2007 Michigan Endurance Series

Just an FYI to the accomplishments of the Dirt Dad's this year... due to the 12 Hours of Pando, Team DDR placed 16th and 20th in the 4-person open class and Rusty finished 28th in the 40+ Individual class. I stumbled onto the results HERE. ;-P

ICEMAN 2007

Yup, that's mountain biking legend Ned Overend flying the S-Works through Michigan.

At a slightly slower pace, six Dirt Dads competed in the 18th annual 27.5-mile Iceman Cometh Challenge (http://www.iceman.com/) on Saturday, November 10, 2007. The weather was mild, warming up from the mid 30's to the low 40's for the ride. Conditions were great, the course was fast, the crashes were few & minor, the cramping was minimal, and except for some chain-sucking (& wind-sucking?), we had no breakdowns! Here's the times:
Marc 2:11:03
Bob 2:18:09
Brian 2:19:59
Harv 2:28:54
JP 2:28:55
Tim 2:30:22
Pre-race dinner on Friday night was at Pearl's in Elk River. Good Cajun food but maybe we should try a pasta place next time, huh, Marc?
After our race we watched the pros take off including legend Ned Overend and past Iceman winners. Brian Matter took first place at a ridiculous time of 1:30:30. I noticed the 'longest' ride was completed by a guy (sport class 45-49) at 5:18:10. There, I feel better.
We oinked down some monster burgers, fries, & shakes at Dan's Drive-In. Then we drove to the Union Street Station, an apparent Iceman hangout in Traverse City. After impersonating smoked sardines (get it?) at the bar, we crashed at the Cherry Tree Hotel. Sunday breakfast at Mabel's was awesome. Kim, thanks for joining us!
See the photos. Add some photos, too!
HP

Fort Custer

Cool morning bike ride on Saturday, October 13. John, JP, Tim, Brad & Harv. Red loop twice, green loop once, trenches one more time. New for us: the loop-da-loops. A great ride day except maybe for Tim, who noticed a crack in his bike frame. He sat out the last loop. Mexican lunch at Nina's in Augusta. Yes!

Cannonsburg Ski Hill

Check out these hearty souls! Brad, JP, Brian, Tim, Matt, & Hugo ready to take a second loop of the trails at Cannonsburg Ski Hill. Notice Hugo is laughing because he didn't have lights like the others and decided not to ride again.

Also there were Harv (taking photo) and Marc (already on the trail).

Calling the Nutty Crazies Out There...

There is an Adventure Race sponsored by Grand Rapids Area Adventure Racing. I'm not into it, but didn't know how nutty crazy anyone else out there is... so here is the LINK.

October 20th... Orienteering, MTBing, canoing and possible a ropes course (yikes!). $140 per 2-person team plus a $20 "late fee"... heck, I just heard about it!

I'd throw in some pics, but the site is all Flash... which means no sharing :(.

Priority Health Cycling Classic

Not exactly a "Dirt" function but Bob entered the First Annual Priority Health Cycling Classic criterium on Saturday, September 9 in downtown Grand Rapids. JP, HP, Tim & Kim, Brian & Joanie. Bob was involved in a crash but was not hurt. Even though he didn't finish, Bob said he'd love to race again here next year. HP & JP volunteered as course marshalls and blew whistles as the pace cars and riders raced by.

Dirt Dad HP posted photos of the event. Here's more info about the event:

http://www.priorityhealthclassic.com/

The pro race was especially exciting. Check the newspaper for results.

Anyone interested in pursuing a Sponsorship?

CLICK ME

Brad's Pando Pic... from another team...

Say, I found Brad in a pile photos from MTB-Life/Soul Cycles' site. I think that dab was a point...

