Did not get selected for Dirty Kanza... - VeloNation - Cycling Forums, Bicycle Forums, Community Forums

Posts:4209

01/19/2019 08:36 PM
....both bummed and relieved. Now I need another goal for the year...although with the number of house projects I need to do, maybe a year of diminished mileage would not be the worst thing in the world.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:3180

01/20/2019 12:08 AM
Completely unrelated but I just started a biography of a woman from Kansas (who like Dorothy, took to the air and became famous). Amelia Earhart. At the moment she is just 7 yo but I did read the trailers. Two summers ago I focused on Cycle Oregon only to see it canceled. Last year I signed up but my focus was the house. Paint job that included a lot of repairs (and two coats. brush and roller). I was glad I rode CO but was not fully prepared. Never got the dialed-in climb that I live for.

Posts:1767

01/20/2019 04:44 AM
Not too late to sign up for Tour of the Gila. There are a crap load of guys from my town that are doing DK and a few doing DK XL (pure lunacy). A few that are bummed they didn't get in and looking for an alternative that weekend

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01/20/2019 09:16 AM
May end up doing the Coast To Coast gravel race in MI...think it is two weeks after DK.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

01/20/2019 09:46 AM
CK - Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. June 19-23. Be there. I'm afraid I tripped your luck. Was going to throw my name in lottery for DK200 but when OTGG came up I decided to postpone till next year. Will see you then haha.

Posts:4499

01/20/2019 05:01 PM
Just learned someone else from my circle is targeting Dk200 next year. It be so. As it stands we had beauty ride and a handful of beerstoday. F if this winter has not felt like eternal spring.

6ix

Posts:485

01/20/2019 05:52 PM
Come out and do the Golden Gran Fondo with me!! That's really disappointing about the DK200. Sorry man.

Posts:4209

01/21/2019 07:46 AM
OC...the Oregon gravel ride sounds awesome...except for the camping aspect. I am just too old to camp. Zero desire to do that anymore. “Roughing it” for me means staying in a Courtyard.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

01/21/2019 08:21 AM
They have showers. Your food is cooked. Beer and whiskey tasting. How is that roughing it lol? For an extra 200 you can even have a tent pitched for you.

Posts:1767

01/21/2019 09:02 AM
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 01/21/2019 07:46 AM “Roughing it” for me means staying in a Courtyard. #expenseaccount

Posts:3180

01/24/2019 10:43 PM
CC, Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder, I'm in. Explorer. (We'll see how long that lasts.) I have two concerns. Myself. The camping. (This is their first time at this. Do they know what they are doing? Good thing - Oregon has hundreds of ex-volunteers who have worked the ride that set the standard - Cycle Oregon. But I have heard the stories of CO's first ride many times. Really glad I missed it (when I was 35 years younger). Now? Epic is for youngsters! Posted By Cosmic Kid on 01/21/2019 07:46 AM “Roughing it” for me means staying in a Courtyard. Cycle Oregon picks campsites far, far nicer and cleaner than you classic (medival) courtyard. I'm trusting these folks will do likewise. Ben

Posts:4499

01/25/2019 05:20 AM
Good stuff Ben. The organizer has been running bike events for 20 years he said so they should know what they're doing. That said this is logistically far more challenging than a single day event so I'm sure there will be some surprises.

Posts:3180

01/31/2019 11:11 PM
OC, the Cycle Oregon Kickoff was last night. Crater Lake from the north! Much like the canceled ride two years ago. I've wanted to do a planned assault of the North Entrance ever since I accidentally rode it down from the rim and had to turn around and ride back up, low on food. (I had just enough to get around the rim to lunch. An extra 1400' was not in the plan, especially on a 42-23.) This year, Crater Lake is on our rest day so all I have to do is roll out of Diamond Lake, right at the entrance, climb and roll around the (3000' of climbing) rim. The descent back will be a blast (and really fun on a 42-12! I know, I've done it already!) This year will be the second Gravel Grinder, in May, eastern Cascades. Just a weekend. I signed up to get some real gravel time and shake-down a month before the Oregon Trail ride. Looks like the house will not be getting much attention this summer! Rode over and around the hills south of Portland today on Jessica J. I felt great, the bike felt great. I left at around 11:30, got back at 5:30, after sunset, kinda bothered that it was that late but I only rode ~55 miles - to bump my January total to 400 miles. Added up the miles. 68! OK! (A conservative 1550' of climbing. 42-17, 21, 13; perfect cogs for the day. (Jessica's doing Crater Lake also. Gotta get her trained.) Ben

Posts:4209

04/01/2019 05:24 PM
Update.....I got in through a transfer slot. Looks like I am doing it after all. gulp I also have two international trips planned between now and race day, including one the week of May 14, which should have been my last real big volume push. Not certain how I will work all that out. Did 3 hours on the fatty yesterday (trails still kind of a mess for CX) and a quick lunch ride spin today on the CX bike. Now need to work out what equipment i want / need for DK.

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Posts:3180

04/01/2019 05:39 PM
Update on my progress. Its been tough. I got hit hard by the flu going around 4 weeks ago. No stomach issues but i felt like I got run over by a truck. Form took a huge hit. Wrote off RondePDX Saturday as there was no way this body was ready for 1/2 of the 7000' climbing. I am back on the bike and did a good ride yesterday. Easy. ~60 miles. First 35 flat, then some rollers. Refuel break, then a 1000' climb over the range of hills I had been riding behind to get home. Didn't kill me but I was really glad I only had to climb that 1000' of not so steep stuff. 8% average maybe? A lot of work to do before the Oregon Trail GG and one short season to go! (Equinox to Soltice.) Ben

Posts:2881

04/01/2019 08:04 PM
Take er easy there Ben. Just a fact of life as we get older. Best wishes and good luck on a 100% return. Sure makes life worth living!

Posts:4499

04/01/2019 08:23 PM
Tomorrow will be final day of a 6 day training block with four commutes and 2 rides. 47, 47, 125, 95, 47, 47kms. This was after almost two weeks off the bike with hiking I Grand Canyon and Zion. Wednesday it will start raining for a week..after we will pick things up again. Definitely a slow start to season. 10 weeks to go Ben!

Posts:4499

04/02/2019 11:27 AM
BTW - flu has been crazy this year. Several guys in office looking like zombies for weeks after they were supposedly recovered. One guy who works for me was diagnosed with a heart conditions caused by flu and spent two days in observation in cardiac centre. Say what?! Still on forced limited exertion for 2 months. Crazy enough this is first year I can remember I didn't even get a sniffle. I blame it on work, whenever things are crazy busy I tend not to get sick, too much adrenaline. CK - I am disappointed you got in this year LOL; planning to enter lottery next year myself. Ah well, you'll have to ride again :-)

Posts:4209

04/02/2019 03:43 PM
OC, I got strong-armed into it by a couple of buddies....they basically dangled a slot in front of me by including me on some transfer e-mails "Well, we already got our slots, but we are copying a buddy who would probably be interested." The transer process was super-simple....impossible to say "no" at that point! but I am pretty sure that previous finishers get weighted more heavily in subsequent years' lottery.

