Landahl goodness :)

Went to Landahl this morning for some tasty tasty good times on the sweetest single track the midwest has to offer. Parked at argo, dropped in on Tasty to the tri-trail meet up, root canal and rim job out west to the clusterfuck trail meet up, family trail around past scotty's drop in then across the double track down dave's maze, back to the clusterfuck, then took the rest of the little rim job connector down to the boulevard, took that about 1/4 of a mile before turning back because of mud, went back up the double track to the family trail, hit both tech off shoots, back on family past scotty's again, down dave's again to the clusterfuck, then back east on will's with swedish erotica thrown in, continued past the double track to the tri-trail meet up, then up tasty goodnes back to the argo lot.

landahl is the bomb. It will work your ass like no other, especially when the rocks and roots are just damp enough to make things interesting. Best trails in the KC area, no doubt. Everything from the tightest, twistyist single track, to open runs, to technical beat downs, double track, rocks, roots, berms, creek crossings, multiple ways to take on every trail. Time to spend a 10 hour day out there soon.

Race Results

Quick post about the couple races Mason and I recently competed in. At the BoneBender Mud Fest from Hell, we got 4th in the team class. The next weekend at the God's Country MTB Race at the Lawrence RIver Trails, Mason and I both entered the single speed class and got last and second to last, hahaha. I blew out a sidewall on my rear tire my second lap, and DNF'd while Mason posted his fastest lap times out there ever, and the old dudes still threw down the hammer. we got a long way to go to start winning stuff around here.

glasses found at BoneBender

Found these glasses as we were leaving the BoneBender Race. If they're yours gimme a shout, bscm8@umkc.edu or (seven-eight-five) nine-seven-nine, two-seven-zero-six.

Fun in Sean's Backyard

This is a video compilation I put together tonight of some fun that Sean, Mason and I had at Sean's backyard trails and features. I've never made a video before this, but damn, windows movie maker is butter easy to use. even got some music from my boy Approach on there, song entitled "Funk Reaction" ENJOY!!

BONE BENDER AFTER ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!

taco flavor kisses for my ben

So, I decided with the weather the way its been going I needed to rip dirt today while I could. So I bussed it up to Lawrence and met up with some peeps from Sunflower Bike and Outdoor, Steele and Andrew, to go for a little river ride. We were planning on 2 laps, and I was to lead the way, since Steele is just coming back from a broken collarbone and Andrew said he was way out of shape. I was reluctant since I had never ran the 40-18 gearing set-up on dirt yet since I converted to single speed. but I took off and was RIPPING! It felt great, I had a 2.3 exiwolf on the front at 25 psi and a specialized crossroads 38c on the rear (cyclo tire) at 75 psi for some nice push on the rear. I also had never ran this tire setup and really liked it as well. So I was ripping and felt great in the gearing, almost like I could go to 40-16 (ya right), then I hit a went over a log funny and my front wheel must have had a few spokes that weren't to tension, because next thing I knew I was face first in the brush on the side of the trail. Tacoed the absolute crapola out of my stock front wheel. So I had a nice little 4 mile hike or so back out the trail/levy/through downtown to the ReCyclery at 23rd and Louisiana. Got some really nice looks going through downtown with a bike draped across my shoulders, tacoed wheel and all, and my clip shoes making the nice clack against the sidewalk. I was going to order stuff to build up new wheels but Brian at the ReCyclery had a wheelset for me that I'd wanted for awhile: Salsa Delgado rims with American Classic hubs (including SS specific back hub) and DT swiss butted spokes. totally badass and he hooked me up, as always. If you are in Lawrence, or if you need a good used or new GT bike, hit up The ReCyclery and tell them I sent you. They're cool guys. Dropped way more money than I was planning on today, but I guess I got the new upgraded wheelset, nice and light, nice and strong, nice and sexy. Now, to just get them tubeless... :)

peace!!!

42 miles!

yo yo!

Well yesterday's weather was weird! It started out raining and really windy, so I waited until around 1 pm to go out for a spin. I rode from the crib up and down the hills of 67th street out to Sean's house to show off the new build on the single speed. The 40-18 gearing was killing me going up some hills, but I made them all. Chilled there for a bit with Sean and Seamus, checked out the Y-chromosome and then spun back home on midland/blackfish/75th to the Turkey Creek trail. I thought I was done for the day after a nice little 15 mile ride or so but Sean called me up around 6 to see if I was down for more, and I totally was! We decided to spin down to Bike Soure and check out their spring specials they have going on. However we took our sweet time before starting the ride and showed up at Bike Source 9 minutes too late, bummer. By then the sun had set, neither one of us had lights and we were probably both way under clothed, and I know for sure Sean was in his lycra with no jacket. Instead of spinning back up the Indian Creek Trail/Lowell, which was the way we took down to Bike Source, we decided to take the "short" route back up Quivera. Our brains actually worked a little after riding so long and we decided to split our paths at 75th street so Sean could spin back west to his crib and so I could get back northeast to mine. Riding the Trukey Creek trail is SUPER INTERESTING in pitch black darkness by yourself, I was kind of scared, I won't lie :) But I made it back home and mapped my route for all the day's spinning and I had surpasses 42 miles! Holy crapola! Didn't feel like I had ridden that far, especially since I was pushing the 40-18 29er the whole time. Guess I did have the cyclo tires on though :) Well, today I got some philosophy to do and a team wine tasting tonight at the Cellar Rat with the good folks from my new team: Team Colavita/Parisi Coffee, good ole' saturday morning chemistry lab tomorrow, oh yay :/, and Sunday I think I am going to go out with Eric from the Team to the road race in Leavenworth to check out the roadie scene. Should be a generally good weekend! Hope you enjoy yours!!!

