AllYearGear.com

Month: August 2008

  • Lance and Leadville

    Lance Armstrong rides past Twin Lakes (mile 60)
    Lance Armstrong rides past Twin Lakes (mile 60)

    A group of us from Michigan have been racing the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race since 1996.  It’s a tough race to finish but an easy race to become addicted to,  And as my friend Stani noted that everything about this race is epic: the course, the promoters, the volunteers, the altitude, etc.

    Normally this race flies under the radar for everyone except the endurance racing junkies  Last year was an exception as Tour de France racer Floyd Landis showed up.  Landis eventually came in second to Leadville-favorite Dave Wiens.

    This year Lance Armstrong did the race, putting Leadville in the national news.  And similar to last year, Armstrong came up short, finishing second to Wiens.  As the race announcer said, Armstrong did win his age group.

    I only got one lousy photo of the leading duo.  Some of the best coverage is at Super Human Mag and the Denver Post.

    The majority of folks I spoke with seemed satisfied with that result.  Wiens is a super nice guy and now a six-time winner at Leadville.  He could have been the seven-time winner, but the race promoters didn’t let him in that first year.  The race was full and they didn’t have any pro slots for late entries.  Wiens said he appreciated not being treated differently than the rest of the racers,

    Stay tuned for more Leadville blogging on the Michigan racer results and photos.

  • Handlebar Fatigue Failure

    I jammed a stick inside the handlebar just to get me home
    I jammed a stick inside the handlebar just to get me home

    I’ve had some WTB custom bent titanium handlebars for over ten years now. They’ve been on more bikes than I can recall. They’ve finished multiple Leadville 100s, XTERRAs, and other races.  They’ve served me well.

    But yesterday they finally gave in and snapped.

    And I can’t fault them I wasn’t just riding along.

    I was riding up a small flight of stairs at Harmonie Park in Downtown Detroit. And I was still buzzing on energy from recently eating a delicious Katie crepe (apples, caramel, and salted butter!) from the nearby Good Girls go to Paris crepe stand.

    I wheelied up the first couple stairs before hitting the top one. The bar quietly broke in half. Oddly enough I didn’t crash.

    I temporarily fixed the handlebars using sticks, wood, and rebar that I found along the way.  That allowed me to ride a bit longer before heading home.

    And on a related note, my Dad’s handlebar stem snapped today. He ended up with what appears to be a separated shoulder. He’s in his usualy high spirits, though this is definitely going to affect his bike mileage goals for the year.

  • Dogsledding in Royal Oak

    The Dogsled cruises Vinsetta Boulevard in Royal Oak
    The Dogsled cruises Vinsetta Boulevard in Royal Oak

    It’s not something you see everyday on the streets of Royal Oak. This four-person, four-wheeled home-made contraption is called the “Dogsled.”

    Eventually it’s going to make it’s way out west for Burning Man, but for now it’s being test driven around the local streets.

    The Dogsled plans and photos of his construction are on-line and definitely worth checking out.