Red Bull, Mud and Montezuma’s Revenge - one story of La Ruta

As I reflected on the week long trip to Costa Rica during the final flight in to Columbus, I was quite surprised, even amazed how well everything had worked out. I would certainly have expected at least one or two major glitches, with a minor catastrophe thrown in to mix it up. However, the trip had gone almost too easily. That was until I could no longer ignore the grumblings, cramps and pains coming from my abdomen, followed by the first of many trips to the bathroom in the rear of the plane, but more on that later.

This year marked the 15th anniversary of La Ruta de los Conquistadores, a now legendary mountain bike race that traces the route of the conquistadors across Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Caribbean Ocean. La Ruta is widely known as the toughest mountain bike race in the world, and this year was the first year it would be a 4 day race instead of 3. The extra day was an additional stage, not just the original distance now spread over 4 days. The additional stage ended up being the 2nd hardest day.

Hear the rest of the story

2007 Swank 65 Mountain Bike Race

145 late season mtn bike junkies staged at the 9th Annual Swank 65 Mountain Bike Journey on November 11th, 2007. In the mix, 9 BioWheels racers took on the amazing 40 mile course. The racers crunched through the leaves for the majority of the day on some of Pisgah’s most scenic trails. From Cove Creek campground, we went up daniel connector, down & across to Long Branch, thorough Gloucester Gap once, around the back of Pilot Mountain on Kissee Creek Trail, returned back to Gloucester, then way up to Farlow Gap. The gloves came off on the descent where downhill skills can cut save an hour. Down to Daniel Ridge’s rocky descent to the Davidson River Trail, up 475-B, then a raging finish down Caney Bottom Trail to the finish. The crisp autumn day gave way to a cool evening and some tasty ales. Todd offered out great prizes, way deep into the field. Awesome post race party with burgers for all. BWR’s Johnson & Irey battled between 3rd & 10th during the entire race, with Johnson climbing into 4th at the finish. Irey rolled in 7th place, Poss in 12th and the bulk of the BWR team finishing way up in the top 25% of the field. All of the 100-ish finishers had nothing but respect for the course and wide smiles (of pain).

We’ll have results up soon. For now enjoy some video and pics from Kris Kjellquist (one the days volunteers);

Here are the results:

2007 Swank Results

Looking down the barrel of a gun…

….OK, maybe a tad dramatic on the title, but I did recently discover the best trail riding album of all time!

On Saturday, November 27th two BioWheels racers, Jeremy Hargroves & Kris Kjellquist, took on the 9th annual 12 Hours of the Hill of Truth in Oak Ridge, TN. Jeremy had gone out Friday night and secured the best camping/pit area on the course so we were in good shape from the start. The Kjellquist clan arrived early Saturday morning, popped up the BioWheels tent, and assembled the compound. Thankfully we wouldn’t need the work stand or tools all day and night!

The race started of with the firing of a cannon and a big paved road mass start. Being solo riders Jeremy and I both were not overly concerned with sprinting from the start. We both settled in to a good pace for the first three or four laps.

Jeremy’s main challenge for the win broke his frame on the first lap, so Jeremy was off to an early big lead. Unfortunately, this guy battled back, whittled away the lead for lap after lap, and would eventually take first and the solo victory. Jeremy kicked some serious butt and worked hard for 13 laps in a bit over 12 hrs!

I busted out some fast early laps, settled into a mid race pace, and eventually found out I was in 6th! I came into the race hoping for a top ten, but somehow thinking at a small race a top 5 finish might happen. Knowing I was in the hunt I stepped up the pace thanks to my iPod and The Beastie Boys’ ‘Paul’s Boutique’…..the greatest trail album of all time! Anyway, after 10 laps my wife & support, Ariane, informed me I was in 6th, but 5th was only 1 minute ahead! I dropped the iPod, hammered like it was Lap 1 and caught 5th at the top of a small climb. I finished the lap & prayed my nemesis wouldn’t go out for a 12th lap. He didn’t! I bit later I checked the results and found I had taken 4th!