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Posts:4499

04/02/2019 03:54 PM
Interesting lottery. For a local event (RAMROD, Seattle) its the other way around; the longer you didn't get in the better the odds of getting in next year. They organized lottery by name and DOB to compare entrants across years. Lo and behold, the third time I entered I got an email asking if I was really 7 years old. Turns out I used my kids DOB that year. In previous two years I also had managed to put in different DOBs. Once that was cleared up I got in no problem.

Posts:4209

04/13/2019 03:00 PM
“DK Panic” has officially set in...spent most of this week in China and only got 2- 1 hr spin bike rides in while I was there. Seriously concerned about getting in enough mileage. Did 2 hours yesterday after I landed, knocked out a century today (60 of which was a fast group ride) and planning on 3 hours on the trainer tomorrow AM while watching P-R. Had hoped to get out for a trail ride on the CX bike, but the weather is supposed to suck...38* and rain / snow.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

04/13/2019 03:19 PM
You still have 8 or so weeks no? It's only a single day event so can go for bankrupt on the day. You'll be fine. Yesterday I did the equivalent on one of five days of OTGG. 130kms and 2400m vertical. 6hrs in the saddle. Took a bite out of me. But 8 wks to make this effort easy so it can be done 5 days in a row. Also managed to have a little bike spill 2 weeks ago so my left upper leg is a nice shade of dark blue. Other than that still good to ride though. Ben - FB report 2 weeks ago had 5 feet of snow at highest elevation point. But they have a road clearing permit. So good to go.

Posts:2881

04/13/2019 08:36 PM
Wow, very impressive for April, or July!

Posts:3180

04/13/2019 10:44 PM
I'm not at your level, OC, but I did get in a breakthrough ride Thursday. Forecast was for light rain and medium wind go I geared the Mooney 44-16 (a mid-summer gear for me and rode my regular 50 mile out and back. Wind was SSW and my ride was just south of west but those roads do a lot of right angle turns to north or south so I saw quite a few sectors with the wind full in my face. Slight uphills meant long stretches of out of the saddle and as low as I could get. It was hard and I felt it. Also the most solid ride I've done in a long time. Friday and today, basically 10 mile each way commutes that I felt. Plan is to ride hills tomorrow on the gears, probably not very fast! Rest on Monday, maybe Tuesday and try to do another useful block. (One day of rest accomplishes a lot less than it used to.) Ben

Posts:4209

04/14/2019 01:46 PM
Yeah, OC...I know I can gut through the day, one way or another. I’m not really worried about finishing, but I do want to finish before dark (not quite 15 hours of daylight). Gutted through my trainer ride today....ended up being almost 3.5 hours. Opted for the “Four Horseman” route on Zwift which had nearly 7k feet of “climbing”.... Got on the bike w/ 120k to go in P-R....ended up being exactly 3 hours from the finish (which is what I figured). Also had The Masters going on my laptop at the same time due to their early start time today because of the weather. Outside, there is fresh snow on the ground and we are supposed to get 4”....it is April 14!!

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Posts:4499

04/14/2019 02:36 PM
That's a lot of climbing on a trainer lol. Did a club ride today. 75k easy pace. Soft legs from Friday still. Two commutes over next days to finish off a nice block.

Posts:1767

04/15/2019 08:19 AM
Panic mode... wearing that badge as well. A shade more than two weeks to Tour of the Gila and I'm in full mental melt down trying to justify the 16 hour drive to NM so I can get my *** handed to me. Business trip to Iowa most of this week, more travel next as well. Full. On. Anxiety. I could just admit defeat and consider my entry fee a donation and just stay home.

Posts:4209

04/15/2019 09:04 AM
I could just admit defeat and consider my entry fee a donation and just stay home. Don't be that guy. Can you throw your trainer and bike in the car for the trip to Iowa and log miles in the hotel room / gym?

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:1767

04/15/2019 11:04 AM
Bike and trainer are already loaded. It's nice here and I'll get in a solid ride before I head out. Trainer tomorrow, not sure about Wed, ride Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Take Sunday off then repeat next week.

Posts:4499

04/15/2019 11:51 AM
Panic mode - who are you kidding? There is no panic mode for old timers like yourself. Too much experience and stubbornness to make up for lack of form. 15hrs for DK sounds about right based on distance and terrain. That should make for a reasonably paced ride. No particular time/placement goals for OTGG; just want to be able to ride the event in relatively relaxed mode; enjoy the scenery and maybe have some time for a dip in some of the lakes we're supposedly passing. CK - what are odds for getting into DK through wait list? My goal would be to get in next year. Use Gorge Grinder (100 miles) in Oregon as intermediate objective (early April) so early season training for DK would not be for naught if I don't get in. After next year it's time to relax and dial things back. It will have been five years since Haute Route with one or more major sufferbus objectives achieved each of those years.

Posts:4209

04/15/2019 11:56 AM
Solid plan, Dale!! OC, even if you don't get in through the lottery, it seems like picking up transfers is pretty easy to do. People were even dumping their slots the day the lottery results were announced. You'll have no problem getting a slot, one way or the other.

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Posts:4499

04/16/2019 11:11 AM
Good to know; thanks. There's a note here about some course changes for this year, longer distances between stations requiring some extra consideration/planning. https://www.velonews.com/2019/04/gravel/qa-what-to-expect-now-that-dirty-kanza-has-a-new-owner_492731

Posts:4209

04/16/2019 11:32 AM
Yeah, saw that last night. The removal of the second support station changes things considerably. I had not planned on using a Camelbak since I only need to go ~50 miles between stations (based on previous courses). new course will require you to carry nutrition to get through 87 miles.....although there will be a neutral water stop in there, will still need to carry food / nutrition to go 87. Not to mention that you won't have a chance to restock any supplies (tubes, plugs, etc) if you used them....

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:2881

04/17/2019 09:14 PM
Some gravel joy here in Virginia. Had the day off with perfect weather. Rode a loop in the Blue Ridge mountains a younger me used to do, but the current older me not for a few years, includes a long gravel descent presently beat up by lots of recent weather, and a 1700 ft. gravel climb in 4 miles - that was just graded, dang. Plus a lot of paved up and down. And everything is wet, so bike and rider finished covered with grit. A truly proper gravel road ride. As hard as DK 100? Probably not, but in the same zip code. The knees are complaining despite ibuprofen. Still worth it, and feeling some gratitude that this old fart is not dead yet.

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04/17/2019 09:27 PM
Nice work LSD.

Posts:4209

04/17/2019 10:09 PM
Sounds like a damn fine ride to me!!

