On tap for the weekend

Its finally here.
The KC Cup weekend at the Swope Park Trails
Cyclocross (Saturday) and cross country mountain bike (Sunday) action back to back over two days.
I rode the CX course last night and its a hoot. They make use of the new short track course that was installed for the Thursday Night Throwdown. So lots of single track to really please the CX roadie set.
I'll be doing the CX race this year. I'm considering racing twice.
I can do the Master's 30+ race at 11AM on my geared CX and then the single speed race @ 1PM on... well my single speed.
Hopefully I get further in than the first lap before I flat like I did last year.
I'm blowing off the MTN race on Sunday. I just haven't logged any time on my 29er this year. I was the same way last year but did the race. Ended up so frustrated that I blew my top and pitched the 29er into the woods. Not the best tactic.
I'm not much of a MTN racer anyway. I prefer to cruise along with frequent stops.
However, I should be attending the event as a spectator to cheer & heckle the racers. Maybe I'll even bring some beers.

That is of course that I'm alive after the Pub 'N Pedal 4 gets done with me Saturday night.

Straight from the FaceBook event page:
Free to all who come out and register to race!!!

Once again I should tell you that this is a free bicycle race photo scavenger hunt pub crawl. I will not ask any money from you but the final bar requires $2 per racer to be donated to the staff. This will allow you to drink from a FREE keg (as long as it has something in it).

• Registration begins at 7pm in the old OSCO Drug parking lot at Westport RD and Main St
• Race begins at 8pm
• Teams of 1-4 people
• You are not required to drink on this ride
• One digital camera per team to take photos of objects off the manifest


Need more info? Check out http://www.kcsprints.blogspot.com/ or http://www.candycranks.com/

So there is the planned weekend in a nut shell.
It fall, its gonna be a beautiful weekend, get out there and do something with it.

KC Cup weekend

The HSP KC Cup weekend is over with
It was fun but disappointing
CX race on Saturday and XC race on Sunday
Mr Joshua and I flew the Stars and Hearts of the BKB for the CX race Saturday
It was a great course but I flatted out right at the end of the 1st lap.
I was feeling good but with no pit bike or extra wheels my race was over

Mr Joshua hung on with a respectable middle of the pack finish.
Mr Joshua's little lady even did her first CX race ever
She was all smiles for the grueling 40 minutes race in her BKB t-shirt

Mr Joshua and I flew the All Blacks of Evil for Sunday's XC race

We raced in the Clydesdale class and screwed ourselves right from the start
The course started with a long pave section and instead of treating it like a CX race and putting the hammer down from the gun we slow rolled.
This put us behind the people in our class that we should have beaten to the woods
We managed to work our way up by the middle of the first lap.
I got tangled up in a technical section and watched Mr Joshua and the others ride a way
At the end of the first lap I turned it up a notch on the road section and got back in front of a small group and started a gap.
Back into the woods I spotted Mr Joshua and thought I was gonna reel him back in
But once again when I got to the technical section (8 Pins) if faltered and stepped aside to let some other racers around me.
After that I struggled to find a rhythm, I kept clipping my pedals and was getting knocked all over the trail.
It was frustrating and I let it get the best of me... ended up losing it and in a rage threw my bike off into the woods.
Not my finest moment... luckily there was no one around to witness it.
I composed myself and got back to it. Things came together a little.
I came across Mr Joshua getting up off the ground. He had flatted his front which in turn pitched him over the bars.
He was disappointed, he had crashed (swore at the start he wasn't going to), flatted (costing him precious time) and had been sitting in 2nd when it all happened.
I pushed on and once again got tangled up and lost a couple of spots.
Popped out on the road for the finial climb and put the hammer down to catch one of the two that had passed me.
Crossed the line in 4th.
Mr Joshua got back in it quick enough to pick up 6th.
Over all not a bad race for either of us with respectable finishes just not as good as we could have done.
It was the first MTB race of the year for both of us so really it was pretty good all things considered.