12 Hours of Pando!

August 18, 2007. It started with perfect weather for a mountain bike race. Dirt Dads 1 team riders were Bob, Brad, Brian, & Roque. Dirt Dads 2 team riders were Marc, Tim, Harv, & JP. Rusty took off for solo ride! Team 2 led with a strong ride by Marc. But Bob, Brad, & Roque had some great laps and took the lead. The teams held close all day. The trail was dry & dusty. Then the rain started. It was a light rain but it never really ended. The dust diminished but by night it got messy. Check out the PHOTOS!

JP tried to get in before midnight so Marc could take the 29th lap but missed it by less than 2 minutes. Marc was heartbroken but cooled off by taking a shower. Dirt Dads 2 finished 28 laps. Bob made the 29th lap and put Dirt Dads 1 ahead of Dirt Dads 2 by 1 lap. Rusty finished 10 solo laps thanks to strong family support. The taco bar at the finish was great! Do you guys remember how we placed? 5th & 6th?

For you guys who didn't camp at Pando that night, yeah, it rained all night. We slept well anyway.

Happy as a Clam

Holland Hundred x3

On Saturday, July 21, Harv, John, & Marc joined bicyclists of all types for the annual Holland Hundred. The photo shows us at the start. If you click the link PHOTOS! on the left you can see a photo of us at the end of the 100 miles. (Speaking of photos, I've organized them into folders but I still have more to add.)

The weather was surprisingly cool for July and a little windy at times, otherwise, a perfect day. My computer says we averaged 17.25 mph. Considering our preparation, equipment, and age, we were happy with that result. Congrats to John on completing his first century and to Marc for his first Holland Hundred.

We met a lot of friendly cyclists that day. We rode with 3 ladies for about half the route and enjoyed getting to know them.

David Fik, I'm sorry we did not keep up your tradition of jumping in Lake Michigan at the county park rest stop. It just wasn't hot enough to require that much of a cool-down.

You can reply to this post or email dirtdads@yahoo.com.

There's another century in Muskegon coming up. I think it's September 8. Anyone interested? Only $15 preregister or $20 on that day.

Most photos back, Holland Hundred

Dirt Dads,

The North Carolina 2007 trip photos have been transferred from Yahoo Photos to Shutterfly. You should be able to view them by clicking the PHOTOS link on the left. I hope to add more photos soon and organize them into albums.

Some Dirt Dads are taking it to the street. The Holland Hundred (http://www.macatawacyclingclub.org/hollandhundred/) is this Saturday, July 21. Who's in? JP, HP. VanDirt? One-Hand Marc? "Mountain Bike's broke anyway" Eric? Fik? "I love pancakes" Roque? "Only 100 miles?" Bob?

Don't forget the chamois butt'r!

HP

Photos moving

I have been informed that Yahoo! Photos will cease to exist in September 2007 and have been directed to move the photos to Shutterfly. I will correct the link soon and you should be able to view all the photos plus have options to have photos sent directly to you or pick them up at any Target store. More info later.

Dirt Dad HP

NC 2007

I posted all my pics from NC, check it out... mailto:DD!!!!!!

VanDirt plays in the powder!!

Less than a week after we were on the top of black mountain VanDirt was on top of alittle bigger mountain. Lake Louise in western Alberta.Skiing is like mountain biking only faster and more fun.dont kick me out of the club but its true!!

Day 5

April 22-23, 2007. Drive. Drive. Fuel up. Switch drivers. Drive. Drive.

We arrived at Eric's house about 12 hours from the North Carolina campground. We unloaded the trailer and collected our bikes, sleeping bags, and personal items. Go home and catch up on sleep. Don't forget to clean up that bike for the next ride.

One question remains: What is Brian doing in the picture? Submit your best guess.

North Carolina 2007, Day 4

April 22, 2007. During preparation and eating of French toast, sausage, & OJ, it was determined by reviewing earlier printed internet threads that Brian, JP, & Bob's quest to reach the top of Black Mountain yesterday was very close. And despite the hiking sections they endured, it was decided that the goal must be met today. So about 10am we started the bike ride down the street from the campground, turned in to the entrance road to the horse stables, and a few miles later started the approximately 90 minute grind up the steep gravel road called Clawhammer. Harv noticed his speed hovering around 4 mph. Yes, most others were faster but not by a huge amount.

