Mountain Biking – Page 11 – WSI Cycling Team

July 30, 2013July 30, 2013

Playing Catch-Up in the MMBA Championship Points Series

Big M Challenge – July 28th, 2013 – Wellston, MI – Big M Ski Area

After skipping both the Sweat Shaker and Boyne races, I found myself in 4th place in the MMBA CPS Sport Singlespeed category. Eric Wolting has 1st in the series locked down, with 5 first-place finishes on the season including a win at Boyne, which was worth 1.5x the points (due to the drive and the distance of the race). I skipped Boyne in order to defend my points lead in the Tailwind series, and even though that series has become my priority, I’d still like to finish as high as possible in MMBA. Skipping those two races really cost me, so it was off to Big M on Sunday to try to make up some ground in another race worth 1.5x the points.

Since Eric has secured 1st in the series, he’s moved up to Expert/Elite SS for the rest of the season with the exception of the Maybury Time Trial. It’s unfortunate, because the only races where we’ve competed head-to-head in an XC race format, each of us had a mechanical (him at Fort Custer and myself at Hanson Hills). I would have liked another chance to race against him this year, but it looks like I’ll have to wait until next year when I plan on moving up. And we’ll both be in the Sport SS class at Maybury, but we likely won’t see each other on course due to the time trial format. Anyhow! Sidetracked. Basically, the point of this is that the Sport SS class in the MMBA series has lost its rabbit, and the rest of us need to fight it out for the remaining series podium spots in his absence. Prior to the race, Byrne Johnson was in 2nd in the series, Bob Kidder was in 3rd, I was in 4th, and Talon Tramper was in 5th. All of us showed up for Big M.

Some background on Big M: it’s a cross-country ski area located in the Manistee National Forest near Wellston, MI. The Lumberjack 100 is held here, and due to the number of trails, race organizers can really get creative with course layout. This means that, even for locals, it’s going to be difficult to anticipate and/or prepare for the race route. I hadn’t ridden here before, and I really had no idea what to expect. Based on a conversation I had with Byrne when I arrived, I decided to lighten up my gearing to 38 x 19. I’d like to thank Byrne for the pre-race information, because if I’d have gone heavier, I don’t think my legs would work anymore. Sport racers were doing 3 x 8.5 mile laps for a total of just under 26 miles, and what turned out to be a TON of climbing.

We started right around 12:30 p.m. with temperatures in the low 60’s. It had rained intermittently all morning, but fortunately stopped for good in time for the sport/beginner races. The conditions were actually pretty perfect, as the rain had settled some of the sandier sections of the trail. I was first off the line and into the woods, and I decided to really push the pace for the first few miles to see if I could get some distance on the group. After about a mile I had outpaced everyone but Talon, and he ended up hanging with me throughout the first lap and for part of the second. The course included a monster climb about 2 miles in that was over a half-mile long, and I was able to drop Talon after our second time up. For the remainder of my second lap and all of my third, I just kept a steady pace and tried to stay upright. I did end up fading a bit from my first lap to my third, as I neglected to eat anything, and the course was not particularly conducive to taking your hands off the bars to drink, so I don’t think I even finished the water bottle I had with me. I definitely need to work on that. Speaking of the course, it was great – tons of faster sections combined with a few severely punishing climbs and a series of intense downhills toward the end. My lap times were right around 40 minutes each, and I finished in 1st place in my category and 13th overall in sport with a time of 2:01:44.

2013 Big M Challenge Sport SS Podium, minus Byrne Johnson who placed 3rd — 2013 Big M Challenge Sport SS podium, minus the actual podium and Byrne Johnson (3rd place)

I’ll be heading back up to Big M this coming weekend for a Tailwind series event in order to protect my points lead, and then the Maybury Time Trial on August 17th, which I’m very much looking forward to. – Adam Cefai

July 15, 2013

Brighton Rec Repeat

Brighton Rec Repeat – July 13th, 2013 – Howell, Michigan – Brighton Recreation Area

After the Bloomer Park Daze race, I found out that I was leading the Tailwind Racing series in the Sport SS class. At the beginning of the race season, I was only planning on participating in the MMBA Championship Points Series, but the scheduling of the Tailwind races made it convenient to compete in that series as well. The only real scheduling conflict between them was on Saturday, when there were races at Boyne (MMBA) and Brighton. I was in 2nd in the MMBA series prior to Saturday, and Eric Wolting, who is leading that series, had a pretty big lead. So instead of trying to gain points in the MMBA CPS, I opted to defend my Tailwind points lead.

