Go Break a Leg...no Really...DON'T!!!!!

Greetings from the BCC carnage hospital. I couldn't let all the East Coast cool kidz BCC'ers have all the fun. 7 weeks ago right now at this very moment in time, I thought it would be a great idea to head out for a quick after work ride (remember sunshine after 5pm?!?!)on the way home to Denver from Super Bike Land (Boulder, CO). I figured a quick 1.5 hour mountain bike singletrack tempo riding around Flat Iron Vista would provide some nice preparation for upcoming cyclocross endeavors.

Well, it was going great until about 45 minutes in....when I escaped a slow, twisty rocky section of trail for a wide open descending, flow inducing meadow section. Powering, accelerating my 29er Specialized Epic up to full speed.....I look long down the trail, ensuring a clear path.....then POW!!!! and Oh dear.......under full power a perfect storm of devastation erupted. As I was looking down the trail, my right toe clipped a rock........the following chain of events was odd. The power, mixed with the violence of the impact jammed my heel into the crank.....binding my foot and forcing my forefoot to rotate 90+ degrees laterally (in case you are wondering....this isn't normal) and my tibia (big bone in lower leg) and fibula (small bone in lower leg) both snapped. Amazingly, due to the high speed I was going (Garmin indicated a bit over 20mph on the singletrack) and the physics of everything.....I didn't crash. My momentum kept me going and I eventually coasted to a stop......and wilted off my bike. Laying flat on my back on the singletrack looking at the sky......I pushed my trusty steed to the side and knew what I was about to see. I tilted my head up......and yep.....my right foot was facing the wrong way. AHHHHHH!! A moment of panic.....a yell for help......a grab for the cell phone.

911......"hello.......I've just broken my leg badly mountain biking and I'm alone on the trail"

Interlude of facts:
Its October 14th, 2011
This is a my celebratory 35th birthday ride (birthday was a few days earlier)
Its 5pm and warm
I'm alone
I'm near town on a moderately tame trail system
I've ridden this system a lot
My cell call to 911 is dropped (thanks AT&T)
It's going to be getting dark soon
The sun is dropping below the Flat Irons
The temperature is dropping
I can't move.

This is where things get fuzzy. I panicked a bit, because I was alone......but my second call to 911 went through and the respond with "we are on the way". I respond....."hey.....i'm out in the woods.....3+ miles from the trailhead." They claim to know how to get to me. I unloaded in furious fashion as many details of my location on the first call.....in case I passed out or went into shock.

About this time, two high school mountain bike racer kids came on site. They were great. These kids stayed cool and just talked with me. I asked them if they would stay until someone else showed up.....and show up they did. Over the next 45 minutes or so, about 15+ mountain bikers stopped to help and check on things. I was in no shape to move and going into shock....shaking and chilled. It had been a hot day, but in Colorado in October....once the sun goes down......the temps can drop quickly!! We have zero humidity usually. A wonder lady named Cathy stopped and helped hold my foot in place. I was shaking and causing my leg to flop a bit....which was driving pain. She held it in place and just talked to me. I passed my iPhone to the high school kids and said...."hey....snap some photos!"

In the distance I could hear sirens. It felt like an eternity, but help was on the way. I had called my wife April and left her a message......the Boulder Sheriff's office called her too. Freaked out....once again my new friend Cathy talked to April on the phone from the trail. Basically what I am saying is that while we are all quick to say how horrible things are in the world today with society and all.......there is still greatness and kindness in so many. The help and attention I received on the trail that day was amazing.

After about 45 minutes of laying in the trail......the search-rescue team arrived with paramedics, a ranger, a sheriff and assorted other folks. All in all I'd say my phone call, deployed at least 15 experts to come to my aid. I felt guilty and constantly was apologizing and thanking all of them over and over again. They splinted my leg, IV'd me, wrapped me in blankets and loaded me in a gurney with mountain bike wheels and hand brakes. They used 4 people at a time to roll my 4x4 stretcher up the trail to a nearby access point. While I was far from any and all trailheads, I was close to a fire access road that flanked the rear of the open space park. Loaded in the ambulance, I watched through the rear window as the park ranger handed my Epic 29er off to my friend Jay, who Angel Cathy had also called for me from the trail.