We regathered at the start of Black Mountain trail, took a breather, and, as previously warned by the 3-man group who ventured here the day before, carried our bikes more than rode them. Our efforts were rewarded as we took in the awesome views (see photo above and more to the left side of this screen), rhodedendren tunnels, and a rock ledge that made a sort of cave underneath. Someone had previously made a small campfire in the cave. We weren't sure we would want to camp out in this cave. It probably was not practical for even a raccoon to live in such a cave but we could imagine being visited by snake similar to the one Marc, Eric, & Harv saw yesterday. We took some photos and moved on.

The peak of 4200-foot high Black Mountain was not particularly obvious but we knew we made it as the trail turned downward. We took a rest in an open grassy area. A lone mountain biker soon came up the trail we planned to go down. He said his girlfriend was not far behind him. After we got to know each other, he told of some great places to ride in Virginia, his home state, especially near his girlfriend's house. He said if we visited, his girlfriend would put us up for the day or two. But she still hadn't arrived. He finally decided to ride back to find her. They both returned a few minutes later. In my opinion, she didn't look like she was in the hosting mood. She and her bike seemed OK, just kinda beat up from the trail.

We headed down for some bone jarring riding; more bone jarring for the two hardtail riders, Harv & Bob. It was a blast, especially the last mile or two which was faster, smoother, and offered up some mounds to launch from. It was time to try out our efforts at "Big Air".

After sandwiches for lunch back at the campground, we decided to take the same downhill but take a different way up with less hiking and more biking. It required about the same amount of granny gear pedalling but, again, the downhill was a blast. We put in an estimated 23 miles of hard riding.

After the rides, we cooked brats for dinner, cleaned up ourselves and the dishes, and packed up camp. We headed out of camp around 8:30 pm for the all night ride home. We switched drivers often to stay alert and safe.

Mountain Climbing on Day 3

April 21, 2007. It was suggested by Eric & Marc last year that we should try mountain climbing in this area. That is, mountain climbing without the bikes. Since Eric & Marc have some experience and equipment, we agreed to give it a try. Climbing with ropes and carabiners was unfamiliar to most of us.
We started the day with pancakes and bacon. After breakfast cleanup, we drove the two vehicles to the same mountain of yesterday's Caney Bottom / Fish Hatchery trail but parked about halfway up to the trailhead of Looking Glass Rock, South Wall. The 45-minute hike to the rock wall would have been a little quicker if not for the many trees down over the trail. Downed trees were quite common because, as we learned from our campground host, the area had extreme winds just days before we arrived. We talked about the explosive noise the larger trees must have made, snapping and crashing to the forest floor.
Some climbers were already on the South Wall; others arrived throughout the day. Marc & Eric carefully climbed to small tree outcropping to secure a rope. After we made a few climbs, 5 ladies from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, showed up to watch the climbing. Marc invited them to join the climbing and most of them accepted. They seemed to have fun and thanked us often for the opportunity.
Even though we were miles from most conveniences, we enjoyed a hot meal right at the climbing wall thanks to JP's Ready-to-Eat (MRE?) meals, Cheese Tortellini. The boxed meals included a packet of salt water that, when added to a flat package of a magnesium-filled substance, boiled the meal piping hot depending on how long it was left on the tray. In my (HP) opinion, a very good meal.
Brian, JP, Tim, & Bob headed back to the camp. Brian, JP, & Bob headed to Black Mountain to tackle the area's highest peak. To say it was accessable by mountain bike was stretching it a little. After the almost 90-minute grind up a gravel road, the Clawhammer trail turned very rugged requiring more bike carrying than bike riding. The sun was already out of view when they turned around before finding the peak. They learned later they were very, very close. When they reached the downward gravel road, their speed approached insanity even as they met a lady with 2 dogs on the trail. Test those brake pads! They arrived back at camp in the dark.
Meanwhile, Tim searched for someone with parts and skills for fixing his hydraulic brake system. He ended up having to drive the pickup to Asheville where the problem was fixed but for a crazy price. Tim was not a happy camper.
Eric, Marc, & Harv continued climbing on Looking Glass Rock after lunch. Near the top of the rock Marc almost stepped on a 4-foot black snake. It remained motionless until we nudged it off the trail. It climbed onto tree branches, allowing us to pass. There was some "careful" discussions on how to get to various points (mainly, the bottom!) of the rock. The challenge was met with good plans and safe procedures and we had a Rocky Mountain high! See the photos!
Foil dinners! They included spicey sausage, potatos, corn, carrots, peas, & onions. We did a good job of making sure our exercise did reduce our weight!

