Mt. Lemmon

Today I decided to take the challenge of going up the longest climb around; Mt. Lemmon. Lemmon is one of the more legendary climbs in the states, and has apparently been ranked 395^th globally (stats here). Once upon a time Lance Armstrong-you may have heard of him in the news lately as the celebrity who confessed it all -

 

  lived in a cabin at the top and spent his winter training there. As the first link says, the mountain climb itself is about 52km long, and the vertical gain is around 2km. It was a cloudy day here, but I didn`t realize what consequences that means for the top of the climb...

The climb was a long steady one, and the terrain was beyond what I even thought it could be. I started out in the desert, with a temperature of 23C, and as I climbed higher I passed through a pine forest, then back to a snowy scrubland. The whole way up rock formations were amazing, and watching the road swirl down the mountain behind me made me pretty excited to go downhill. I had never been on a mountain large enough    that I needed to put layers on while climbing! The climb got more and more interesting as I slowly ascended into the clouds from the desert below. I knew that I was getting pretty high in altitude when my glasses started fogging up for no reason, and snow became apparent along the sides of the road. Probably the most exciting part of the ascent was my discovery of where the saying “leaping lizards” came from. This is how it happened:

I was minding my own business thinking about how far it is till I hit the clouds when BAM! A lizard just jumped off a rock beside the road. Dumbfounded, i just said...leaping lizards? Because what else can you say?

Summerhaven at the top, because that's the only place of acceptable temperatures here in the summer!

notice the amazing wind erosion structure, and the rock climbing ties in

Looking back...

It was cold at the top of the mountain in the clouds

22 miles of downhill, the real test isn't the climb, it's the freezing descent!

Arizona update

Well the trip was long, and so have been the rides since I got here in the Desert. Life in Tucson is simple; we wake up, eat, play The Settlers of Catan, ride, eat, and play again. Every day. There are 6 of us total in a 3 bedroom 1 floor house; me and a bunch of pro road guys. Living with the guys has taught me several things about riding, training, and focus. Tucson is awesome, it’s a city right in between several mountain ranges, and surround in cactuses. Temperature here is pretty crazy – it’s arid so you don’t realize that you’re sweating, and the temperature fluctuates more than 20C between day and night. Riding temperatures are always beautiful, but the wind plays tricks on me and my jersey tan is getting bad. I’ve spent over 30 hours on the bike since last Tuesday (check out my new gadget on the right to see where I’ve been. I have seen a lot of interesting things here – cactuses, lizards, road runners, cactuses, eagles, quails, and of course Brandon Spencer.

Here are a few of my favourite pictures so far.

Snowstorm in New Mexico

Flying Dinosaurs in the State of Arizona

Made it!

Burrito place not 100m from the house, living pretty close to Mexico

Cactuses and mountains

Anton, always classy.

Brandon(white helmet) causing problems

Off days at the coffee shop

Real live picture of a road runner, I swear.

Dusting off the blog and my car!

Since I last blogged, I've finished my degree in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, I've acquired a vehicle, and Christmas has happened. Now that I've graduated, it's time for adventure! And what's adventure without a bike, and a far off destination? I've been lucky enough to procure an invite to a place in Arizona for a few months, so I'm loading up the car and heading out with some guys down south! I have two travel buddies - 

Anton the Manton...

Who loves the beach, 

Enjoys fine champagne,

Pizza Parties

Roll playing,

Helmets,

And, of course, winning. all of the time.

The second guy in the car is a bit of a mystery at the moment, his name is Yuri, but I'm sure he's going to be a good time. More to come of the trip soon!

Final Ucup

This past weekend marked the final University Cup mountain bike race; a fun and sad event all in one. I love the University Cup series, it's put on by some really awesome volunteers who do this just for love of the sport and to get new people into cycling, and this year more than ever, it was the friendliest place to be on a bike. People from other teams would yell and cheer for you
"You're an animal Chris, GO!"
Help was never far away, like the start line crash at Boler mountain that left somebody with a flat front tire - I proceeded to fix his tire, then we realized that it had a tear right in the tire (irreparable) so I lent him my own super light race wheel, because that's what it's about. It's about the ride. I know that all of the teams have shared good times through camping this year, and cheering for each other, and that we've all made new friends. I'm just afraid that this may be my final year racing them, because I'm set to graduate in December. Oh well, I guess this is even more motivation to be accepted to a Graduate studies program!