Peace!!!

new team

sup y'all:

Well April has brought the showers and every single trail within 200 miles is done for, for a while :'( Let there be rejoicing though, I have found myself a team to race with this year, Team Colavita/Parisi Coffee: http://www.teamcolavitakc.com/content/index.shtml

Check them out, really cool peeps building a REAL team, not just a show-and-go-jersey-wearing club. Seems like most of their riders are primarily pavement pushers (just kidding!) so I'll have to bring the dirtiness to the team. I am really looking forward to being a part of Team Colavita/Parisi Coffee as they offer great support during races, team training rides and sweet deals through Volker Bike Shop: http://volkerbicycles.com/content/index.html

Mason has been working some CRAZZZZY hours. 5:30p-10:00p at UPS then he drives to Lawrence for the 11:00p-7:30a shift at another packaging plant, gets home around eight-thirty, eats, passes out by nine and wakes up again by 4:30 in the afternoon to do it all over again. I am sure he will be loving all the dough he's about to have though, damn that's a crazy schedule! Kind of sucks because we haven't ridden together in about a month, honestly we haven't really seen each other that much since he started working like a crazy man. Maybe 15 minutes on T/R mornings and maybe 10 minutes every night. I am just all confused on living with someone who I used to ride with 5-6x a week and now we are on COMPLETELY opposite schedules. I wake up/he gets off work. I get home from school/work, he is waking up to leave. Totally weird.

But anyway, we are still teamed up for the BoneBender 6 hour race and we plan on killing some people on some single speed goodness. The weekend after is the God's Country Duathlon/MTB race, I am doing the duathlon and Mason will be in the single speed class of the MTB race. Of course, the rain has to let up for a little bit :/

have a good month! it's warm enough now you can get outside for at least a little bit everyday!

peace!!!!!!!!

hmmm...

first off, SNOW RIDE SUNDAY--LAWRENCE RIVER TRAILS, hit me up if you wanna join!

second, unfortunately, since they are being shadesters, Mason and I will not be doing any midwest fat tire series (MWFTS) this year. for some reason, they tought it would be cool to try and say the bonebender was going to be moved to another date to try and pimp their own race. It really pissed me off because Chris Locke, the Fat Tire Duathlon/BoneBender promoter, did not authorize such a posting and I am quite sure he busts his ass to help out local KC racing scene. it was completely made up by the MWFTS guys = BULLSHIT, there is no other way to put it. funny how they claim to want everyone to get along then they pull some bs like that. i sent them some choice words, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one, and they yanked the rumor down pretty darn quick. so here's a big F_U to the MWFTS!! The AMBCS/Psycowpath/Tour de Dirt/IMBCS/I-74 series' are way better anyway!

third, (thanks for letting me rant), training has picked up for me once again, not so much for Mason. He's working a 5:30--9:30 pm shift at UPS then going to packerware in lawrence for the night shift, ouch! making that money, though. hopefully I can con him into riding with me on sunday. it'll be the first time i have the 29er as a single speed and I can't wait!! Went running yesterday for the first time in a couple months since the injuries, and i thought my heart was going to explode! most definitely out of shape! I did haul some ass on my single speed road bike yesterday though getting from my crib at SMP/Antioch to UMKC's campus in 25 minutes (google maps put my ride at 7 miles exactly), and that was with my backpack/street clothes and then rode home after getting some stuff taken care of for fall semester. 14-15 miles total b/c I swung up through the plaza on the way home and got a yummy panera smoked ham on rye, mmmmmm! Woke up this morning and had the good leg burn, oh how i'd missed it.

I would say see you on the dirt, but i doubt anyone will be on it for awhile, so see you on the snow and/or the road!!! Peace!!

spring break

nothing new around here. I am on full recovery mode, meaning no running or riding for at least another week to let my cracked foot and pinched sciatic nerve get completely healed up. I think it's working because the past couple days I have been generally pain free, which is the first time in a month. Mason has kind of laid it off as well since I've been down and since the trails are a complete mud fest. Well, at least the bonebender got postponed, so I could get healed back up and back into some kind of shape. I'll be going to south carolina for the next week, so until then, peace!