North Carolina 2007 Day 2

April 20. Cold morning! Harv had 4 layers of clothes in his sleeping bag! Was it really that cold (no snow) or is Harv a wuss? After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, & OJ, the dishes were washed. If you wives don't believe that, check out the photos on the link to the left. Then off to DuPont State Forest for almost 100 miles of available trails. Here's the trails we tackled on this beautiful day:

Big Rock Trail

Cedar Rock Trail

Little River Trail

Corn Mill Shoals Trail

Bridal Overlook Trail

Bridal Veil Falls Road (Bike the waterfall!)

Conservation Road

Reasonover Creek Trail

Lake Julia Road

Camp Summit Road

Airstrip Trail (Yee-Ha!)

Shelter Rock Trail

We suffered 2 broken spokes, 1 chain broken twice, complete elimination of some brake pads and pressure loss on hydraulic brakes. We had a lot of fun destroying our bikes! It sure seemed like a lot more than 14 miles! We made sandwiches in the parking lot of the trailhead. We stopped at the 2 bike shops in Pisgah Forest for parts and checking out some awesome new bikes. We cooked up hamburgers for dinner.

Check out the photos of day 2, DuPont is very scenic.

North Carolina, Day 1

On the evening of April 18, 2007, JP, Harv, Marc, Brian, Eric, Tim, & Bob drove two trucks out of Michigan and headed for the Pisgah National Forest for the 4th annual Mountain Bike North Carolina. The original plan of taking Marc's motor home for the trip fell through that same morning when he learned a head gasket was failing and would not likely last the trip. Harv's small SUV and Harv & JP's dad's diesel pickup were used instead. The pickup had the required power to pull the borrowed (Thank-you, Ade!) trailer for bikes, tents, food, etc.

We drove through the night for about 12 hours and after breakfast at the Cold Mountain (yes, the area based on the movie) Cafe, we arrived at the Davidson River Campground. After setting up site #117, we biked across the street to the Sycamore Cove trail. It ended back on the road US276 and we biked the trail in the opposite direction for a total trip length of nine miles. We made sandwiches for lunch and prepared for an afternoon ride to a familiar trail of the past two years, the Caney Bottom trail at the Pisgah Fish Hatchery. A light drizzle kept starting and ending. We rode along the road for several miles, then started up the 45-minute climb up the gravel road. The rough downhill ride took less than half that time including the fast rolling gravel trail on the bottom along the creek. Total biking miles for the day: 30 miles. We hit the showers and headed for El Chapala in the town of Pisgah Forest for a good Mexican meal. We hit the sleeping bags exhausted.

Click on the PHOTOS link on the left and look for the album name "North Carolina 2007 Day 1". All of Harv's photos are available for viewing but they're not all labeled and tagged yet. More postings coming soon.

Irish Jig 5K Run in East GR

Anybody interested in running the Irish Jig 5K? It is on March 17th at 9AM... that's 5K, as in 3.1 miles. I'm sure to embarrass myself with the time I'll be turning in....