Next weekend we are back on the CX bikes for the Diamond BlackFan Cyclocross Challenge at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park in Lenexa, KS
We're racing single speed class since it starts later in the day.
Mr Joshua determined that the 4's 10am start was too early (funny since he is an early riser) and I am working the MS150 that morning (hope I make it in time).
We normally race SS in the CAT 4 race (we never win but we're never last either) but next week we'll be dragging the SS race down to our level of mediocrity.

Cross season has begun
Time to find the bugles and cowbells

Wednesday was my Birthday and other random things

Wednesday was my 35th birthday.
Yeah for me!
35 is the new 25... right?

I worked a short day at the shop to celebrate.
I rode over to Swope Park and rode some dirt before work.
It was good.
Then snuck out of work early and went to dinner with my mom and step pop.

Tasty Mexican food goodness! With margaritas to boot.

Got out to Swope Park to ride some dirt again Thursday.
It was good times until I flatted the rear.
Changed the tube and turns out my spare was no good either.
Funny how I had just commented earlier in the day that I saw no point in going tubeless.
Made me reconsider.
More so after I finished getting the rear fixed to discover that the front was slowly going flat as well.
By the time I got off the trail to the road the rear was going flat again.
I was all out of spares, C02 and patches.
Made a mad dash of the 3 road miles home with both tires holding just enough air to keep the rims off the pave.
It was a tricky but I managed to make it home with no further incident

On tap for the weekend:
The HSP KC Cup
Cyclocross race on Saturday
Traditional Cross Country race Sunday

In theory I am doing both.
In theory.
I haven't raced a bike at all this year and I am struggling to find a reason to start.
So we will see what happens
Perhaps I should get both bikes tuned up and ready for the weekend today...

KC Sprints returns for its 2nd season
Our first event will be held November 14th at Harling's Upstairs Bar
Things are in the works. I'll post more when there is more.
If you know of new venues or sponsors feel free to contact me:
zekesbiken@hotmail.com


Speaking of in the works...
The new home of everything that is cycling in KC is up and running
KCCycling dot Com

My winter beard that I decided to start early this year is coming in nicely.
How long before I tire of it and shave it off?

The Tour of Missouri finished up in KC last Sunday
I was there doing the expo thing for BikeSource
I took some photos but for the most part they were fuzzy and haven't been uploaded yet.
Another weekend project.

I've been looking into making the switch so that The One Eyed View from the Saddle (TOEVFTS) will be an official stand alone dot com.
Maybe it will be done by the time the snow flies here.

Dead line for applications to the Specialized Trial Crew is TODAY!
If you want to get in on this don't delay.
I dragged my feet and missed my chance to get a free Globe bike by blogging about it.
Don't be like me be like Cameron and get your name in the hat by the end of the day.

Little Friday history lesson:
AC Delco Spark plugs was started by Albert Champion who was previously a champion track racer in France in 1896... at 18 years old.
He also won the Paris-Roubaix when they motor paced it in 1899... on a fixed gear.
His spark plugs were in the car the won the first Indy 500 and were in the engine of the Spirit of St. Louis when it flew around the world.

How about that?

Welcome to Friday. Have a good weekend!

Kansas City Cup Challenge

09.02.2009

KANSAS CITY, MO.

Dirt Lovin Good Times presented by The North Face

Kansas City Cup Challenge

http://www.heartlandrace.com



Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls:

Heartland Sports Promotions [HSP] is pleased to announce the inaugural cycling and trail running event at Camp Lake of the Woods in Swope Park.
Last winter the Earth Riders Trails Association [ERTA] and their board members, architects and builders of the trail Scott Capstack and Craig Stoeltzing, opened 1.5 miles of singletrack to the public, since then the trail has expanded to 3.5 miles.

The Kansas City Cup Challenge is fast approaching. This cycling event is the first of what many hope will be a continuing tradition of great trail building and showcasing through races in the Kansas City Metro area. Races will include the cyclo-cross season opener, a trail running race, kid’s race, and a traditional cross-country mountain bike race.

Saturday’s festivities begin with the trail run registration at 7:00 a.m. and the trail run start at 8:00 a.m. There will be a 5k and 10k option. Many runners have been using the trail for training and this will be an outstanding time to compare times with fellow runners.

