Powered by WSI Digital, Mike's Team Active Bikes, Cascarelli's of Homer, and lots of other super cool digital marketing partners.
Here in Michigan, snowy winters and fat tires go hand-in-hand. Unless, of course, your February has record breaking 60 and 70 degree temps. Although the lack of snow on the ground was disappointing, apparently mother nature has a sense of humor. 60 on Friday then snow, 37 and 40 mph gusts on Saturday. Perfect racing conditions, right? Continue reading “Fat Fest Relays”
I don’t know about you, but this time of year I’d like to thank the genius that decided to put 4″+ tires on a mountain bike that allow cyclists to ride through the winter months. As the snow piles up, my workouts this time of year typically involve either a trainer and Spinerval videos in the basement or possibly the XC skis if I wanted to get in the woods. But 2017 is off to a very different start thanks to the folks at Snow Snake Ski & Golf in Harison, MI. They’ve created almost 6 miles of super-fun trails for fatbikes and spent both the 1st and 2nd on my Salsa Beargrease with good friends from Alma (my old college stomping grounds).
One of the best parts about the trail is that it’s only a 30-minute drive from our cottage at Houghton Lake, so getting down there for a ride is an easy trip (just about the amount of time it takes me to get to the trails at Fort Custer in Battle Creek from our home. On my third visit, I decided to pay up for a season pass and look forward to several more rides on the trail this season. Best 40 bucks I’ve spent in a while.
While it’s a pretty long video, I managed to capture all three loops (twice) on my GoPro yesterday and likely will substitute it for a Spinerval video in the basement at some point this season. And, unlike my January 1st ride, I managed to keep the wheels down and didn’t crash this time!
Enjoy the video below and hopefully it will inspire you to get out for a ride. Or, at the very least, it should give you something different to watch while you’re on the trainer this season. If you’re looking for a good excuse to ride with a bunch of other fatbike riders, be sure to come on out to Fat Fest Relays on February 25th in Battle Creek at Binder Park Golf Course. I’ll be there with my fattie and hope to see you on the snow!
Disclaimer: Enjoy the cheezy music on the video. Figure it was better than listening to me heavy breathing for an hour and twelve minutes. 😉
With the arrival of the first big dumping of the white stuff, I decided to take my (white) Salsa Beargrease out for a spin behind the house and tour Griever’s Nature Preserve. The trail is about 2.5 miles and rolling out of our unplowed driveway and taking the “back entrance” onto the trail, I discovered virgin snow, as nobody had been back there yet! I got my bike a little over a year from the Trek Bicycle Store in Battle Creek (at the time, Team Active) and was gone most of the winter months, so I didn’t get a chance to ride it in the snow. Today, that all changed!
Enjoy this snippet of my ride in the woods and don’t judge (too harshly) on some of the washouts and “not-so-graceful” dismounts. It was quite a bit more challenging (and slippery) than I expected, but it was a fun ride and looking forward to heading back out there again!
Big thanks to the shop for hooking me up with some sweet 45 North Cobrafist Pogies last year (and was excited to put them to the test this afternoon). Despite the fact that it was 23 degrees outside and snowing, all I wore on my hands were my regular summer-weight, full-finger mountain bike gloves. That’s it! When I got done, my hands were toasty warm. Now I only hope Santa brings me a pair if winter cycling boots to keep my toes just as warm.
~Eric, WSI
As traditions go here in Michigan, the first Saturday in November is blocked out on many of the area’s mountain biker’s calendars for the annual trek to Traverse City and the point-to-point Iceman Cometh Challenge. Started in 1990, the very first Iceman had only 35 riders and their $5 entry fee took them from Kalkaska to Traverse City (one of the first “point-to-point” races around, just to see if it could be done). Now, with close to 6,000 racers participating every year, it’s turned into one of the nation’s largest single-day mountain bike events.
This year WSI Cycling had several riders in the mix and we’re proud to share some of their experiences below. Enjoy their stories, and great job team!
A 2016 Ice Man story in three parts.