Having never ridden Brighton before, I did a bit of quick online recon which showed only about 200 feet of climbing per 6.5 mile race lap. Based on that, I decided to run 38 x 18, which is what I usually run at the Fort, which has a similar amount of elevation. At the park I ran into the usual east side crowd, but it was a relatively small field of just 6 participants. We lined up around 1 p.m. with temperatures in the mid-80’s, and hit the course.

I was first off the line and into the woods leading Tim Fargo and Nate Layle. Tim and I dropped Nate after a mile or so, and after passing a few other riders from other classes, I dropped Tim about 2.5 miles into the first lap. From this point in the race, I just kept my pace up to try to ensure I wouldn’t be caught. The Expert/Elite SS lap times were around 27-29 minutes, and I wanted to keep mine under 30. I completed my first lap in just about 29 minutes, and on my way back into the woods, I saw Tim and Nate coming out to finish their first lap – this meant that I had at least a minute on them. I tried to keep my pace consistent throughout my second and third laps, and apart from a brief moment of panic during my third lap when I thought Tim was close behind me, I managed to do so. I also made the choice to have a GU pack at the beginning of my third lap to try and prevent the fading I’d been experiencing, which I believe helped quite a bit. I finished in just over 1:30 for my second win on the season.

There are two more races in the Tailwind series, and four more in the MMBA CPS. My goal is to protect my Tailwind series lead, and to finish in the top 3 in the MMBA series. I’m going to keep my training intensity high, and possibly add in some running to increase my endurance. We’ll see how it shakes out! – Adam Cefai

July 1, 2013

Bloomer Park Daze

Bloomer Park Daze – June 30th, 2013 – Rochester Hills, Michigan – Bloomer Park

I’ll try to keep this one short. So: we’re on the east side visiting family again, and I decided to race. Based on basically nothing but my own hubris, I changed up my gearing to 36×17, which ended up being a slight mistake. Bloomer Park has a lot of technical switchbacks and tough, punchy climbs, along with a decent amount of roots. And not much flat. I would have been better off with 2:1, maybe a bit lighter. The east side had a lot of rain the week prior, so there were some pretty muddy sections as well. It’s a 6-mile loop, and the Sport SS class was doing 3 laps.

I hadn’t ridden Bloomer Park before, so my plan for the first lap was to stay on the leader’s wheel to get a handle on the course. And then I remembered I hate riding behind people in a race situation. I was 2nd into the woods and, as usual, we got caught up in traffic from the age groups starting before us. After about 3 miles of tight singletrack and some strategic passing of slower riders from other groups, the course opened up a bit and I passed the SS rider in front of me. For the remainder of the 1st lap and the entire 2nd lap, I led two other singlespeeders around the course. I tried to keep the pace quick in order to drop them, but they didn’t seem to have any trouble staying on my wheel. I tried not to think about that. During the 3rd lap the traffic cleared up a bit, and on one particularly long climb about 2 miles in, I decided to drop the hammer to see if I could put some distance between us. I believe it worked for a bit, but they caught me again shortly when we came into another section of switchbacks. With about 2 miles to go, we got to the water crossing/mud pit that was followed immediately by a 3′ steep root ledge and a long-ish gravel climb. On our previous trips through this section I was able to unclip one foot to kind of hop up the ledge (which was unrideable due to the mud), clip back in quickly, and start up the climb. On this occasion I messed that procedure up, and the gents behind me were able to make a pass. When I tried to go after them, I realized my legs were toast. I had made two mistakes: my gearing was just a bit too heavy, and I shouldn’t have tried to drop them on the long climb early in the 3rd lap. As I finished the last two miles, I glanced behind a few times to see if any other SS riders were around, but I was well clear. I cruised in for 3rd place in the Sport SS class with a time of 1:27:18, which was also 4th overall.

June 30, 2013June 30, 2013

Lumberjack 2013 – Ten and a Half Hours of Fun

the-boys

Ok, so maybe not “all” of the 10 hours and 32 minutes that it took me to complete the 2013 Lumberjack 100 can be described as “fun.” But I can say my return to Michigan’s first 100 mile mountain bike race (there are others now) went even better than I expected. This update is a bit late, given that the race was June 15th, but at least I’m getting this posted before the calendar flips over to July!

