2009 Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Series

December 30th, 2008

Update 12/18/09: 2010 Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Series.

Update: Check out race reports for the EastSide Epic from Chris and Marni.

Once again there will be a Winter Mountain Bike Race Series in Leadville this winter. There are 5 races in the series. The first race is on January 17th.

New this year will be a series champion. You must compete in at least 3 of the 5 races to be qualified. Top three finishes wins a Karate Monkey Frame!

Although some racers have nice snow bikes like the Surly Pugsley, a special snow bike isn’t necessary. You can use your regular mountain bike with as wide of tires as will fit in the frame. Run low pressure in the tires. If the tires are wide enough, you may be able to run as low as 5 psi.

2009 Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Series Schedule

  • The EastSide Epic – January 17th
  • Tennessee Pass Night Jam – February 7th
  • Golf Course Chaos – February 21st
  • Mineral Belt Mayhem – March 7th
  • Tennessee Pass Spring Fling- March 28th

Find more information on the series at Cloud City Wheelers.

Other Snow Bike Races Including Ones Much Tougher

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New Site Design

December 28th, 2008

The last few weeks I’ve been working on a much needed new design for UltraRob.com. I’ve started on it a few times in the past but never had the time to get it done. I got laid off from my job a few weeks ago so I’ve had more time. It’s hard to believe though the time I’m spending looking for a new job in the current recession.

The design still isn’t anything fancy but I think it’s a big improvement from the old one. I’d love to hear what you like and what you don’t.

The only change here on UltraRob’s Adventures until last night was the header. I worked on the new design on the blog last night until I ran out of brain cycles. I still have a bit of tweaking to do on it.

I changed the home page, about page, most of the photo pages and some other pages over the last couple weeks. I still have the cycling and outdoor gear pages, a few older photo pages and some miscellaneous pages to change to the new design.

How are the changes looking so far?

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Merry Christmas!

December 24th, 2008


I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! Hopefully you’ll also get some cool new toys for your bike or some outdoor gear. I also hope you take some time to think about the reason for Christmas.

We went to a Christmas Eve service at the Flying W Ranch this evening. Afterward the kids opened the gifts from us. Tomorrow they’ll be getting many more gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

It’ll be a busy day since so many of our relatives live in town. Unfortunately my sister from Alaska won’t be here. She was supposed to fly in on Monday but her flight got canceled because of the snow in Seattle. They couldn’t get her rescheduled until after Christmas but at least we’ll still get to see her.

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Adidas AX2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots
Adidas AX2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots
Price: $135.00
 

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Last Day to Enter to Win Cool Gear

December 23rd, 2008

UltraRob's Gear for Mountain Biking by 198 Contest

Today is the last day to enter to win a $1,000 Mountain Cycle Fury full suspension frame from Mountain Biking by 198. I’m sponsoring the 2nd place price. Third place is a Clix Wheel Release System.

The gear I’m giving away includes my favorite multi tool and the Rogue Camelbak that I use for rides that last a few hours.

Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of the Hammer Nutrition products so there’s a Hammer Gel Jug, Hammer Gel Flask, HEED Drink and a large Hammer water bottle. If Hammer is new to you, here’s how I use the Hammer Nutrition products.

So how do you win all this cool stuff? Go over to Mountain Biking by 198 and submit the best trail review. It doesn’t matter where you live or where the trail is. Check out the original post for rules so your trail submission qualifies for the contest.

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Hi Tec Penrith Mid Jr. WP Hiking Boots
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Adidas AX2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots
Adidas AX2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots
Price: $135.00
 

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2009 Leadville 100 Entry Forms Now Online

December 22nd, 2008

Bottom of Powerline at Leadville 100

Update 2/11/09: The preliminary 2009 Leadville 100 mountain bike entrant list has been posted.

The 2009 Leadville 100 entry forms are online for all of the races. The entry for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race must be mailed because of the entry lottery. The 100 mile run, Silver Rush 50 MTB, Silver Rush Run, marathon, heavy half marathon and 10k run can be registered for online with a $5 credit card processing fee.

The entry for the 100 mile mountain bike race is $250 for 2009. Entries must be received by January 31st to get in the lottery. I’m guessing it’ll be tougher getting in this year because of all the publicity from Lance Armstrong doing it. Most likely I’ll be sending my entry in to try for my 6th finish.