Before the cyclo-cross race start, kids of all ages are welcome to come race their bicycles! The kids’ race will loop around the cyclo-cross course, completing their allotted number of half loops or a loop.

The cyclo-cross race will be a 1.5-mile loop with racers competing on modified road bikes that have bigger, knobby tires for the dirt. Racers will complete as many laps as possible in the allotted time for each category. Cyclo-cross registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue throughout the day so racers may register for their different categories. The race flyer can be found on our website.

The traditional cross-country mountain bike race will take off on Sunday. The beginner, sport, and expert classes will be taking off at different times to accommodate the tight trail. The mountain bike course at Swope is (so far) 3.5 miles of pristine dirt. The trail has technical sections made more so by the exertion of climbing to one of the highest peaks in Swope Park.

To aid in the further completion of singletrack at Swope, many items will be raffled on Saturday and Sunday [proceeds go to ERTA and HSP trail building efforts].

Entry fees and classes can be found on our website.

Saturday Chipotle burritos will be available and Sunday ERTA will provide concessions [proceeds go to ERTA and HSP trail building efforts].

JET Chiropractic will be on hand for any adjustments.



See you on the trail September 19-20!



Heartland Sports Promotions [HSP]

I'm "racing" the 6 hour solo next weekend

Rapture In Misery 6/12
A 6 Hour Race.
A 12 Hour Race.
Both Races at the same time.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Start Time: Noon Sharp

Crowder State Park, Trenton, MO

More details at:
www.heartlandrace.com

From Jevon's note book: KCSprints Race 1 Results

RACE:1 RESULTS
250m sprints Final placement and riders best time of the night

1ST - BRUCE:11.611 Twin Six jersey Surly hat and socks
2ND-TIM:11.652 Twin Six jersey
3RD-TYLER:12.235 Surly jethro tool and flask
4TH-KYLE:12.034 Surly tugnut

5TH-BRACKET Surly socks
BRIAN:12.426
MIKE:13.125
JUSTIN:13.308
STU:13.821

6TH-BRACKET T-shirts from Twin Six, Saris, and Heartland Sports Promotions
CRUSTY:12.428
BOOZO:13.547
MAT:14.274
BRYCE:14.400
DON:14.650
WOODROW:14.912
TONY:15.080
F.C.:15.257

WOMENS 1ST-ANGIE:16.438 Twin Six jersey
WOMENS 2ND-SHANNON:16.966 Twin Six t-shirt and CycleOps backpack

and thank you to Urban Velo for magazines to hand out, Twin Six and CycleOps for water bottles, and all our sponsors for stickers

Well damnit. Will it ever be dry?

<<>>

04.11.2008
KANSAS CITY, MO.
Crank 'n' Cruise POSTPONED
http://www.heartlandrace.com

Racing friends and loyal supporters of HSP:

Do to the current and projected weather conditions at Crowder State Park, the Crank-N-Cruise Mountain Bike Race that was scheduled for Sunday, April 13th has been POSTPONED…More details forthcoming. I'm sure you were probably expecting this message. I know you are frustrated, as are we.

The winter from "Hades" has continued to rear its ugly head into the spring racing season. Crowder State Park has received over an inch of rain on Tuesday, a quarter of an inch last night, and it has rained all day today. The extended forecast is calling for possible rain and below average temperatures. There is even a chance for snow flurries Friday night. The Thompson River is currently rising and Grundy County is under a flood alert. With all these contributing factors

We have already stated our reasoning for not supporting "Rain or Shine" races in past posts. I've stated my personal view points on "Pappy's Place" but I'll give you the short version anyway:

We choose to look at the "Big Picture" and the impact our decisions will make in the long run, not for immediate gratification. Racing in the mud is not fun and is detrimental to the ecology of the trail systems we utilize for our race venues.

We are not willing to compromise our trails or cobble together an alternative "short option" that would simply satisfy the requirements of "calling it a race." We have some of the best trails in north Missouri. That is why we host a race. We want to showcase our wonderful trails. We would rather wait until the conditions improve and we can offer a better racing experience. We, Heartland Sport Promotions [HSP], have very high standards and expectations for our events. We strive for the best and that is what racers have come to expect when they participate in our events.