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Posts:4209

04/22/2019 11:24 AM
Just finished a big week...365 miles, 19:51 hours. Still kinda p*ssed I didn't find another 9 minutes out there somewhere!! My biggest cycling week ever by 5 miles. Friday was a 3 hour trail ride on the CX bike, Saturday was 112 windy miles on the road and then Sunday was 70 miles / 4 hours on the trail and my CX bike. The Des Plaines River trail is hardly a "gravel" ride, but it is the best option I have....and once you head south and hit Cook COunty, it is not maintained anywhere near as well as here in Lake County. So I got some decent bouncing around. Mini-rest week this week...a bit of travel so I will more limited options for riding this week. Will probably still end up with a bit over 200, though. Then a big 2 week push, followed by another travel / rest week (no riding May 15-18), a final hard week and then race week. Still panicking, but not as miuch after this weekend...my legs felt pretty good on the Sat. group ride and I even took a couple of the sprints. Then for Sunday I was also feeling pretty good and rode at a steady, but comfortable pace.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:3180

04/22/2019 04:21 PM
I still have a long ways to go but the last couple of weeks have been encouraging. Did a great out and back 50 miler on the fix gear, 44-16 with wind. County roads with lots of right turns so the wind varied a lot. Several of the stretches were slight uphills and into the wind. Hard! But a breakthrough. Yesterday I rode a portion of RondePDX on the good bike. 53-42-28 X 14-28. 28c G+ tires. First climb was 1000' on good gravel. I felt good and the tires worked great. Next was Brynwood. I haven't done it in years. 3/10s of a mile. Double digits average. Bottom half is hard, then it "levels out" a touch. Last portion is insane to 23%. Didn't make it. <160 feet (80 uphill paces) short. Then the climb to Pittock Mansion and on up to the radio tower. ~800' Except Brynwood, I felt up to the challenge. For Brynwood, in addition to more climbing conditioning, I need a lower gear and I need to lift weights. (Those probably 14 years since I climbed it last have taken their toll.) Those 28c G+ tires were perfect. Yes a touch lighter would be nice. But they never felt out of place. And the size and traction was very nice on the less than just swept very steep pavement.

Posts:3180

05/04/2019 01:20 AM
OTGG bike update: My Mooney's gone through its latest transformation. My position is rotated back. Relative to the BB, nothing has changed except the seat and bars are rotated 1" (roughly 1 degree) back. I had 2 pairs of the wide pista-like HBs that were popular a few years ago and that my hands like. Great for the previous fix gear using a 150 stem. So I went to a new "cockpit" with the other bars and a 120 stem set slightly higher than the previous 140. Bought a new seatpost, the simply gorgeous Nitto lugged steel post. The Mooney finally has a post its equal. Hardware is Nitto at it's best. Not all that heavy either. And not just two bolt, two hefty 6 mm bolts. Dialing in tip was never easier. Drivetrain is 7-speed. Picked up a $12 brand new 13-28 Sachs. Sugino triple, 50-38-23. SunTour AR front derailleur with the cage narrowed down. Should do a good job of keeping the chain in place. It does have a fair amount of chain rub but on gravel I am not going to hear it or care. '95 SunTour RD. Power Rachet DTs. SPD pedals with Serfas MTB shoes. (Proven pedal/cleat I've had a few years.) Put 32c Paselas on. 80 psi. Rode an easy 9 miles in town and back. Fun! I'm sitting much further back and upright. Not an upwind machine! But great control. Very confidence inspiring. I love that one of the benefits of my work years ago was leaving a job with a full CAD package. Almost 20 years ago landed a high paying temp job that I used to buy an up-to-date version. I"m still using it and now have every bike I've had on it, all superimposed at the BB. Also my house, most of it in 3-D. Makes looking into position changes really easy. And I get to know for sure what stems and seatposts I need. But the Nitto was the work of my favorite shop. I asked about a post. They pulled out their box of used posts. I didn't find "it" so I asked about a large offset really strong 2-bolt post, figuring I was asking for a unicorn. Employee goes on-line, then asks me how much insertion I needed; he'd found a steel post that met all the criteria. The frame was built for a Campy NR/Zeus/Avocet post so the standard 220 Nitto drops right in. (It wasn't cheap; 31% of the cost of the custom frame it is in! But a lot of that was me having my frame made as Peter Mooney was starting up. That window closed a long time ago.) I am becoming a big Nitto fan. Their bars and stem served me very well on the Fuji Pro I race despite being snubbed by the Campy riders. Except for never having "class" I never heard anything bad about their stuff. Recent years I've acquired several Pearl stems. Pure gems. Now this post. Gorgeous and I have to believe hand brazed. (Who in their right mind would make tooling to go automatic for so few sold?) All that said, the 120 stem is a late '80s TTT simply because I had it. Oh well. This post is getting long because the Trailblazers are in their 4th overtime and I am going nowhere. 140-137 Blazer win. Still to do - tires. I think I will go 35c Pasela folding and bring 2 spares. I went 38 in front two years ago for the fix gear gravel grinder. Worked really well. Now that I have my position pushed back, I think 35 in front will work. Thinking seriously of putting on in-line brake levers. In two weeks I get the Cycle Oregon Gravel Grinder to try this all out and quiz the mechanics on their opinions. Ben

Posts:4499

05/04/2019 09:23 AM
Rider for Water today. Epic harsh BC gravel plus some single track. If I dont crash its home free final stretch to OTGG. Didn't ride all week after covering a total of 230kms last weekend.

Posts:2881

05/04/2019 12:11 PM
FWIW travel king 35s are working very well for me on gravel and pavement. I’m riding the file tread, not the micro knobby. Roll well, grip well, and liking the riding “feel”.

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05/04/2019 07:14 PM
I ended up with the Maxxis Ramblers, 700x40’s...two rides on them so far and I like ‘em. Did a 120 mile trail / road ride today....7 hours total. In terms of time, that is probably only 1/2 of what DK will take. doh

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Posts:2881

05/04/2019 08:33 PM
Way to go CK! 120 ain't 200 but it's a heck of a lot. Will power will get you a few hours more. The rest will come from somewhere else, someplace special that we fellow travelers understand. . . . Apologies for a typo in my previous post, Panasonic GRAVEL king, not travel king. And thanks for the tip on the Maxxis ramblers. The larger gravel kings only come with a micro knobby tread, no thank you. I'm just riding for fun, and every time I've upsized it's been good. That retrogrouch in Seattle Jan Heine of Bicycle Quarterly is quirky but I think he's right on his love for big fat tires for this sort of riding.

Posts:4499

05/05/2019 01:07 PM
Solid effort CK. Funny I did only 100 kms in half hour faster than your 7 for 120 miles. But it involved determining we weren't lost on various trails. Some epic gravel climbing, testing non existent MTB skills on lush single track with numerous water crossings, a rolling road section with head wind (yeah pavement! ), a wicked steep single track climb where halfway up I had to drag bike through axle deep muck followed by 6kms of slow grinta climbing and finally an absolute murderous and mental downhill. Managed not to crash unlike many others and unlike last year.

