trail GJ, CO).

Nope. I don't (I'm no Sagan), but was forced into a corner/ had to gap jump my road bike today on my commyute adventure home.

Replay (no gopro)- Closed min main gravel rd, washed out good sized rutt, 25 mile/ hr on blind roadie dh, zoning out to One Hot Minute/ RHCP. React is all I had, launch, look to otherside, and hope the wheels comply.

No time for pic, had to TT it home to get my daughter to piano lessons. She rocked it.

Flash backwards Ragnarok:
For those that had the stones to show up to the real Spring classic around these parts, grind it in the rain from mile 0, you obviously noticed the photographer (Liam Gilson) on the day. Go to LINK . Photos for hire.

Heath's Hill, clean feet/ muddy bike

Flash Forwards:
See you on Sat at the Dickie Scramble P/B riddler D Wilson? I'll be bringing my spoon to stir the pot.

NOTE: Actually The Goat was on Her Kona Dawg Supreme that day, not a road bike. ha

Ragnarok Version 7.0/ the grinding process

The ship of the SPH let sail their 7th version of Ragnarok. Rain, lightening, bucking winds, no sunlight, reports of hail, one nice snow drift, and the privilege of interrupting that annual foot race in that one park. Only thing that would have capped it off woulda been a nice sheet of ice like year 1 dished out.

Recap- Spit out the back at mile 10 after using an early match attempting to take back the original KOM Rok/ first up Leherback hill. Reminder of the 90 miles was 20 more miles of rain, and an ode to the Melvins and their gem 'the grinding process'.

I hit repeat a couple times on this little ditty-

See, I've come to realize with this new data I can capture that I have no top end. But, if you don't have 5th gear, 4th will get still get you to the finish with a 'grinding process' and the number/ placing that the goon squad riddles over. 'Infinity and beyond...' 8.

Heath. His hill was a treat to clean on a road bike.

NOTE- This year the worthy earner of the ROK was a young lad on a SS. He earned it per Heath, and was eager to accept and willing to defend it in next year. Parker Roenfanz, good work. And make sure the Ladies winner accepts her Rok with a similar vigor. She shouldn't diss the ship of the SPH.

NOTE 2- Qpete, you know what you must accomplish now.

NOTE 3- Thanks to Lisa T./ RDRACER mobile unit for the sag waggin support!

NOTE 3- Good work to Catfish Domonic. Now you just need to learn the motorboat skillz.

Learning- Need to add a flashing to my tulip holder or ditch it for a ziplock. I was in range of the doom of helpless when my notes turned to mush whilest turning pages with soaked gloves. An eager and humorous MKurke came onto my wheel for a bit while in the Goodhue vortex. Gracias Kurke, looking forward to Sandwich 2014.

Can't Truss It.

Chuck D and Flava Flav said it best. Their deal was the man. Mine is fiddle farting with technology/ data/ and the mind traps.

Note the backup system...

Spent way to many ride hours monkeying with new Garmin and all the gizmo's.

Wait. Maybe I'll have fresh legs for the Queen of Gravel/ Ragnarok?

Doubt it. Second year in row the lungs poisoned as part of the wearing down process of putting on a race and trying to drill it in the end...

See you Sat. Or not?

RS- bring the ROK. Defend or submit and disclose to the guy/ gal that most closely resembles a farm dog freed to fly. Think on year 1 and that one black lab about 2/3rds the way in that would not submit, just flew.