Friday night I traveled to my teammate Jack’s cabin nearby the event just west of Cadillac, MI and met Charles (also on the team) and one of Jack’s good friends from Ann Arbor, Kyle. While the cabin has had some improvements since my last Lumberjack (several years ago), I was pleased to see the record player was still going strong. Nothing like classic KISS to get you in the mood for 100 miles of mountain biking!

Race day came early and we were up and around by 5 am. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but the temps were expected to get into the 70s by late morning. While I showed up at the line with a sleeveless base-layer and arm warmers, I’d shed them half way through my second (of three) 33.3 mile laps. The start rolled out with just under a mile of paved road to get the blood pumping. Hoots and hollers filled the crowd as we funneled into the parking lot and through the rows of onlookers cheering us on. Then, the trail got REAL narrow and we went from riding 6-10 riders across to single file, which slowed things down considerably. It was slow going for the first 5 -7 miles, with people over-reacting to braking ahed of them, sticks on the trail causing issues (one guy caught one in his back wheel right in front of me and I barely missed his crash) and a constant dust cloud that kept me coughing well after the pack spread out.

Jack and I rode together for most of the first lap, which was nice to have some company. The trail was in great shape with some new sections added since I raced this the last time. A few years ago they changed the format to three 33.3 mile loops. The last time I raced it was four 25 mile loops and I will admit I liked this format better. Much of what was added included gravel two-track and other sections that gave your body a bit of a break instead of constant singletrack. There still was a LOT of climbing, with some of the hills simply un-ridable, forcing racers to get off and push their bikes up the hill. By the time I was on my third lap, even some of the hills I rode on the first lap seemed easier to walk up (or at least that’s what my legs were telling me).

Coming in after my first lap I felt pretty good. I’m riding a new bike this year, switching to 29″ wheels and also front-only suspension. Prior years I was on a more traditional 26″ wheeled full-suspension, so I was anxious to see how a hardtail would treat me after 100 miles. My Trek Superfly SL Pro did a great job and I felt very comfortable on it, even finding after 100 miles that my back did NOT hurt (which was not the case with my last race). Heading out on lap #2, I was able to push it a bit and it was nice to ride the beginning part of the course at regular speed (unlike the first lap). At the mid-point I stopped at the aid station and this is where I made what would become a bad tactical decision. The volunteers cheered as you arrived and were very helpful, offering drinks and food to help keep you going. One of them said “How about a BP&J with Fritos? Everyone’s been raving about them and they give you a nice sweet and salty snack.” Why not, I thought. At the rate I was burning calories I figured it couldn’t hurt and who doesn’t like PB&Js and Fritos… About five miles later, I realized my gut didn’t care for my food options and started to revolt. The remaining miles of my second lap were pretty difficult, because in addition to my gastro-revolt, the leg cramps started and I was beginning to crave ice cold Gatorade (but didn’t have any in my cooler at the pit).

When I came in after lap #2, I was able to bum a bottle of Gatorade off another team (YUM!) and that really helped. My stomach issues started to feel better and I was ready to take off for my third and final lap. It was at that moment I looked back to find the three leaders coming across the finish line. After 100 miles of racing, I was amazed to see all three of them coming across the finish line within ONE second of each other! As impressive as that was, I had to get back to reality and accept the fact that I had another 33.3 miles to go. So off I went…

On my last lap I didn’t set any land speed records, as I had to stop several times to tend to my leg cramps. But when I was riding (and not huffing it up the hills) I felt pretty good. The bike was handling well, my back felt good and I knew that I’d be finishing the race. If you’ve ever rode the trail, you may recall coming in the final part of the loop you catch a glimpse of the parking lot, which is the sign that you’re just about done. As with years past, the sight of the cars off in the distance caused an instant smile to come across my face. I had done it, and after coming across the line, realized that I did it in “record time” (well, for me at least). It’s hard to compare “apples to apples” since this was 3 x 33.3 miles and prior races were 4 x 25 miles, but I’m going with it!

Finishing Line Video Link

Now, my training focus is shifting to triathlons for the remainder of the year and I’ve strapped on the running shoes again and hitting the pavement. I’ve got two Olympic triathlons coming up (one in Cadillac and another in Ludington) before my 70.3 distance triathlon at Cedar Point in September. I’ll still find time to get in some mountain biking, however, as I’ve found that to be a great cross training workout and should help me with my biking and overall power. I’m also looking forward to getting back on the track with my good friend (and RAAM stud) Kathy.