The decision to cancel or reschedule a race is not totally ours to make. We are utilizing public lands and have a land manager that has jurisdiction in making the final decision as to whether an event will proceed or be cancelled. At Crowder State Park that decision is based on environmental impact, public safety, and following the established policies concerning inclement weather and trail closures.

Please continue to monitor the Heartland web page for updated information on the 2008 race schedule. We are looking at possible options for rescheduling events.
I hope you will continue to support our efforts to provide the racing community with quality events. We love to ride bikes and share trails just like you do!

Doug "Pappy" Long


About Heartland Sports Promotions:
Heartland Sports Promotions [HSP] is a volunteer based 501(c)4, not-for-profit corporation with a mission to make the Kansas City region a better place to live, work, ride and run through:

PROMOTING events appealing to all levels of skill and experience
SUPPORTING forums on outdoor safety and education
VOLUNTEERING time for trail-development and maintenance
INVESTING in the growth of KC's active community and culture
DONATING a % of our net income to charities and organizations with similar values

Damn the rain..

The official word from HSP...


Spoke Pony Showdown POSTPONED

Written by Scott Capstack

Saturday, 15 March 2008

Mother Nature has her own ideas....
Currently at 4am, we already have between 1/4" to 1/2" of rain and it's still falling.
As we mentioned yesterday, the trails just can't handle this amount rain, therefore....
Spoke Pony Showdown 3hr/6hr and 5k/10k has been POSTPONED.

The new date for the event is Saturday, MARCH 29th.
Exactly two weeks from today.
Same time.
Same location.

We'll post more details in the next couple of days.

Thank you all for understanding.

Spread the Dirt.

HSP Spoke Pony Showdown 3/6 Tomorrow... maybe

The lastest from the HSP boys:

.....We just got back from riding the Spoke Pony loop. As of 11:30am this morning the course condtions are mostly tacky due to the overnight dew. Everything was ridable and looking good for racing tomorrow....
BUT,
If we get any mositure this evening...the course conditions will worsen.

Current forecasts are calling for rain late this evening and into the morning.

We will make the final race call...by 6:30am Saturday morning. Please keep checking our website.

Thank you all for understanding. We want to race just as much as you.

Spread the Dirt.

Whats up this weekend?

Well since you asked I'll tell you.

Friday night (02/29/08)
Critical Mass
Meet at the Sunfresh in Westport 630-ish
(Not sure if I will be there or not due to other plans)

The Sex Police!
The Brooksider 11PM to close
SKA/Reggae/rocksteady classics
21+
(this I will be at)

Saturday (03/01/08)
No real plans but I wanna ride my bike and maybe have a beer or two.
What I do will strongly depend on if Sunday's race is postponed or not.

Sunday (03/02/08)
Heartland Mountain Bike Championship Series race #1
Landahl Park in Blue Springs, MO
Bike race at noon
Trail run at 8AM
See http://heartlandrace.com
***these races Sunday have the potential to be postponed due to trail conditions.
The HSP staff is waiting on the weather and will announce if the race is a Yea! or Na! Friday morning on the HSP website.
**********************************************************************************
Not sure if I want Sunday's race to be postponed or not.
I would like to ride my 29er since I think the last time I was on it on a trail was at Homie Fall Fest in MPLS back in October.
But I also think that some time to get an off road ride or two under my belt before my first race wouldn't be a bad idea either.
So far this MTB race season is starting off strikingly similar to '07.
My first MTB ride of the year was also a race... and early season postponements killed my MTB race season. I don't' want this to happen, again.
However, I would also like to put the first race off for another reason. I have parts on order for my 29er that haven't arrived yet.
Waiting on my On-One Carbon SL fork (not sure how long that will take since its jumping the pond from the UK), my new axles to convert my Surly bolt on hubs to quick release, and I still want to lay a fresh coat of paint and some new decals on my 29er. But hell if that doesn't happen it doesn't happen.
I would just like to ride on some dirt.
Real DIRT, not frozen mud, mud, snow, or any sort of slush crap.

I guess all I do is to hurry up and wait.

I hate waiting.