NC trails to ride!

http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trail.asp?id=12241&trail_name=Black%20Mountian%20/%20Claw%20Hammer%20Mountain%20Bike%20Trail

http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trail.asp?id=3004&trail_name=Spencer%20Branch%20Mountain%20Bike%20Trail


http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trail.asp?id=3005&trail_name=Cove%20Creek%20Mountain%20Bike%20Trail

Sold Out to the Almighty $$$

Speaking of links and such, I just wanted to throw out a bone... if you guys haven't popped into my cyclecentric blog in the past few days, I've added a few banners that potentially can generate some funds (on several of my blogs/sites, actually). I'd like to use these funds to promote the site via contributions, bike builds, collateral, sponsorships, etc. and maybe even graduate to a real website someday.

Anyway, the coolest of the links is actually way down at the bottom (not discouraging you from peeking at the ones on the right, but...). Currently I only have Cambria Bike (CBO) linked down there but I am pending approval from JensonUSA and will have one of those down there as well. I'll be working on a few more as well. If you jump from the link to the site and purchase something... the blog generates a small percentage from the sale. Note that a cookie gets set into your computer to track the affiliation.

Oh... and for anyone in need of some climbing gear, there is a link on the right that might have a little something for ya... ;)

Check this link out, some cool photos and videos...

Low Cost Tech Wear

Say guys, the Ann Arbor Velo Club is "liquidating" their stock of club clothing at a comparitively low cost. Check it out - clicky - ... I'm hosting their pics, so free shipping for me. I can inquire about a bulk shipment if anyone is interested.

- R

add - if anyone else is interested, please let me know and I can add it to my order... sending out a check tonight (2-8) or tomorrow. Otherwise you'll need to contact the guy from AAVC to strike a deal. $25 for Louis G shorts, $30 for a windvest, $25 jerseys... The guy will also be at the MMBA Swap Meet on the east side of the state if anyone is going (not me).

whoop - even more info... I will be paying him tomorrow (2-9) via PayPal along with a list of stuff you guys may like. Whatever is left over, he will take and sell at the MMBA Swap Meet.

Payment sent. Should have stuff next week :). - R

Blizzard Ride!

Sych! Well, I could see the blizzard from my bike ride. One hour with good tunes and no frostbite.

By the way, this is the 36 pound Schwinn with no suspension I rode on my first 4 or 5 Icemans. Bone-jarring on the descents and leg-burning on the sandy uphills. It makes a good indoor ride now.

Snowman Day: Feb 3, 2007

No worries HP... I was wussin' out a couple o' days ago.

I declare a snowman day!


Now if I can only locate my GoreTex socks...

Postpone?

Due to the fact that Kent County is under a winter storm warning and a snow and blowing snow advisory, I vote for postponing the CSGA bike ride. Would we be able to drive into the parking lot? I'm not that concerned that the temperature is extremely low, but coupled with some wind....brrrrr. I'll probably be driving one of these machines instead. If you call me a wussy, remember, I'm not the only one.

Weather link:

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/category.asp?C=2906

Dirt Dad HP

Turn the Oven to 475

I know it sounds insane, but running is not as cold as riding in the winter. When running I generate a ton more heat than riding and don't have to deal with higher speeds which decreases the apparent windchill I would feel. I've ran in whiteout conditions without much problem with feeling cold... just need the right layers on... the same for biking... just prepared for lower temps than if running. As far as the feet, I just have to keep them dry (just like biking) and they will be just fine.

Anyhoo... if someone else makes it ot the trailhead, I'll most likely be there. I still need to keep ramping it up or I'll never hit my goals this year....

- Weather for Saturday -
13F... feels like 2 below

A little much?

Bike vs. Run?

Too cold to bike but not too cold to run? Huh? Do the feet stay warmer because they're moving?