Preparation for the Ice Man starts on the Sunday morning after the previous year’s race. I wake up with quads burning from Anita’s last stand followed all too quickly by wood chip hill. My throat is wrecked from heckling the pro racers and my head throbs from three too many of the main sponsor’s artisan craft brewed beer. (Thanks Bells Brewery)
My training gets more specific with the intensity and intervals in September. In October I spend every waking second not with family or at work, dedicating energy, thoughts and training to 30ish dirt trail miles between Kalkaska and Traverse City.
The Holy Trail.
King Vasa.
Hours of sacrifice for minutes off the clock.
One week before the race I lube my chain daily, check every bolt, talk to all my friends about air pressure and lose sleep every night thinking about tire choice and things not to forget in my gear bag. Shorts, socks, shoes, shades……….
Rage Day.The Stars were aligned for 2016 with near perfect trail conditions making the course the fastest it has been in years. Herded into the starting gate in wave four, I knew holding wheels and taking risks was a prerequisite for a top 10 finish.
From the start line in Kalkaska to the first cold beer touching my lips in Traverse City was a 28 mile fat tire frenzy of 25+ mph pace lines and lung wrecking inclines. Holding on to the wheels in front of me was the game plan, trusting a stranger to pick the right line and making a pass when the trail allowed.
The strategy is the same every year. Ride smart until Williamsburg Road (over half way) and cash in all the chips before you cross the line. I played my cards just right, keeping the concentration on point and friendly rivals in sight.
I finished the journey just under one hour and fifty minutes, a full 13 minutes faster than 2015. I placed 15/101 in the 39 and under Fat Bikers and 700ish overall.
The long drive at dawn down 131 is a somber one. Thinking about the after party at Timber Ridge Cabin #77 (Thanks Darrel) with Bells Porter pounding between my ears. Remembering which pro racer made the decisive move for the win and asking my wife to check and re-check the results and strava segments. How did the split to dockery road compare to 2014? What was your training partner’s time at Williamsburg Road? Should I have made a move sooner?
This is when the planning starts.
A very special thanks for the continued support from my wife Holly, WSI Cycling, Trek Store of Battle Creek and Velocity USA.
Jeff CacheroThis race was fast and flowing from beginning to end. I finished 18th out of 96 in the 39 age group with a time was 1:48:29 for the 26.6 mile race.
I did not get a good starting spot at the line. I positioned myself at the front of my wave where the woman was holding the “wave 4” sign. Suddenly, she swaps her sign for a “wave 5” sign and just like that, I was the last in a wave of 100 racers. So I spent much of the first few miles passing riders in my wave.
The new start had us in an open field that led almost immediately into the fire roads leaving very little time to position myself in any ideal way giving me little time to get into an ideal position at the front. As a result, it was pretty slow going for the first few miles. My plan was to work with WSI Cycling teammate Dan Frayer at least to Williamsburg Road. He was about 10 riders ahead of me for a while. I finally reeled him in and we rode strong for a time. He fell back a couple of times and then return. By Williamsburg road, he fell back and I had lost him for the remainder of the race. My rabbit for the remainder of the race was Joe Boynton, who was sporting a Captain America kit. He was in my sites for all but the last 4 remaining miles.
I have never felt stronger at Iceman. I know the course and weather played a big role in my fast time, but my preparations were better than they have been before thanks in big part to Frayer who got me up for weekly 5am crossfit and 4:30 road rides. I also lost 20 pounds in September thanks to an unorthodox bet with Dan and other friends. As a result, I did not take as much time to recover from hard effort. The open sprints were fast and the hills did not seem as steep or long. I could not have done as well as I did without my friend Dan Frayer.
I also want to give a big thanks to WSI Digital for allowing me to race for the team! Being a part of the team inspired me to train and race more that I have in a very long time. After some serious holiday R&R, I look forward to restarting the training engine for the 2017 season. Barry-Roubaix, here I come!