Last year I started a Leadville 100 MTB FAQ and will be adding more of the answers over the next few weeks. I also have photos from the 2007 and 2006 Leadville 100 MTB races. You can also look at photos from the Columbine Climb to get some idea of how much it climbs. I also put together a collection of YouTube videos of Dave Wiens and Lance from 2008.

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Adidas AX2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots
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Giving Bikes to Poverty and Disaster Areas

December 18th, 2008

Caregiver Using a Bike Provided by World Bicycle Relief

Here’s an update on the World Bicycle Relief donation that I’m doing. If you weren’t aware of it, you can read the post where I announced it and the press release I did. There’s also info on it in the World Bicycle Relief’s December newsletter.

Donations make even more of a difference through the end of the year because an angel donor is matching dollar for dollar up to $750,000. Since these are basic bikes used to improve people’s lives instead of fancy, light race bikes, they only cost $134 each.

The last few weeks have been unbelievable on UltraRob.com with people buying cycling and outdoor gear for Christmas. Right now I’m close to donating 9 bikes with the match. There’s still a week left so it would be very cool to donated at least 10 bikes.

There’s still time to get gear for Christmas gifts from most stores using expedited shipping. Many stores are offering shipping discounts. For example, Backcountry.com is offering 2 day shipping for $9.99. I’m not sure how long they’ll be doing it.

Need gift ideas? Read 7 Cycling and Outdoor Gift Ideas and a Dozen More Gift Ideas for Cyclists. Also gift cards make great gifts and many stores have email gift cards that can be sent at the last minute.

My donation includes Christmas Day. If you don’t get something you were really wanting, you can come to UltraRob.com that evening to find it and still help out less fortunate people around the world.

World Bicycle Relief started a campaign yesterday with a goal of getting enough donations for 100 bikes by noon on Friday. With the match, it’ll make 200 bikes.

Don’t plan on buying any gear? Just head over to World Bicycle Relief and make a donation. $1, $5, $10, every little bit helps.

Martha Van Inwegen from ActionWipes is also going to donate 10% to World Bicycle Relief. I’ve used ActionWipes and they are great for outdoor adventures when you can’t shower. They are wipes from grown ups. They also have other products that are easy on you and on the environment.

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A Dozen More Gift Ideas for Cyclists

December 12th, 2008

A couple weeks ago I gave some cycling and outdoor gift ideas. The cycling gifts included things mountain bikers would like. The post has been popular so here are some more gift ideas of road cyclists. Mountain bikers would also love most of these gifts.

Graham Watson is one of the best photographers of pro cycling. I don’t any road cyclist that wouldn’t love the Graham Watson Calendar.
Joe Friel’s Cyclist’s Training Bible is one of the best training guides out there. He explains periodization which is the basis of most training plans. He steps you through setting up a training plan for different goals. He has also written The Mountain Bikers Training Bible and The Triathlete’s Training Bible
Safety is important when you’re on the road. We always hope that nothing bad will happen and most likely it won’t. Still it’s good to have some ID on you if you’re injured and can’t talk. I’ve been using the wrist Road ID for a very long and don’t even notice I have it on. They also have ones that go on your ankle or shoe.
Another safety essential is a helmet. I used the Giro Pneumo for several years.
Your favorite cyclist needs something to fuel their rides. Hammer Gel is a great way and by buying it in a jug and using a flask, it’s good for the environment too.
The Pearl Izumi Zephrr Vest is a great way to take off the chill. My windbreaker vest is one of my most used cycling items.
Using CO2 cartridges for flats during rides may not be the best for the environment but they sure make it easy to fix a flat. I only get a handful of flats even when I’m doing mega miles so it’s not that bad. There are CO2 inflators that are allow to control the pressure but I love the size and simpleness of the Microflate.
A good floor pump is a must for any cyclist. You can’t go wrong with a pump from Park Tools. Some pumps have a single head that is supposed to work for both Presta and Shraedar valves. I’ve had a couple and weren’t happy with either one. I’d stick to a pump that has a dual head if you want both. I always use Presta valves on my bikes but my kid’s bikes have Shraedar
I have a couple pairs of Pearl Izumi ThermaFleece Knee Warmers. They’re the perfect things for cool mornings or evenings. Some people prefer leg warmers. I like the Pearl Izumi ThermaFleece ones because the light fleece on the inside really makes a difference in staying warm
The companions to knee or leg warmers are arm warmers.
An indoor trainer is a great way to stay fit in the winter so spring bike rides are more run. The Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer is a top rated fluid trainer. Magnetic trainers are cheaper and get the job done but they’re louder and don’t feel as much like the road.
A seat pack is nice for carrying a multi-tool, spare tube and tire levers.
If none of the gear above is a good fit for your gift buying, check out the Cycling and Outdoor Gift Card Guide. Also, below are links to some more gift guides for even more gift ideas.