My daughter Greta also raced in the ‘12 Minutes of the Hill of Truth’. Greta did two laps of single track on her Skuut bike, and won a pint glass for her efforts! Only milk or juice in that glass of course. She would also later entertain the campground in her Winnie the Pooh costume!

All in all, a great day for BioWheels who took 2nd and 4th, but more importantly had a ton of fun!

Don’t Miss the 9th Annual Swank 65 Mountain Bike Journey in Brevard, NC

If you like a hard core XC race in falls full glory, you can’t miss the Swank 65. BioWheels has participated in it in celebration of the close of the calender racing season. Leaves will be deep on some of the most classic trails in Pisgah.

Here is the 2007 Swank Brochure

We are certainly looking forward to this Fall Classic. (I’d really like to get into the top-5 this year!). Check out our archived results & pictures below;

2005 Article

2006 Article

peace-mj

Shenandoah Mtn 100 Evokes Great Pleasure

An open letter to Chris Scott,

Dear Chris,

Thank you for the opportunity to ride my bike on such a beautiful day. The mild temperatures and blue skies over the Shenandoah Valley were just what I needed to escape the hot dankness of this nearly unbearable summer. Although this is only the 4th time I have ridden your great race, the 6 hills in the the SM 100 course all have a special place in my memory. The trail names continue to escape me, but the imagery will never leave my little mind.

The aid stations were amazing. Talk about rock star treatment. Each station had just what we needed, a chain wipe & lube, then back to it. I don’t think I’ll ever miss this event again.
See you next year!- Matt J., BioWheels Racing

Complete Results are here.

Jonathan Bruck took some great pictures here.

Cycling News has a great write-up & pics here.

Harbin Park, Fairfield, OH, TT Finale!

At precisely 07:00:30 pm last night the man yelled go! and Chad sat motionless for a moment. He was contemplating the wonderful aspects of his life. The cool crisp evening that he was racing his mountain bike, his lovely girlfriend Sara, his outstanding teamates at Biowheels and of course Piggy. When he finally put power to the pedals at 07:00:32 he set out with a demonic fire. A 00:19:23 pace that would in the end become the course single lap record. At this pace in less than five minutes into the first lap he was only one turn behind his nemesis, the man that started thirty seconds ahead of him C Huck Miller.

If you’re keeping track Irey beat Miller by four minutes on a course four times the distance two weeks earlier. So the current pace seems to be right on par for the season and Irey should pass his nemesis by the end of the lap and proceed to polish him off by another thirty seconds by race end. Continue reading Harbin Park, Fairfield, OH, TT Finale!…

BioWheels’ Jeremy Hargroves Won Ocoee’s Black Bear Rampage!

Chattanooga was a real BioWheels weekend if I’ve ever seen one. 1st was the Downtown beerfest on Sat, where you payed 15$ & got to drink all kinds of amazing regional beers w/ music & stuff on the river.

Then the race was Sunday, which was an amzing cross country mtn. biking course, consisting of 43 miles of mostly single track in & around the Ocoee Gorge. Started @ 8:30am on Sunday & all the pros, semipros, & experts were lumped together in the 1st wave of the start. This distance wasn’t quite endurance, but wasn’t really a cross country distance, so I decided to go out medium/fast pace & then really pick it up in the last 10 or so miles & it worked, as I picked up my pace @ the end I caught & past the couple of semipros & pros holding 1st & 2nd & took 1st in 3hr & 30sec.

Oh Yeah, big ups to Kyley for doing her 1st 40+ mile mtn. bike race. Kassi Day had a very strong race, taking 4th in her category

Thanks to BioWheels for letting me race their lovely Cannondale Rush SL.

Here is a photo collection of the event.

