12 Hours of Cranky Monkey

Wow, what a fun time. Got up way to early (5am) and shot down to Quantico. Got set-up and it was time to race. Nick took the first lap (and the 400 yard run) and put down a very respectable 1 hour 1 minute time. I was blown away when the first guy came in after 40 minutes, what an incredible display of speed. Nick did the odd laps, I did the even.

Lap 2: Felt good for a course I've never been on. My odometer wasn't working so I was having trouble figuring out how I was doing and the course was much hillier that I thought, but ended up coming in at 1 hour and 1 minute. Good lap, I'm happy.

Lap 4: Felt fine also, but went out with a high blood sugar and ended up with a low blood sugar in the middle (I'm a Type 1 Diabetic). Nothing I couldn't handle, but it distracted me some.

Lap 6: Went out with a real high blood sugar and with the cold legs my legs started cramping almost instantly. Took about 10-15 minutes to work it out and then I had to slow it up around the lap. Need to figure out a different plan for these on/off races.

Lap 8: Went on with a normal blood sugar and felt much better. Still took it easier so not to get any cramping. The lap overall felt good and I was getting stronger as it ended.

Lap 10: Last lap, no reason to push hard so I went for a normal ride and did pretty well with minimal cramping, etc...

Total of 47.5 miles on the course which is by far the furthest I've been on a MB so far. The 100 miler in September still seems like a stretch though. :)

12 Hour of Cranky Monkey Race this weekend

My first 12 hour race will be this weekend. Doing it with one other person who hasn't done this type of race so I'm sure it will be a learning experience. Not going to be able to pre-ride, so I guess my first lap will be that. I'm guessing that I'll get in 5 laps or 50 miles but we shall see.

I guess I'm just hoping for no crashes or bike issues. I have a sneaky feeling that one of us is going to explode before the end since neither have done it, but what the hell.

Details... http://www.ex2adventures.com/12-hours-of-cranky.php

Frankenbike back

Got the FSR back (in black...). Replaced the seat stay, pivot joints and rear derailuer cable. A little disappointed about the color, but got the bike back for a minimal of cash which I can't complain against I guess.

Commuter Bike - Redline 925

Traded in 2 bikes and got myself a dedicated commuter. Didn't want to spend any real money but wanted something faster than my 35lb mountain bike. The mountain bike besides being heavy just didn't have the right gears and had a lot of rolling resistance even with slicks.

The only thing I don't like about the 925 was the moustache bars that I replaced with bull horn bars. Put on a pump, bag and bell and its off I go. Only cuts about 5 minute off the trip (30-35 instead of 35-40 minutes), but its a heck of a lot easier getting up some of the hills even w/ a SS. That and the ease of maintenance will make this bike a winner for a long time coming.

Still waiting to get caught out in rain and wondering why the I took off the fenders. :)

Before...


After...

Helmets...

What the hell is it with people not wearing helmets? Been commuting quite a bit and its nice to see others on bikes but I counted and the last 21 bikers I've seen had no helmet. Am I the only one that wears the damn thing? Heck, I ride with the kids in the neighborhood sometimes w/o mine (they need to wear theirs), but I'm talking about crossing major commuter intersections here. Doesn't take a hard fall to crack open your skull... Heck, the last few times I cut through Great Seneca on single track to ride home their were people in the woods w/o helmets (or skill). I hope my tax dollars don't have to support these people when they are some veggie in a room somewhere!