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05/05/2019 09:55 PM
Followed the 120 up with an 80 mile road ride....weird how an 80 mile ride can now feel "short".

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Posts:4499

05/06/2019 12:25 PM
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 05/05/2019 09:55 PM Followed the 120 up with an 80 mile road ride....weird how an 80 mile ride can now feel "short". That mental switch is half the training. I remember doing RAMROD (about 250 kms IIRC) ahead of Haute Route Alps; after that all of the training efforts seemed short. Hmm, I half signed up to join my friend for a ride to pick up his Vanagon in Tacoma, south of Seattle. That would make for a 280km (175 mile) day. Maybe next week, unless I can find a work excuse. Or unless we get some magic rain.

Posts:2881

05/08/2019 07:43 PM
Meanwhile, in other gravel news: https://gearjunkie.com/shimano-grx-gravel-groupset

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05/09/2019 11:39 AM
OK....I can't stop eating. I am constantly hungry right now. See tweet below for my lunch yesterday. Now, I only ate about half of that, but c'mon! https://twitter.com/VeloBouf/status/1126219255228305417?s=20 After a big breakfast this AM, I was still hungry. Ate the second half of that mac&cheese @ 10:45. Still hungry. I NEED FOOD!!!!

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Posts:4499

05/09/2019 12:49 PM
That looks like a normal size lunch to me CK, haha. (I am known as the guy who only eats pasty and who's lunch occupies half the office fridge)

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05/09/2019 01:36 PM
Was planning on three big rides over the next 3 days...60, 115, 80 (or switching the 60 & 80 milers). The 115 will be all gravel in Western IL. But the legs are starting to feel tired....I have an forced / extended rest coming up next week while I go to Europe so was hoping to ride all the way through to next Tuesday, but may not make it. Will probably take tomorrow off and then see how I feel after the 115 on Saturday. If I can do 115, 80, 40 and 60 before I leave Tuesday, that should still leave me good and tired....then 4 days off the bike will get me recharged and I can taper.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

05/09/2019 05:44 PM
CK - good luck. Just read you're already up June 1. In my mind it was closer to when OTGG starts, third week of June. Ben and I still have some training time left. My objective will be the Lanterne Rouge badge of honour (as long as they don't eat all the food at finish). Unfortunately I had to say no to the 175 mile ride opportunity next week which would have cost me two work days with drive back; too busy. Oh well.

Posts:4209

05/10/2019 09:33 AM
Yup....getting down to crunch time for me. This week will be my last really big training week. Normally the last big block would have been next week, but that is my Euro trip, so.....had to improvise. I am sure you will do well more than your objective....bummer about missing the 175 ride. That would have been epic!

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Posts:4209

05/12/2019 07:16 AM
Well, I have definitely pushed myself over the edge. Was supposed to do 115 on gravel roads yesterday and I was struggling from the get-go. Lots of short, steep climbs...constant up & down. Every climb and my buddy was dropping me....didn’t help that I was over-geared, either (40 x 32). Route was two big loops in different directions from Stockton IL....temps were only high-40’s and cloudy. Intermittent spitting rain....Was supposed to be high-50’s and it never warmed up. As we were finishing the first loop, I couldn’t even hold my buddy’s wheel on the flats (and it is normally the opposite). Get back to the car to refuel / reload and we look at the weather map...huge green blob headed our way....that clinched it for me. I didn’t want to dig a hole I couldn’t get out of and I sure as hell didn’t want to do another 60 miles in 40’s and rain on gravel when I was already struggling. Have 4 days completely off the bike this week (Wed - Sat)...now trying to figure out what to do until then. I’ll obviously be riding easy, but not certain how long to ride. Had wanted to push it all the way to my trip, but I overcooked it.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:3180

05/21/2019 01:55 PM
Rode the Cycle Oregon Gravel this weekend. ~65 miles and ~5500' each day, roughly 60% gravel. Bike did just fine, I did OK and enjoyed it (but I really wanted some of those young legs that kept passing me). But the biggest take from the weekend? Oregon gravel, dust, dirt and clay are some of the most abrasive substances on earth. Sunday was wet and we had clay everywhere. I have grit in my Phil Wood rear hub. (The Tipo front with its pack of lots of marine grease is just fine.) The BullsEye idler pulleys no longer turn. I'm still washing both the bike and fabrics. My mind keeps playing with "do I want fenders?" I dind't envy the fendered Sunday as I listened to their grind, but now I'm thinking of the wear and $$s they'd save. A clamp on butt-saver would be good. My took bag is a mess. Looked in a little more detail the Oregon Trail route. Impressive but I think I am up to all but the middle day as an Explorer. I think the bike is good if we don't get wet. Still debating the Paselas. Sweet this weekend. Are they going to get cut up by the bigger rocks promised? Ben

Posts:4499

05/21/2019 09:43 PM
From videos I've seen there will be some pretty sharp volcanic rock. I am erring on side of caution on tire choice. Oregon seems to be getting a lot of rain this year. Makes me a little worried. Going there for scenery. Why suffer if there's no views. Been a gorgeous spring here but starting to pay. Forest fire season already here. Did a single 60 miler with close to 8000 ft elevation. Double Seymour. Easy spin on first ascent but second time up 12.5k at 7.5 percent was still a stretch given that I chose not to eat in between. Oregon will have some pretty long climbs day after day so four more weeks to make this "easy" on limited training time. Recovery day spent on a ladder trimming one of three hedges. Not the best combo. Two more weekends of hedge work ride combo. I'll be somewhat ready for OTGG I think. Not having to work in the office will be greatest differentiator for the week.

Posts:3180

05/21/2019 10:35 PM
OC, Oregon in a spring rain is beautiful. Best scenery of the weekend was the late miles Sunday one the plateau (not high, ~3000'). Rolling hills in all directions and incredible pastel colors. Sky of mixed grey with the sun trying to get trough here and there. Not very many rode SUnday's long ride so not many saw what we saw, but that was the take-a-way from the weekend. I know you know this. Vancouver isn't radically different. Remember more than half of any view is mindset. Ben

Posts:4499

05/21/2019 11:00 PM
I'm looking forward to some stinking hot desert weather Ben. Also wondering how their snow plowing is proceeding. The high pass still had 5 feet late April. Anyway my friends vanagon has a new engine so that's another hurdle to trip cleared.

Posts:3180

05/21/2019 11:12 PM
When that weather happens, this state burns. Need to get a contest going between that snowplow crew and the Italians at Gavia Pass.