Queen's and Guelph together! Big props to Jon Slaughter, my buddy who broke his neck that I had previously mentioned, for coming out and supporting the racers!

The race day itself could have only been described as miserable as we drove to the course, a grey October day with rain POURING down. I was not overly fond of the idea of riding in the trails in this mud, you could slide off the trail pretty easily, and the venue (Ganaraska Forest) is infamous for its poison ivy. But when we got to the parking lot things were better. The Queen's team was all setting up their bikes, smiling and having a good time, people were milling about between the parking lot and registration tent, and the fantastic men who host these races were smiling ear to ear, just happy that anyone had showed up.

These guys are the kings of University Cup racing. Thanks so much!! (Photo stolen from Jim Cassell)

Kissing for the lovely camera lady Joan Dundas!

By the time the race started, the rain was almost non existent, which left us with some pretty tough trails to ride, but otherwise it was a good day to be on a bike! Throughout the race my bike (read below, I had a whole new ride this weekend!) held out fantastically, and my tire choice was flawless. Using the Bontrager 29-2 Team Issue in the rear kept my tire tracking through the soupy muck. This tire has been my go to driving tire since late August when we finally started to see rainy courses, and it never fails to keep me driving forward! The tractor tire lug pattern clears mud quickly while biting into the ground and tracking well over roots. These are 2.1 inch tires but have a great depth to them and a very rounded profile; the two aspects that I personally consider most important when choosing tires. The only time that I found a flaw with these tires was at very high speeds downhill on curves (where I was leaning the bike probably too far anyway) the rear tire would chatter out a bit. Running the rear tire with rotation as it would be if it were the front tire makes the whole bike track better anyway, and the only tire that I can think of that will track well leaning that hard is the 29-1 team issue.

The end of season celebrations were great, and totally bittersweet. It was fun to be with everyone for one last time before the next race season, but I realized that it may be my last University Cup season, and that I would definitely not be racing for Guelph anymore. The awards were great and congrats to all of the winners!

Ladies, Kelsey is single and grabbing my girlfriend's bum, send me a message if you want that lovely man's number!

This weekend I had the privilege to rip on a new bike: the Superfly 100 AL Elite. I had always been curious of how the full-suspension version of my own race dream bike, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. The Superfly 100 ran a very similar wheelbase to my own Superfly Elite, so I was still tracking on the trail with the same "footprint". The rear suspension let me ride completely differently than I had before, keeping seated through rough terrain and letting me put power out where I would otherwise have had to coast before. My first ride on this sweet machine was at the Harold Town property near Peterborough, ON. This is a conservation area recently designated for mountain biking and since its designation the trails have exploded as local mountain bikers come to the cause and help build a trail rider's dream. These trails are situated on a drumlin which means it's basically a streamlined bump in the landscape with big steep hills on 3 sides and a more gradual climb on the leeside. This kind of terrain is perfect for mountain biking as drumlins are sandy and rocky deposits left behind by glaciers, so they drain well and don't get too muddy, they have plenty of rocks to incorporate into trails, and you can build technical downhills and uphills all over the place. Needless to say, the bike tracked beautifully over rocks, through obstacles, and kept speed on all sections. I was riding stuff that most people couldn't get through at all, and on my first try!

Radical sports weekend!

This weekend marked the third university cup race, and the first university rock climbing competition of the year! Rock climbing competitions are totally different than mountain bike racing, though the same kinds of people seem to go, and it’s a very similar friendly atmosphere.  Climbing competitions are done while “bouldering” which is basically climbing to no higher than 20 feet up certain “problems”; routes with specially designated holds that make it hard to reach the top. The routes are then ranked and climbers are awarded points based on difficulty. The whole “University Bouldering Series”   is orchestrated and organized by one of my best friends Mr. David Albert-Lebrun (pronounced Daveed Suzuki), and it was a great opportunity to see him since he has moved to the east coast for school. I have climbed 4 times in the last 6 months.

I woke up Saturday morning and had a great idea; to meet somebody at the bouldering series and hitch a ride to Peterborough with some Trent students to go see my mom. This would be a big weekend, travelling from Guelph to Waterloo, then Peterborough to north of Barrie, from Barrie to Muskoka, then back to Guelph again. I packed for all possibilities on Saturday morning and it paid off!