Complete results are here. -Jeremy Hargroves

OMBC Caesars Creek-That Guy on the CX Bike

Results: http://www.results.ombc.net/2007-results/OMBC-2007-XC9.htm

Jeffery Jakucyk Photos: http://jjakucyk.exposuremanager.com/g/caesar_creek_state_park_-_bio-wheels_racing_81907

When I first saw that guy on the CX bike (far right in pic-white helmet) I made a snarfy comment. BioWheels teammate Mitch Graham and I passed him going the other way on our warm up roll down Harveysburg Road. I said to Mitch, something to the effect of, “it crossed my mind, but I had better judgment (than to race a cyclocross bike at Caesars).” I think Mitch shared my feelings, but he bit his tongue reserving verbal judgment. He, like I, have been getting crushed by that dude in the jean shorts for years. When it comes to mountain bike racing, don’t believe your eyes. Beware of guys on CX bikes, in jean shorts and old Styrofoam helmets with purple lycra covers.

It was a nice CX bike. It looked like naked scandium with nice disc brakes and some fatty 2.1 tires mounted on sweet wheels. I actually shared a word with him before the start and inquired about his gi-normous tires. He was wearing a Fulcrum Coaching team jersey, but I still didn’t recognize him. At the time, I was high tailing it back to the Bio Wheels tent to fix my chain which I twisted in my abbreviated warm up. Worried about my chain, I guess I never looked up to put a face with the bike. It wasn’t Dan Tille. We rolled together along with Bandwidth’s Brian Nieport, who was racing his second ever expert mountain bike race. It’s still a novelty to see Brian on a mountain bike.

I performed link replacement surgery on my chain with two minutes to spare before the roll-out. I lost track of that guy on the CX bike. According to Bio Wheels teammate, Chad Irey, that guy on the CX bike got into the single track within the top 5 experts and proceeded to yard-sale-it on the first awkward up-and-down-turn-around. When he ate it, I hear it turned into a chaotic hike-a-bike which split the first few riders off the front of the expert field. Luckily Chad was in front of the mayhem and made the split. Unfortunately that guy on the CX bike got dispatched to the rear. Continue reading OMBC Caesars Creek-That Guy on the CX Bike…

Perfect Trails at Night Train 12 Hour Race

A great deal of energy went into resurrecting the NightTrain. BioWheels is proud to be associated with Rusty Sprocket Productions. Darrin T. & his crew did an excellent job. There is no doubt this race will grow next year.

Mother Nature blessed us with dry, but not dusty, trails. The humidity was high, as was the temperature.
With about 80 racers in all, BioWheels-Deltec had 12 competitors.

Thanks to French Broad Brewing Company for the kegs of Gateway Kolsch. Damn fine beer.

Complete results are here.

We’ll add more to this entry soon. -mj

Follow this thumbnail of Ian on a Maverick to BradO’s slideshow.

Follow this team shot to BioWheels’ slideshow.

Follow this shot of Bruce & Matt to Kassi’s slideshow.

Laurie’s ORAMM

ORAMM 2007

These are not trails unfamiliar to me, in fact I rode 83% of the ride only 2 weeks prior. So why…why…why was I soooo nervous??? I laid awake for most of the night; when I actually did slip into REM my dreams took every wrong turn on the ORAMM route…why was my head in such turmoil over this??? Breakfast was just not going to happen either…I managed to get some breakfast drink down and compensated my lack of appetite with a gu and started on my Perpetuem drink early. Chris & I arrived in plenty of time to get situated…chat amongst The Misfits…visit the port-a-john waaaaay too many times (at least waiting in line gave me something productive to do) Finally, time to line up with the rest of the crowd and embark on what is known as the hardest ride in WNC….

GO!!!! I manage to stay with the Misfits, drafting…chatting…calming nerves that had
inexplicitly taken over. We turned up our first gravel road where I latched onto Mr. Stone’s rear wheel…not sure if he was so happy about this…he kept looking to see if I was still hanging on! And, yep! I was gonna hang on for as long……ARRRG!!!!!!! MY GLASSES!!! *%$#@#$% NOT AGAIN….I dropped my lenses! See ya boys… (I must get duct tape and secure those things to my head before the next big ride!)

Continue reading Laurie’s ORAMM…