Posts:4209

05/22/2019 09:55 AM
Sounds like OC and Ben are getting nice and tuned up....looking forward to the ride reports!! After 4 days off the bike last week (was in Montenegro, which was VERY cool), I did 80 miles on the road bike Sunday, an easy 18 trail ride on Monday and then a trainer ride yesterday AM with a lunch trail ride. Trying to wake the legs up....will do a fair amount of volume the next few days and then start to throttle back. 10 days to go.....gulp Putting finihsing touches on the bike...got a new wheelset from a buddy of mine who works with a wheel factory form Taiwan. DT240 hubs laced to 40mm carbon rims, tubeless. Chopped a fair amount of weight off the bike!! Decided I wasn't really happy with the Vision aero bars I had put on...the shape just didn't fit how I want to grab them and the pads remove the tops as a hand position option. So I ordered a set of Profile brackets w/ flip-up pads and I will use a set of Zipp EVO 110 extensions. Brackets arrive tonight and will have them installed by tomorrow. Also going to switch out the stock alloy bars to a set of Zipp Service Course 80 alloy bars. Biggest reason for changing is they have a 3* back sweep to the tops and a slightly flattened top section for better ergonomics. With the flip-up pads, this will give me more hand options. Still trying to decide on gearing...my alst big gravel ride found me WAY overgeared (40x32). I don't think Kanza will have as many hills that long and steep as that ride, but I am still apprehensive. I may opt for a 11-36 cassette for some easier climbing gears.

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Posts:4499

05/22/2019 10:27 AM
CK - are there any DK200 ride profiles? How much elevation are we talking? Curious given that you feel weight and gearing are an issue. Some spinning gears are always good, if not for hills, to deal with sand pits or deep mud sections. I am riding 34x32, which the other week was just barely enough to get me through a loose gravel 18% grade hairpin. I figure Oregon generally won't be as steep as some of the stuff we have here in BC. And tsk tsk on the aero bars. I know they've become a thing at DK but still.

Posts:4209

05/22/2019 11:05 AM
OC, they have not released the course yet....that happens Monday. They do not release course info until the week of the race...not sure why. Whole new course this year...the race has traditionally gone south from Emporia, but this year they are heading North to start the race. But everyone makes a point of saying that there are definitely some steep punchy climbs in the area. As for gearing, I probably would not have thought twice about it, but after my experience in Western IL two weeks ago, I am questioning whether a 32 is a big enough bailout gear. That ride was ~60 miles w/ 4K of climbing and almost all of it was short steep stuff. I'll probably go with the 11-36 just to be on the safe side....I don't want to burn my legs out grinding up hills on a 200 mile race.

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Posts:3180

05/22/2019 11:23 AM
CK, I was wondering on the wisdom of my 50-38-24 X 13-28 setup for the Cycle Oregon weekend where they were not going to give us anything ridiculous. Well the 24 X 28 got used a few times. Felt like I was geared right all weekend. I've changed my climbing style a lot for the gravel. Sitting really pays. That 5-10% slip when I have to pull my weight forward for the extra umph is costly. This was an excellent shakedown for the bike. I like! I think I will change out the tires to same size but sturdier/more expensive for the O.T. ride. Maybe raise the FD just a touch. I jammed the chain and had to put a foot down a couple of times double shifting to the inner ring. (Elegant shifts aren't always feasible on gravel with DTs!) But overall, the gearing worked very well and as I get better with the shift sequences, they should get better still. I was worried my short cage SunTour AR front derailleur would give me problems on the inner ring and smaller cogs, but all, even the extreme crossover, ran well (except a lot of noise. The chain dragged on both the cage sides and the "bushing". The bushing is a stack of small washers to narrow the bottom of the cage a lot. Makes for quicker shifting and fewer chain drops on rough stuff. A trick I've been doing forever. Does require the ability to correct trim, a nice feature of those DTs. (And as DTs go, I got reminded again just how sweet Power Rachets are.) I've been using TriFlow for chain, derailleur pivots and brake bushings but I am gong to go liquid after this weekend. The wet clay apparently displaced the TriFlow and by the end of Sunday rough. After I rinsed it off when I got home, next day the bike was running like it had been set outdoors for a year. (I could not even turn the cranks!) Wet FinishLiine will make a mess over 5 days but I'm thinking that, with a few applications over the ride, that all will be working throughout the ride. Bike's going to need a full clean anyways so what the hey. One surprise I got going out last Friday - put my ancient Yakima rack on. (Thank you Yakima for making updates for new cars feasible over the past almost 30 years.) Mounted the bike. Rocked the bike; the simple test that in the past has always rocked my cars. No, the plastic clamp for the fork was flexing. Scary. Drove carefully to the local rack people who carried Yakima and put the tracks on my car. No, they didn't have the fixture. So I put the bike in the back. OK. (I drove to at least one CO this way in my larger previous car. Bike arrives bug-free and clean. Better gas mileage. Less wind noise.) But coming home with a filthy bike? Ahh! the tent ground cloth spread over back of the car. Big enough and perfect! Over the bike the cheap rain poncho I brought years ago for camp wear. Bike was now completely out of sight and I could put my bags over it. Nice! Plenty of room for the additional gear of 5 to 7 day rides. The rack is a keeper and I will find/make a new fork fixture. For one thing, those racks are great for carrying the big and heavy items needed as a homeowner. Once probably 600 pounds of roof debris. ((Drove really carefully to the dump. That was very close to the roof's limit!) Lumber, sheets of insulation, etc. I use a regular galvanized pipe for the crossbar and keep the nice Yakima ones set up for the bike. Started using the pipe when I used to travel to regattas to race my 15' sailboat. That boat was much longer and wider than the Tercel under it. Made finding the car in parking lots so much easier!

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05/22/2019 05:06 PM
OC, here is one of the hills from my ride two weeks ago. 40x32 was a bit of a grind on this one.

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Posts:4499

05/22/2019 08:52 PM
Nice. I think 40x36 will be an excellent choice. And I expect Ben to spin by me while whistling using his gearing.

Posts:4209

05/22/2019 10:20 PM
Sorry for making the thread a “widey”..... I now have the most kluged together aero bars in the world...Profile brackets, Zipp EVO110 extensions and an ancient pair of Scott RCO pads (about 25 years old). But I am digging the set-up!!

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Posts:3180

05/23/2019 12:13 AM
Got you beat CK - age-wise, not kludge-wise. My seatpost is secured with a 52 year old UO-8 pin. (Has the perfect head to fit the brake cable hanger. The Campy pin that came with the Mooney sucked with that hanger.)up

Posts:4209

05/26/2019 07:09 AM
I think I am in deep trouble w/ DK....been REALLY sick this weekend with a nasty cold. Didn’t ride Friday or yesterday and spent yesterday in bed. Could barely get out of bed, I was so weak. Head was stuffed with gunk and I eventually puked in the afternoon from all of it working it’s way down my throat. Dehydrated, pounding headache, only had a little toast to eat. Feel significantly better this AM, but I still feel like complete schitt. Cold has now settled in my lungs and I have a horrible cough...not looking good for getting on the bike today either. Pretty sure I will only be in survival mode next weekend.....

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Posts:4499

05/26/2019 05:00 PM
Eat rest recover. You'll surprise yourself.