Kellie Sparks-KramerJust wanted to send a quick race report for the 2016 Iceman Cometh Challenge. This year featured some incredible weather and was not a very “icy” Iceman, compared to previous years. The course was so fast, I found myself breaking on the down hills most of the time! I finished the race in 1:58:47, which was fast enough to put me in fourth place for my age group! It was great to see so many cyclists out for the day enjoying the sport we love and I’m already looking forward to the 2017 season!
Stacy RaineyThis year’s Iceman weather was amazing! Couldn’t ask for better conditions. The course was fast and I placed 44 out of 107 at a 2:01 flat. Very happy with my time knowing that I was only able to put in around thousand miles this year. As always, the atmosphere of the riders, spectators, and Iceman staff made for a memorable race. Thanks to all!
What an incredible year for the Iceman this year. Perfect weather for racing, awesome trail conditions, very fast, and as always a great post race party. Everyone seemed to have a great time. I can’t wait until next year. 2017 race may fill up earlier next year. So if you’re interested in racing next year keep that in mind.
Keith Wilkinson2016 was the 15th consecutive time I have raced at Iceman. This year 2016, was definitely one of the warmest. The trail conditions were very fast. I had my best time at 1:52:02. It is difficult to compare times from year to year because the course gets longer or shorter from year to year. The trail and weather conditions also play a factor is race times. I left the Single Speed home this year and raced with my geared bike instead. Iceman was fast, festive and a great time.
I have uploaded my cam video to YouTube that can be viewed below:
WSI Knobby Tread aficionados Dan Frayer and Jeff Cachero took a road trip this weekend to throw down at Endoman Promotion’s Founders Peak 2 Peak Mountain Bike race. Looped up, down and around Thomsonville’s Crystal Mountain Ski Resort, the 12 mile loop provides everything a dirt bag mountain biker loves.
Flat trails, quick turns, teeth rattling slick roots and one ball buster of a climb. We are talking bleeding out your eyes, ears popping from pressure switch back climb.
While standing in line with 30+ fat bikers I watched Jeff’s group be counted down from ten seconds, and like being shot out of a cannon I watched his WSI jersey disappear into the woods. The start looked painfully fast so I made sure I scooted up real close to the timing mat before gunning it for the hole shot.
The announcer (Grand Rapids Single Speed Legend Jeff Jacobi) called “ten seconds to start” and the next thing I know I was raging third wheel into a tight sandy turn hearing only the deafening sound of 4 inch knobby tires around me and the sound of my own near death asthma attack wheezing.
Two laps at 12 miles each was on the menu for today’s pay to play excursion. My neighbor and training partner Nick and I worked together for the first lap sitting third and fourth keeping the top guys in site. My plan was to deliver him to the base of the big climb and I would hang on if I could.
Lap 2 was faster without all the traffic. I lost Nick up the big hill but he was still in the crosshairs as I was now sitting fourth, with the third place guy picking all the good lines for me. He had a beard so I trusted his judgement.
I held the wheel to the base of the hill with Nick long gone battling for the top spot. The 5th place fat biker came from out of nowhere making a move up the hill and the guy in front of me giving chase. My gas tank was empty and I could not match it. Now sitting 5th, I was alone to work my way up the kill hill. When I came around a blind corner I heard the announcer say “We have a fat tire race on our hands” and I saw the 3rd and 4th place riders cresting the hill and dropping into the single track descent to the finish. I dropped two gears and stood up giving it what I had left which wasn’t much.
“Focus, No mistakes, focus, no mistakes, focus” was what I said to myself as I decided to take some risks on the decent hoping to pull the two riders back. As I railed around a sweeping turn I came up on the 4th place rider wrapped up in some trees on the side of the trail. I made my way around his wreckage and didn’t touch the brakes again until the finish line. 4th place finish, with my neighbor on the podium in 2nd and Jeff finishing 10th in the Sport category.
A Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale never tasted so Good.
A great day of racing with special thanks given to WSI Cycling, The Trek Store of Battle Creek and Velocity USA.
~Dan