We (HP,JP,Tim,others?) are checking the conditions as we get closer to Saturday. I (HP) say we're on unless we get news about icy roads, frostbite, or public service announcements for the elderly to stay indoors.

2nd Thoughts

Well, since VanDirt can't make the Chilly Willie ride... maybe it can be postponed.

Actually, it looks to be on the breaking point of single digit weather for this weekend; colder than I had hoped and the coldest air for these parts in several years. Anyone even remotely interested in venturing out into the cold for this? If so, bring the duct tape for your shoes. Me? I may have to settle for my standard 4 mile "dance on the frozen tundra" run on Saturaday morning.

Links Added

Guys,
I added VanDirt's links to the left.
Looks like Saturday's ride will be COLD!
HP

VanDirt is in the house!

Hey what's up with leaving out the "Jammin'" Jamis?

Check out these North Carolina websites:

www.mtbikewnc.com
This site has lots of information about the area and the trails.

http://www.sirbikesalot.com
This site has lots of pictures and videos of the trails.

Elly = Mr. Ellsworth

My guess is Tim! Do I win for a correct guess?! Sorry, been in the back of my head for days and I just made the connection. Plus the pic he posted explains his MMBA forums identity... yellow_mtb. Bonus points??!

CSGA encouragement

Hey, guys, I found this photo on the MMBA wesite under Cannonsburg State Game Area. No, I don't know who this is, but, hey, we can do that, right?

I'll be there pending approval from the family activities director.

Harv

CSGA!

Well, Cannonsburg State Game Area re-opens for the 2007 season on Feb 1st! I would like to propose a tenative ride on Feb 3rd pending untollerable weather conditions... like golfball-sized hail.

The long-range weather reports shows a high of 23 (13 low - brrr) with a 40% chance of snow. Sunday is better with a high of 27 (21 low) and 20% chance of snow.

If no one is up for the cold temps and fluffy whites coming from above then I may resort to taking a half day on Friday (partly sunny) and go it alone. Though the last time I did CSGA in the frigid cold I managed to snap my front tooth off... but I was a whole lot dumber then... right guys? Guys?

I'm in here too... My first bike. ARGGGGH!! what was I thinking?

Up, up and AWAY!!!

So here we go... up, up and away!!! Actually, I'm making sure for Harv that others can post as well. This would be a resounding, "YES!" for him and all you others to try it out.

The photo? That's my bro back in the day when we were jumping to the height of swingsets on our BMXers! This is his best rendition of ET....

2007 NC trip dates set

Does this photo from last April look like we're having fun? This evening we had a dinner meeting to get the ball (or wheel?) rolling for this year's North Carolina bike trip. Thank-you, Tim & Kim, for hosting and the great food. Thanks also to JP for providing the hamburger meat.

We're planning on extending the bike trip one more day. Instead of leaving on Thursday night, we'll leave on Wednesday night, April 18, after work. We'll drive all night, arrive at a campsite Thursday morning and ride our bikes as much as we can until heading home Monday, April 22. Block out your calender now.

Marc is planning on driving his motorhome. The tentative list is Marc, JP, Harv, Eric, Brian, & Tim. Rusty, too? Roque? Anybody else? Time to get in shape!

We saw the DVD/slideshow on last year's trip on Tim's computer that Brian & Joni put together. Awesome! Tim's working on making copies.

HP

Dirt Dads in North Carolina

Here's Marc, Eric, Tim, JP, & Brian on the Left Loop of the Tsali trails last April. Good times. Photo by HP. Meeting tomorrow at Tim's to plan this year's trip.

The Beginning

Hello Dirt Dads!
At the suggestion of Twilyhead, I've started a blog for our Dirt Dads mountain biking group. A few weeks ago I uploaded a bunch of photos to a Yahoo website (I'll add the link once I figure this blog thing out) but I want to see if this might be a better way to share photos AND dialogue. Let me know at dirtdads@yahoo.com.
Harv