Gift Guides

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Tentative Dates for Sand Creek Mountain Bike Series

December 12th, 2008

Sand Creek Sports Mountain Bike Series #3

Update 1/27/09: The 2009 Sand Creek Series schedule and venues have been posted.

Venues and dates haven’t been finalized yet for the 2009 Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek Series. Andy Bohlmann of Sand Creek Sports though told me they’re planning for “two Wednesdays in June and July plus Saturday, June 13th for the UCI Pro Tour race with 3 possible venues. We are hoping for Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day) and Saturday, August 1st as the final.”

The Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic on June 13th will be part of the series and will have races for all the series categories and not just the Pros.

Apparently the location for the ProXCT has yet to be decided. My contact at the country said “Andy is also looking at Cheyenne Mtn. State Park for the UCI course. Personally, I think that defeats the purpose. It’s not very spectator friendly. Racing needs courses that give exposure and good spectator opportunities to grow. Just my 2 cents.”

I agree that spectators are needed for races to do well. As a competitor though, I’ve found most spectator courses haven’t been great courses for racing. It’s tough to get a good balance between a great mountain bike course and one that the average spectator will watch.

A race is planned at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in September that won’t be part of the series.

In addition to the mountain bike races, Sand Creek Sports puts on the Tour of Colorado on the road. Also through a partner, they offer guided mountain and road bicycle tours in the Southern Mexican State of Oaxaca

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Colorado Springs UCI Mountain Bike Race in 2009

December 10th, 2008

Sand Creek Sports, Bear Creek Race #3

2008 Sand Creek Sports, Bear Creek Race #3

Updates Pro XCT Report | Short Track Report | CTS Sand Creek International Classic info with course photos | Sand Creek Mountain Bike Series Schedule

Sand Creek Sports brought mountain bike racing back to Colorado Springs this year. They had great races at both Bear Creek Park and Cheyenne Mountain State Park.

They are making mountain bike racing even bigger in Colorado Springs in 2009. Today the 2009 USA Cycling Pro Cross Country Mountain Bike Tour (ProXCT) was announced. It is a 7 race professional cross country mountain bike series designed to recognize the top off-road racers in America. More series details are in USA Cycling’s press release.

As part of the series, Sand Creek Sports is putting on the Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic on June 13th. At this point I don’t know what course they plan to use. I’ll post more as I get some details.

In addition to the ProXCT race, there are plans to hold 4 Wednesday night races and 3 weekend races. I’m not sure if the ProXCT race is included as one of the weekend races. Dates and venues for the races are still being finalized.

Complete ProXCT schedule

  • March 29: U.S. Cup – Fontana, Calif.
  • April 19: Sea Otter Classic – Monterey, Calif.
  • May 31: Bump N’ Grind – Birmingham, Ala.
  • June 13: Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic – Colorado Springs, Colo.
  • August 8: U.S. Cup – Mount Snow, West Dover, Vt.
  • August 15: Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain, Windham, N.Y.
  • September 26: USA Cycling Pro Cross Country Mountain Bike Tour Finals, Las Vegas, Nev.

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More Pikes Peak Velo Photos November 2008

December 9th, 2008

Pikes Peak Velo Cyclocross

I finished uploading my photos from the November Pikes Peak Velo cyclocross race last week. I updated the original photo post with the link and put it on twitter. I realized some of you might not see those updates so I’m writing this post.

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Hi Tec Penrith Mid Jr. WP Hiking Boots
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Adidas AX2 Mid GTX Hiking Boots
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