--brett

BoneBender postponed

The BoneBender 6 hour race has been postponed until April 18. I for one am quite thankful because I have had about zero training opportunity since I pinced that nerve in my back, but was trying to ride about every other day still, which of course is just delaying recovery. So, it looks like I might be off the bike until after Spring Break and just be down with my laziness this week and next week in South Carolina. HOPEFULLY, by then I'll be healed up and ready to rip again.

--brett

Mason at the Devil's Revenge.

Racing season...

Mason started out the racing season yesterday at the Devil's Revenge MTB race out at Clinton Lake.  Riding the rigid steel single speed, he got 6th place.  I had a chemistry lab to attend unfortunately, but got a killer workout riding into class straight into the south wind.  It was the first time I had the 29er out in a while and, oh how I've missed it.  Put 60 lbs in the 2.3 Exiwolfs and rolled in the big ring with the wind at my back coming home.  Mason got home a little later and started to INSTANTLY switch out forks on his bike, it was hilarious.  So now he's got some suspension on his gary fisher single speed and I'll be converting my gt peace 9r, with the White bros carbon fork (had to throw my baby some love) to single speed, hopefully this week and we'll be race ready for the upcoming season.

Chiropractic heaven

sup playas:

I just went to a chiropractor for the first time in my life, and WOW! amazing!  My back and leg feel 1000x better than just one hour ago.  I finally can walk without hobbling and have a feeling I might get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight.  I thought he had broken me in half, my entire spine popped so loud on his first adjustment.  Instantly I could feel the pressure on my sciatic nerve letting off.  

So, the chiropractor did confirm I had pinched my sciatic nerve.  I guess my spine was extremely out of alignment, like way extreme.  I had always been skeptical of chiros before this (I had never gone) but today totally changed my view of them.  They'll be getting my money a lot more than any other doctor I have a feeling.  Really not too bad of a price too considering I don't have insurance, sixty bucks for the first visit and forty for all follow-ups.  Gonna hit him back up Wednesday and hopefully be close to being a go for the ole bonebender.  I told him about it, and he seems to think that I will be able to participate totally pain free by then.

Hey all:

my back and leg are totally done for as of right now.  i've been averaging about 4 hours of sleep for the past two weeks because of the pain.  right now i am on two muscle relaxers, naproxen, some kentucky deluxe and some bob and i still want to go to the hospital.  and that is saying something considering i have no insurance and no money.  i would pay good money for some good painkillers right now.  instead, i am updating our blog because i haven't in awhile and I figured, might as well.  Mason has been hurting from work, his back isn't great either.  hopefully we will be good to go in 13 days for the bonebender. 

PEACE!  --brett

Hello all!

So this week has brought some bad vibes our way.  We got in 110 miles last week, and our bodies are feeling it.  Mason said yesterday that his legs were just starting to feel better, and I somehow have pinched off my sciatic nerve making my right leg lose feeling sometimes and generally keeping me in extreme pain (lower back/leg).

So, I am out for at least another week while I let myself heal (doctor said a month, but no way I can handle that).  Mason is planning on getting a ride in sometime later today, probably another on the single speed roadie :/

Weather looks likes it's making the turn into spring, so hopefully the dirt will dry out soon and be ready to rip.

PEACE!

Hello blogosphere!

Hello all:

On the advice of our good friend Sean, singlespeedpirate.blogspot.com , my roommate Mason and I have started this blog to let others know about our adventures.  We both like a lot of the same things, which is cool because we live together, so it is convenient.  We trail run, do all disciples of mountain biking (XC, short travel downhill, free-ride, and race when we have the opportunity), road bike (only on single speeds and for training), commute mostly by biking (sensing a bike theme yet?).  We like to paddle and climb as well, but don't have much gear of our own for those activities, as of yet.

Mason also races motorcycles in the flat track series.  Way too fast, around way too many people for me.  I'm trying to get him interested in hare scrambles, but of course, that takes another kind of motorbike, and they for dang sure aren't cheap.  Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is, it's about impossible to get a job, let alone sponsors who will pay for travel/bike parts/entry fees/etc.  So, I have convinced Mason that we need to run more and do duathlons in addition to mountain bike racing.  He works nights at UPS.

I (Brett) like to play music and write songs/try to sing (guitar, harmonica, lap steel, bass, hand drums, keyboard, mostly anything I can get a little ditty on).  I also go to school full time and work at JCCC in the Student Center and will be graduating with my associates in May and going to UMKC where I'll be triple majoring in Urban Planning/Design, Environmental Studies and Sociology, emphasis in Community Engagement.  Sounds like a load, but they overlap quite a bit in the electives I can choose.

So, that's a little bit about us.  Watch for us in the first race of the season, The Bonebender 6 hour team race, bonebender.blogspot.com

Until then, PEACE,

Brett