The climbing gym was set up in a pretty cool way; a massive “bouldering” feature in the middle on which they set 50 routes. Most routes were fairly inverted, forcing the climbers to use more strength and skill because they had gravity working against them as much as possible.  Climbing competitions are in such a different setting than mountain bike races, which allows for constant cheering and feedback amongst competitors and spectators, even the newest climber is encouraged by his peers and competitors. I highly suggest that any climber tries one out!

Check out those tan lines on the thighs, clearly the cyclist in the crowd!

Sunday marked the second last University Cup Race that I would ever race for Guelph, and, sadly my last race on my Trek Superfly Elite. I had to wake up early Sunday morning (after staying up late celebrating my Aunt’s birthday) and was a bit groggy but on my way to rendezvous with my buddies from Guelph, and all of the competitors (who are turning out to be my buddies too) from the other universities. I had it in my head that this is my day. I know that I’m capable of standing on top of the podium, so it’s time to grab it, race my last race on my bike fast, and push the limit to my max. The race started out according to plan, though I did not have a pre ride lap or a warm up, but these are minor details when you know that you’re going to be on the podium anyway, right?

Great action shot here, thanks to Kyle Schaltz for the photo!

Unfortunately, though it took a lap, the rock climbing competition caught up to me. By the start of my second lap I realized that my hands could scarcely grip the bars, and by the third lap I was having trouble just holding myself properly on my bike (upper body was in rough shape). I held myself in the race, because my integrity matters much more than any race result, and I will be hitting the trail hard for the final Ucup, thanks to my buddy and fellow teammate Scott lending me a bike!

Stay tuned for a helmet camera video of the race!

All day, all weekend

The mountain bike season may have wound down for most riders by now, but I've been keeping on the race scene in a bigger way than ever before! This past weekend must have been one of the best weekends ever, and it all started with an idea suggested to my girlfriend, Tori. I found out that her Dad was doing the 8 hour relay race with the owner of the Trek Stores.

Ladies and gentlemen, possibly the most influential guy in my cycling season this year; Barry!

 The idea with an 8 hour relay is to put together a team of up to 6 riders together, and get as many laps done in 8 hours as possible, with the best time winning. These races are all about community, teamwork, and perseverance. Tori and I registered in the tag team mixed division, and I promised her the top of the podium.

Meeting Tori as she got off the bus with a rose, and a fish that I named Barry

We got to the 8 hour course early Saturday (race 10am-6pm), and set up under our VIP Trek tents right by the lap area.

These tents were my home base, with food, good company, and tools!

I squeaked to the race start just on time to hang out with Ryan, and man do we look good on a start line!

Considering this was an 8 hour event, the race start was ridiculously fast, and because I wanted to get one of the fastest laps of the day and rip the front lines with Ryan, I was off like a rocket too! Laps are 10km, and a pretty fast rider could clear laps in about a half an hour. Unfortunately we took an extra bit of trail, but Ryan and I ended up with the fastest and 6th fastest lap times of the entire day, respectively. I took off for a triple lap right off the start, and always came through the lap zone being yelled at to do push ups (for improper bicycle dismount through the timing zone), or with a new surprise for Tori. These were just small catastrophes like needing tools to fix a bike after falling, or always having some new blood on me, but I was just out to rip on my bike and have fun, which meant jumping a lot more than I regularly would.

Event photographer's photos, some good ones in here!

By the end of the first lap I had put a gap of 7 minutes on second place, and by the end of the first 3 laps I did we had made up more than a half a lap. I sent Tori out on her first lap as a single lap to ease her into the course (which was awesome!), and went out for another triple lap. By this point I realized that Tori and I were comfortable in our positioning, so I would wait for friends and ride laps with them, turning the 8 hour race into the social hour race. After sending Tori out for a triple lap (longest she had ever raced before), I set out to do a quadruple lap, to round off 100km of racing. Tori and I did a combined 15 laps, though our last two counted as one because we went out together for a "Victory Lap". I was able to keep my promise of gold too, and we stood up high on the podium!

Recognize the rose?

Another Trek dominated podium in the "old guys" division!

Because I really hadn't actually pushed my legs hard on any lap except my first, and because Tori is in high contention in the series, we headed to the University Cup for Sunday. Dave set up a superb course for the race (possibly the most fun that I had ever been on for a University Cup), and I was right on my game.

Just reckless!
Thanks to Misko Milicic for taking and posting such great pictures!