Posts:4499

05/26/2019 07:18 PM
I did the Double Seymour ride again with 103kms and 2500m vertical for day. First time up felt a lot more like playing with the hill than working it and rode it pretty aggressive. Paid big time on second ascent which is a long ways off from being easy. Seymour is the perfect hill to tell you how out of shape you are. Now it's on to BTWW or five 47 km days. Also some bonus lawnmowing after today's ride. Definitely lacking power with my push mower after ride effort.

Posts:1767

05/27/2019 07:18 AM
Did 50 miles Saturday with two of the four guys I ride with that were selected for the DKXL. Three of the four will be in dark brown with orange trim Kuat kits, the other in a red and black Springfield Brewing Company kit. One of the guys, maybe two of them, will be on Luaf bikes. One is on a bike he brazed up himself-- primer grey. There are several others in SBC kits doing the 200 route that I ride with. Good luck and we're looking forward to a report once the feeling returns to your hand so you can type

Posts:4209

05/27/2019 05:12 PM
I’ll keep an eye out for them...i’ll be in a black / red INTENT kit with a couple of other guys. Got up off my death bed and did an easy 20 on the local trail. Oooof. Think I am looking at a long day on Saturday....and they just announced that this year will be the most climbing ever. Glad I ordered the 36!!

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Posts:4499

05/29/2019 01:13 PM
Just tag on in the slip stream CK; you got those aero bars. https://www.velonews.com/2019/05/gravel/worldtour-pros-will-race-to-win-at-dirty-kanza-200_494307

Posts:4209

05/29/2019 02:14 PM
I gotta believe those guys are just gonna string the field out to start this thing..... Course was released on Monday....most climbing ever for DK. Garmin says it is ~6K feet, but when I put the route into RideWithGPS, it comes up as ~8K...another guy said he got 10K, so who knows. But the first 40 miles or so look to be uphill / false flat the whole way, so I expect some legs to crack early. Did another hour last night on the trainer.....anything above very-low Z2 effort causes coughing fits. This could be really ugly...

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Posts:4499

05/29/2019 02:41 PM
In my experience RidewithGPS is pretty accurate; Strava tends to overestimate a little although much less so than couple years ago. It's a function of the digital elevation maps they're using.

Posts:4209

05/29/2019 03:34 PM
My experience as well....and 8K across 200 miles really ain't that bad. Of course it is all gravel, soooooo......shrug

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Posts:4499

05/29/2019 03:53 PM
Found the 2019 route on ridewithgps. Elevation looks well distributed over entire course and very doable. The steepest grade I can find is 6%. It won't be a factor in terms of fatigue I don't think and I actually prefer a rolling course over a complete flat course as it allows you to relax your back a little once in a while. Looks like you have a short-cut opportunity between km 125 and 170. No cheating :-)

Posts:2881

05/29/2019 08:14 PM
Good luck! I've read the gearing reports, which make sense to me. Superlong rides don't allow for leisurely pacing and the gearing should match that. Forgive me that I've missed other pertinents: Which tires and other specialty gear have you selected? How many spare inner tubes will you carry? (or tubeless?) Pedals and shoes? Change of shorts? (consider for half way, BTDT) Rolling paved rides can be more pleasant than pure flat, as you get a chance to coast and rest. On gravel, if it's rough, not so much.

Posts:4209

05/29/2019 10:09 PM
LSD, will be running Maxxis Ramblers, 700x40’s on tubeless carbon rims that actually make them seem more like a 42. Very happy w/ the wheel set-up so far. Will carry 2 tubes and have more available at the checkpoint (#1 & 3j. Full kit change and spare wheels will also be there, if needed. Those checkpoints come at ~65 and ~150 miles. In between there is only a neutral water stop. Will start w/ 2 large bottles, 1 nutrition & 1 water. At first checkpoint will get two new large bottled, both nutrition and throw on a Camelbak w/ water. In the pack i’ll Have more powder for the water stop to fill both bottle with more nutrition. At the third checkpoint, i’ll dump the Camelbak and just go w/ 2 large bottles to get home. Just got new Zipp Service Course 80 alloy bars, which are awesome. Flat top w/ a 3* back sweep to them. Also using Zipp Vuka EVO 110 aeroextensions attached to Profile clamps w/ flip-up pads so I can still access my tops. I figure having as many hand positions as possible is gonna be critical over 14 hours. Oh, and I put an old school Rock Shox suspension seatpost on, which is awesome for taking the edge off.

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Posts:4209

05/31/2019 06:36 PM
In Emporia, checked in. Weather report is mid-80’s w/ scattered afternoon thunderstorms. Time to embrace the suck!!!

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Posts:4499

06/02/2019 06:29 PM
So I did some sleuthing...going from your linked Twitter post to race number post to web results (now I know your real name haha). Saw a first split time then nothing. Is that correct? That first split was way fast. About 6mph faster than what would likely be my target pace. From race report sounds like wind was major factor this year.

Posts:4209

06/02/2019 10:16 PM
My first ever DNF....at least voluntarily. Felt great, was riding somewhere in the top 150 or so. Could see the front of the pack and was just cruising.... About mile 28 we hit a really technical section and I decided now was the time to let the front pack go....no need to spend matches keeping up in a tough area and all my buddies were behind me, knew they were close but not right with me. I ease up so I can see everything better, let the field go....in abiut a minute, one of my buddies is there and says everyone is right behind us. Cool. 5 minutes later he flats, so we pull over to fix it. HUGE sidewall slash so we boot it with some duct tape I had taped around my SP and get going again. One of the guys had kept going so it was 3 of us and we just set our pace and slowly work our way through others. Feeling great, no issues. Right around mile 60, I hit a bad patch and try to take it easy on the hills...buddies wait and we get into the first checkpoint. Grab a coke, my Camelback, fresh bottles and new food. Normally a mid-rode coke is jet fuel for me....not yesterday. I tell my buddies to go ahead but they still try and wait...I finally just stop trying to catch back up to them after hills and let them go. Feel fine on the flats, but hills were a struggle....but I felt like if I just soft pedaled the hills, I could keep that easy pace all day. Then my quads started cramping around mile 70....I have never cramped on the bike, ever. Not once. These were complete leg locks. My VMO muscles were rock hard and could barely pedal. I was just shutting down and I knew there was no way I could get through another 125 in those conditions. Pulled the plug and called for my SAG team. My body just wasn’t ready for that ride after being so sick the week before...I was riding within myself the whole time, but my body just said “not today”. Got picked up and went with them to the second aid stop....my buddy who flatted started struggling around 130. Got into the aid station at 150 and and had heat stroke. 90* and he wasn’t’t sweating and shivering massively. Finally called 911 as he kept getting worse. Fine now, but they had to put two bags of fluid into him at the hospital. The heat ripped through the field like a buzzsaw...riders were taking shelter in whatever shade they could find on the road. Literally curling up in balls next to small bushes to get out of the sun...it was The Riding Dead. I’m obviously disappointed, but there wasn’t much choice for me...I knew what my body was telling me. Feel fine now physically, just dealing with the mental and emotional let down. Such a great event though....was an awesome vibe and riding in a field that big through gravel was really cool. But that is not an event to be taken lightly...hoping to go back next year and settle some scores.