June 25, 2013June 25, 2013

State Games of Michigan MTB Time Trial

State Games Time Trial – June 22nd, 2013 – Belmont, Michigan – Cannonsburg Ski Area

I hate climbing. Climbing on a single speed is pure torture. However, it’s also your chance to blow the doors off of everyone else on the trail. Cannonsburg Ski Area, home of the 2013 State Games of Michigan MTB time trial, has roughly 600 feet of climbing over a 6 mile circuit. That doesn’t seem like much on paper, but the way the course is set up, you’re either climbing or rapidly descending – there’s very little opportunity to spin your legs out and recover. So, in preparation, I rode the course on 3 occasions prior to the race (for a total of 5 laps) to figure out which gear I’d be able to push for 18 miles. I started with 34×16, dropped to 36×18, and settled on 36×19 following my final prep ride.

Speaking of that…

The Friday before the race, I decided to head to Cannonsburg for a nice easy spin to loosen up my legs and make a final decision on my gearing. I wasn’t entirely sure how the race course was going to be set up, so I opted to ride the entire loop, including the complete skills section. The skills section is divided up into two parts – the first part has drops and jumps that you basically just avoid if you’re riding XC, and the second part has a steep climb and then some fast descents (and more avoidable stunts). One section that isn’t avoidable has a quick descent that ends in a roller which pops you up in the air before immediately dropping into a downhill turn. You can probably guess where this is going. I hit that roller, popped up, landed on the decline, carried way too much speed into the turn, lost my line, and ended up slamming the left side of my body (including my jaw) onto the trail. I sat up and took stock of myself to make sure I wasn’t severely injured: my ear was full of dirt, my right wrist was somehow jammed, my knee was swollen, and my jaw had some road rash. I had also twisted my bars around on my steerer tube. Fortunately I was ok to ride, so I muscled my bars back into position and gingerly finished the circuit. Not exactly what I had in mind for the day.

Anyway, on to the race. It looked like we were going to have a pretty full field of sport SS riders competing, with Eric Wolting, Byrne Johnson, and about 7 other riders registered. As it turns out, only 6 of us showed up. With this being Eric’s home trail, I wasn’t really fostering any ideas of winning – I was going to go out, ride hard, and see where I ended up. I was definitely sore from my crash, but I knew I’d loosen up as I rode. The organizers had arranged the course so that we were starting right up the longest climb, and they had excluded the section where I had crashed the day before (which I was grateful for). My start time was 12:03, and with just a handful of other riders in front of me, I was on course.

The first climb was rough. I had warmed up, but I still felt a bit like wet garbage. My goal had been to catch as many of the riders that had started in front of me as I could during the initial climb in order to have less trail traffic during my first lap, but I believe I only caught two of them. I then spent about a mile on the wheel of a 50+ rider in the singletrack before I could safely get by him on a two-track climb. I passed a few other riders during my first lap, and checking my time as I started my second lap, it looked like I was doing pretty well – and I hadn’t been passed by anyone who had started behind me. As I started my second lap, I ran into some heavy trail traffic from the riders who had just started their first lap, but it wasn’t anything unmanageable. I passed a significant number of people on the climbs, and was passed myself by a few riders who had fresh first-lap legs. Oh, I should also mention that it was nearly 90 degrees out, so that didn’t help anyone. Other than increasing fatigue and dealing with traffic, my 2nd lap was uneventful. Coming around to start my third lap, I heard someone yell something along the lines of “GO WOLTING!”, which meant that he wasn’t far behind me. This was not good news, as he had started 3 minutes back. My legs weren’t feeling great, but I kept my pace up as much as I could. About halfway through my third lap, he caught and passed me prior to the creekside section. There was no way I was going to be able to make up 3 minutes on him during that last lap, so I made no effort to try to catch him. I focused on maintaining my pace, staying conscious on my bike, and finishing strong. I ended up with a time of 1:22:14, which was good for 2nd place in my category and 13th out of about 120 overall. Eric had absolutely crushed the course with a time of 1:17:58, which was first overall for the sport class.

I enjoyed this race quite a bit, and I was definitely happy with my 2nd place finish. And although I love riding at the Fort, these hilly races are convincing me that I need to do more of my training on trails with greater elevation. – Adam Cefai