Though my legs didn't have quite the edge that I normally have (most rider mountain bikers have never ridden 100km), I was right on top of my game. After spending so much time the day before on my bike, I was incredibly agile, and knew exactly how that bike would respond to any twitch of my muscles. Being this smooth and confident on the bike meant I was flying through the forest, jumping entire sections of trail, and cornering better than I could on feet! Tori somehow managed to pull out another podium, with a silver medal on the day after she had done her longest mountain bike ride ever. It was awesome!

I know I shouldn't be dating a girl from Queen's...
(Misko Milicic photo)

University Cup number three is this Sunday at Hardwood Hills, race starting at 11am, and I will be at a rock climbing competition in Kitchener on Saturday!

Photo: Paddy Mcmanus

Ending one season, starting a whole new one!

Over the past several weeks I've traveled to Quebec to race Canadian National Mountain Bike Marathon Championships, competed in the Ontario provincials, and started a whole new season altogether! Both were solid results for the season, especially considering the work that I had to do through July/August (instead of training). With the close of the more competitive provincial and national race calendars, and the commencement of full time class again, I've set my sights to different goals: the University Cup series.

U-Cups are the most fun, welcoming, and inclusive races imaginable. To be a part of a U-Cup is to belong to a community of like minded people. The first university cup race is a two day excursion to Mansfield Outdoor Center,and has 3 races involved. Typically the Guelph team shows up Saturday morning bright and early, but this year (for the first time since I've been involved) Queen's University decided to join the campout and festivities! Now, I seriously doubted whether or not Queen's was capable of building fires and pitching tents, so Dan and I joined them Friday night. 

Maybe a third of the tents that actually were set up.
Thanks Jim Cassell for always being around with a camera!

Saturday kicked off beautifully, the temperature rose fast, and sun was shining! By mid morning, the other schools were starting to roll into the field where we had camped out, and there was an excited buzz around the site. Everybody was pitching tents, assembling bikes, and enjoying the sun!

Nobody messes with a Velociraptor in a race, and nobody can prove how they were really coloured!
Thanks to Adrian from U of T for documenting our weekend so well!

The mountain bike criterium is always the most fun to watch, then we all got a break. I rode the time trial course and helped out practicing lines, had a quick bite to eat, and then went straight into the time trial. The time trial is always a unique event in that it is individual, so it's almost impossible to really gauge how you are doing! I came through with a solid 8th place in the time trial, and proceeded up the trail with a bunch of guys to cheer and heckle the riders still on the course (some days is my real favorite part of racing U-cups). The evening consisted of swimming, chopping wood, a massive campfire and feast, and some of the best company I could imagine, U cups really are sweet.

Maximum aerodynamics were necessary for the Time trail
Thanks to Jim Cassell (my personal photographer, right Jim?)

Day two of racing is where you can really shine and show your skills in mountain bike racing; a technical 3 lap race. The first third or so of the lap is constant up and down on steep, tight trail leaving no opportunities for passing, and tiring you right out. The trail finally opens to a massive fire road hill, and once you hit the top it's more quick singletrack until one climb about 2/3 of the way through the lap. After this climb, more singletrack with some gnarly downhills and you're home free (or back where you started, heading out for another lap).

Some great ladies out on the bikes, we need more though! Tell your friends!
Photo: Jim Cassell

I sat into the pace of the other guys for the exhausting section of the first lap, then found that miraculously as we ascended the fire road hill, I was able to make many passes, and get into the singletrack at the top in front of the other guys (meaning that I can now ride my own pace, not theirs). Through the singletrack I bridged the gap to James Clarke and Trent Meyers, and settled into a nice train pace with them. By the time we finally hit double track again, James and I got by Trent, and then I edged James out to lead through the next technical bits. Unfortunately I couldn't hold Jame's wheel for more than the rest of that lap, but I had a serious good time racing with Trent.

Trent chasing me down, just around the corner!
Thanks to  Mark Dewan for posting these on Facebook

Throughout the race Trent would get by me, or get dropped by me, and he seemed to become more and more powerful on the vicious fire road climb. Trent complimented me on my ability to keep a steady pace, but my steady pace was not enough, and I finished a solid 6th place.

It was sad to pack up camp for what may end up being my last university cup camping experience, but I can always reflect on some of the fondest memories I have of racing!
To anybody who has even considered the University of Guelph Cycling Club, try your best to say hi and get in touch! Check out our forum at gmtb.proboards.com, and you're invited to a pot luck tonight (Thursday September 20th).
I'll be looking forward to the next adventure this weekend! 8 hour tag team race with Tori, and University Cup number 2 at Boler Mountain, London!