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Posts:4499

06/02/2019 11:45 PM
Nice ride report CK. Better luck next time. Heat is always fun. That's some pace if you were riding within yourself. Maybe I'll have a go next year. Although we did get some early tickets for a 2 week Costa Rica spring break so maybe next year I'll be lazy.

Posts:4209

06/03/2019 07:37 AM
Thanks, OC...part of the problem with the heat was that it has been so cool and cold here this spring that we never did any warm rides, let alone hot ones this year. Then you have to knock out 200 miles in 90* heat and you have a big challenge ahead. But I don’t think the heat was the issue for me...it was that my body had taken such a big hit last weekend with how sick I was. I just never recovered fully, I think...I was so weak that I could barely get out of bed. Hard to go from that to riding 200 hilly miles on gravel in hot temps in less than a week. I haven’t had a chance to analyze the data yet, but a couple people have mentioned that it seemed like my lace was fast. I felt fine and was not really pushing it, but I am gonna dig into the file today and evaluate it. It wasn’t like I was pulling or anything...just rolling in the draft, getting a free ride. Obviously some efforts on the hills but nothing too crazy....but gotta be objective and try and evaluate if that could have been a contributing factor.

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Posts:4499

06/03/2019 08:43 AM
On pace...if you had maintained your placing your finishing time would have been 14.5hrs. Slightly faster than the 15hrs I think you had planned. Perhaps a little hot of a pace given your illness. Also taking into account you guys patched a tire in that section which must have cost some time. My target pace would be 20kph which is something I typically can hold in perpetuity. That would have given a finish time of 16.5hrs give or take. Right in fat part of bell curve of finishers most likely which would be typical placing for ride like that. On heat...I had to cut off my first Seymour climb this year cause it was also the first hot day. All other double accents have been fine also in heat.

Posts:4209

06/03/2019 09:01 AM
So just took a quick look at the data....for the first 30 miles, I averaged 20.2 mph. Definitely faster than I anticipated for my entire ride pace, but I knew that I would be banking some time here as I sat in the draft. For the next 35 miles to the first aid station, the three of us averaged 17.5 mph. For the next 12 (largely alone), I averaged 12.2 mph (but also gained 1260 ft in those 12 miles). But the wheels had clearly come off at that point.... (note - all times / averages are based on riding time only, not time fixing the flat or refueling at the aid station). I still feel like I was riding within myself for the first 60, but looking at my HR data showed me some surprises....for the first 30, I averaged 148 BPM. The next 35 was 149 and the final 12 was 150. My "all day" HR is ~130-135. Maybe I did go out too hard.....but I had also noticed in the week between being sick and DK that my HR on the bike (all easy rides) was higher than normal. Not entirely unexpected after being that sick. My "perceived effort" for the first 60 miles was certainly in line with what I expected / planned.... Maybe I did start a little hot, which contributed to my demise, but I don't think it was the primary cause. Pretty sure it was just not having recovered from being sick (and I was still coughing before the race....hell, I'm still coughing today).

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Posts:4209

06/03/2019 09:07 AM
Including the stops (12 minutes for the flat and 12 minutes for the first aid station), I averaged about 15.2 mph, which had I been able to keep (HAH!!), would have given me a finish time of about 13 1/2 hours. Not an unreasonable possibility if I was feeling good, but definitely at the pointy-end of my expectations....and likely not realistic given the week prior to DK. I made my Training Peaks file for the race public, so if anyone wants to go take a look at it, the link is below. No power on my CX bike, so just Speed, HR, Elevation and Temp. http://tpks.ws/ZOS6TFU7KAVLQVLSWTPVAXIYTU

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Posts:4499

06/03/2019 11:03 AM
Oh let's face it, you were like my kid last month with his half marathon. "Oh hey, I am running with the elites." 4 kms later, "Oh hey, I am cramping". Youthful exuberance did you in CK. :-) My kid (actually both of them) turned 16 today; he got up at 6 am to go for a pre-schoolday run. That's my boy. Haha.

Posts:4209

06/03/2019 11:17 AM
Good video from CyclingTips below....hits on a lot of the points / questions / concerns I had before DK. You can go on a 7 hour trainign ride and realize that you are only 1/2 way through the time required for DK. But it is still largely a participatory event. Quite the paradox.... https://cyclingtips.com/2019/06/training-for-dirty-kanza-the-cyclingtips-endless-gravel-summer/

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Posts:4209

06/03/2019 11:25 AM
Oh, another point....after all my tinkering around to get the "right" bar set-up, both armrest pads came off within 5 miles and I didn't notice. So I dragged around aerobars that I could never use.... Don't think I would bother with aerobars again, regardless....even though you inevitably end up on your own at some point, I think the extra weight and drag (when not in the bars) offset any gains from when you do use them.

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Posts:4499

06/03/2019 12:53 PM
Just noticing that a good number of top finishers on women's side are also racing at OTGG. On the men's side, not so much.

Posts:4209

06/03/2019 01:38 PM
Yeah, Allison Tetrick is doing OTGG and sounds really excited about it.

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Posts:4499

06/03/2019 01:51 PM
Amity Rockwell, Sarah Max and couple others from top 10 as well. They'll have a very competitive field on the women's side. I saw a couple names pass by on men's side but none that I recognize from DK200 top finishers.

Posts:2881

06/03/2019 08:26 PM
Luck.

Posts:2881

06/03/2019 08:26 PM
Lady Luck sucks.

Posts:2881

06/03/2019 08:27 PM
There may be some sort of lesson here. Or not. Sometimes luck just is out to get you.

Posts:1767

06/04/2019 07:56 PM
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 06/03/2019 11:25 AM Oh, another point....after all my tinkering around to get the "right" bar set-up, both armrest pads came off within 5 miles and I didn't notice. So I dragged around aerobars that I could never use.... Don't think I would bother with aerobars again, regardless....even though you inevitably end up on your own at some point, I think the extra weight and drag (when not in the bars) offset any gains from when you do use them. Clearly CK is still suffering the aftereffects of this event. Here is is babbling on about something aero not being worth it. Could someone up in the NW Chicago suburbs go check on him for us? ...either that or his account got hacked

Posts:1767

06/04/2019 07:59 PM
Thanks for the report and glad you survived. It's tough to race when you're not 100%, especially that far. I think you can fake it in a short race... hang out in the pack or whatever, but in the heat for 200 miles- nope.

Posts:4209

06/04/2019 10:08 PM
LOL, Dale....strange times, right? I was actually questioning the bars for a few weeks before the event, but decided to roll with them. I had arm warmers in my SAG bag and considered taping them around the arm brackets with electrical tape at the first rest stop so I could use the bars.

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Posts:3180

06/04/2019 10:57 PM
CK, I had a clamp-on WB cage under the DT. Great for morning coffee. I can carry two waters and my coffee and swap the bottles around later. Do it all the time for CO. You got me thinking. The old sailboat rule, KISS. Took it off. (I got a "camelback" for the days with long stretches between rest stops. I'll run straight water in it and Vitalyte in the bottles. (I had nice Cuisse (sp) cages on the bike for many years. They never dropped a bottle. Replaced them with new Kings.) Spare spokes are solidly taped on with electrical tape. One wrap to protect the paint and provide a solid anchor. Two wraps to secure. Both ends and middle. Bike's coming together. Need to make a solid HB mount for my wrist HR monitor. (Plan - cut a disk out of wood. Drill an oversized hole. Saw it in two. Wrap the bar with innertube. Screw together the pieces. Maybe more innertube over.)

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06/05/2019 09:11 AM
Ben, that was exactly my hydration strategy for DK....Camelbak filled with water and two large bottles with nutrition (I used Infinit Speed and Jet Fuel). I'll also recommend the CamelBak Podium Chill insulated bottles. They do a great job at keeping liquids cold / cool much longer. I froze all my bottles overnight....had cool liquid all the way to Checkpoint 1. The bottles that I would ahve picked up in Checkpoint 3 were still about halfway frozen by the time my buddies reached CP3 (stored in a cooler). Another option for you HB mount would be to just get some foam pipe insulation and cut it to the right width...much easier and faster.

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Posts:3180

06/05/2019 11:58 AM
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 06/05/2019 09:11 AM ... Another option for you HB mount would be to just get some foam pipe insulation and cut it to the right width...much easier and faster. Easier and faster but I am thinking the foam will crush, accelerated by all the vibration and the "watch" will soon spin around and certainly not sit straight. And this is 5 days, not one. Edit: CK, I've never been a fan of cold water on hot days. Warm water seems to go down better, stay down and I drink much more.

Posts:4499

06/05/2019 12:33 PM
I think you also need some aero bars Ben. CK can advise :-) No spare wheels or spokes for me, just fingers crossed. The wheels have been absolutely bomb proof to date. Will be bringing some spare tires just in case but they will remain at camp. No camelbak or anything else on my back. My hydration strategy typically is when folks bring one bottle I have none, when they bring two I have one, and for rides like this I will actually take along the second bottle. I am considering maybe throwing an empty third bottle into my mini handlebar bag, to be filled if and when required. It depends what else needs to go in that baggy for nutrition, extra spare tubes, allan key set, and hmmm maybe some duct tape (excellent tip from CK on that front). No monitors either, I've ridden long enough to be able to tell what effort is sustainable and what's not. But in Ben's case given recent episode, having one is probably wise. I don't want to be digging a shallow grave with my mini-pump as only tool.

Posts:4209

06/05/2019 01:58 PM
I may or may not have just put my name on a waiting list for a hotel room for May 28-31, 2020 in Emporia, KS..... OC, if you are even considering the race, look into getting a reservation ASAP. You can always cancel / switch it and rooms go really quick.

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06/05/2019 02:04 PM
Good intel CK. What hotel did you book and I take it those are next year's dates? That would leave under 2 months following Costa Rica trip for training.

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06/05/2019 02:09 PM
I'm on the waiting list @ Candlewood Suites....makes it nice because the rooms have kitchenettes so you can have breakfast food you want, freeze / refrigerate your bottles, etc. They said they have 47 people on the waiting list so far, so still availability.

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06/05/2019 03:47 PM
Looks like they'll start calling people right around time when I'll be in OR. Anyway, we'll see.

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06/05/2019 08:26 PM
Welp....that plan didn’t last long. Found out tonight that daughter #3 graduates from middle school on the 29th, so I am out. Redemption will have to wait a year.

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Posts:4499

06/05/2019 08:49 PM
Middle school...oh come on CK. We didn't do anything when ours graduated from that. This does give me pause in that next year is already busy so perhaps a year postponement might work better. Then again what better 55th bday present than a day of mild suffering.

Posts:4209

06/05/2019 09:17 PM
Oh, don’t get me started on the multitude of “graduations” we ave to endure these days....but it is a small sacrifice. Oh...and the suffering is not “mild”.

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Posts:4499

06/06/2019 11:48 AM
Alright, let's plan to convene 2021. Hopefully this forum will still be around by then for organizing. Looking at next year I have already allocated more vacation days than I usually get between two weeks in Costa Rica, a three week family hiking vacation in BC, and a likely trip to NL for my mom's 80th. Will make 2020 a lazy year for cycling with no objectives. 2021 will be year my kids graduate from high school but I am banking on it being mid June as it is this year.

Posts:4499

01/07/2020 06:42 PM
You'd think the neutral support could have spared some duct tape for CK to tape his aero bars back on and keep going. https://www.sporttechie.com/dirty-kanza-200-mile-bike-race-duct-tape-stick/

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01/07/2020 10:11 PM
That is all I woulda needed....

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01/30/2020 11:15 AM
So 2021 will likely not happen. Going to California for 2 weeks riding this fall which is taking up all spousal credits for a while. Grinduro Shasta, Levi's Growler and a lot of epic riding between those two planned. Next year is kids graduation and even though DK200 is during exam time when strictly speaking I am not needed it is probably still better to be at home front and show support. I've also tallied up a fairly lengthy to do list of local remote gravel rides, which will be a good target for 2021. A lot of out of cell phone reach stuff. So most likely 2022 it is. Kids will be out of house, logistics will be easier and spousal credits should have re-accumulated. I also signed up for Whistler Gran Fondo, which doubles as UCI GF worlds this year. A friend of mine stands good chance of becoming world champ in our mid-50s age category, he was fastest qualifier last year. I will be gunning for a really slow 5.5-6hr completion time of 122 kms, riding with his wife and my wife (her first). I may use my commuter bike to keep it interesting. Will need to get the BH bike my wife received in working order. It has a sticker from a still existing bike shop in Brussels but was bought 2nd hand by my friend's wife here in Vancouver. It went back to France for their sabbatical and now is here again. It is a very well travelled bike.

Posts:4209

01/30/2020 04:17 PM
Bummer about 2021, but Family First, always..... Sounds like you have a full calendar coming up, though!!!

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

04/06/2020 11:52 AM
CK - what are your thoughts on new entry process for DK? Seems that with transfers gone, it is now properly a lottery and odds of being able to ride any given year have diminished? Not too plussed about this myself. I would at least like to see them do a weighted lottery where each year you do not get in your odds the next year improve. So with enough attempts you'd get in at some point. They did this for RAMROD. I got in the third year I entered lottery. Anyway, this year they've moved things to mid-September. Should be good with fall colours but also less daylight so more dark riding unless you're fast enough. And of course it is still wait and see if all these events that have moved to fall are actually going to happen.