I arrived at the hospital around 6:30 pm (only 1.5 hours after my incident). Normal hospital ER stuff followed......with the exception of the horrendous swelling in my leg. I was a ripe candidate for compartment syndrome, which is scary!! If the swelling did not stop....they were going to have to filet my leg open to release the pressure. Ugh. Oh and I need surgery. But not until the swelling stopped and went down..........so upstairs to sleep in the hospital for the night (somewhere in there around midnight......my poor wife went to find us food......Taco Bell). The Next day (Saturday) I was sent home to rest for a WEEK with a broken leg to allow the swelling to go down. My surgery would follow the next Friday October 21st.

Surgery was successful, but actually a bit painful. I was knocked out of course, but the surgery ended up being nearly 3 hours, instead of the 1.5 hours they told me. Off to recovery and another night in the hospital. Yay. That was a long night. My body rejected almost all of the narcotics they gave me.....well I should say it didn't respond to any of them......morphine, percocet, dilaudid, or vicodin.....but oxycontin worked!

More Facts:
I've never broken any bones before (just 2 fractured fingers)
I've never had surgery before
I've never spent the night in the hospital (now I've spent 2!!)

I left the hospital with some new hardware....a titanium tibial rod INSIDE my tibia and 6 titanium screws.

And if anyone is wonder.....that is $9500 worth of titanium in my leg.....so your custom built titanium Dura Ace road bike with carbon wheels is a GREAT DEAL!!!! Enjoy it.

Now in closing the next chapter. Six weeks post surgery....and still on crutches. Doctor told me today I have 6 more weeks of crutches at least. I can start standing lightly on my right leg as of today. I've been back on the bike for a few weeks now (stationary trainer, flat pedals and no resistance). The doctor has also given me the green light to add resistance now. Total recovery for my bones is 3-4 months.

It was a freak incident....not even an accident. Everything is different now.....everything.....well except for I registered for a 100 mile mountain bike race today! 2012 Bailey Hundo in Bailey Colorado....June 16th, 2012. I'll be there riding hard one way or another. Doctor said it was a great idea.....and I think he wants to race it too!! Now I just have to beat him.....gotta love Colorado.

High Tide

If it were not for the FGBC blog, I would not have realized that some race in France was about to get underway (btw, their TdF pool is awesome and you'd feel really silly for not participating). Between the hurly burly of the last few months, my own distraction, and my team's poor performance at the Ardennes classics which meant I felt short of the my goal of reaching the FGBC podium, I just kinda forgot about PRO road racing. Sorta paid attention to the Giro, missed (well, not really) California. Who won there?

More importantly, I know from my visit to the soon-to-rival-Portland's-hipness Durham last weekend, the BCC boys are riding big miles (to be clear, not Pirate). For my own part, a recent move means I'm close enough to kick-ass rocky, technical mountain biking that I have hung up my road bike for the summer. I'm glad to have these blisters and callouses; they are signs of summer's high tide.

Bombshell!!!!!!

Ali going going full tilt on big wheel technology! Many of you might remember a few season ago when Ali "watered" the 26" wheels of his Seven Sola and grew them to 650B. Well, he has now taken the plunge and just ordered a brand spanking new Salsa El Mariachi. Titanium of course....could Dr. Ali "Double Seven" go with any other frame material....nope. His new baby is slated for delivery June 2011. I hear (of course) that he has a full slate of parts swapping waiting for his new steed.

We will be looking for big things this season from Ali......since according to Salsa's website the "intended use" of the El Mariachi Ti 29er include the following: 100 Milers, XC racing, 24 hour racing and bike packing!!! Wow! Go Ali!

BBEEFF 2011 now Benefiting Trips for Kids!!!

***UPDATE***The Breck Epic is an "epic" 6 day mountain bike stage race in Breckenridge, Colorado. The race starts August 14th and concludes August 19th. Stage Racing?? Think Tour de France....but on mountain bikes.

Why am I doing this? Because of the challenge....because of the adventure....because of the fellowship with the mountain biking community. I'm just a regular mountain biker that can't quite afford the entry fee for this on my own......and a few friends suggested I do this!! So here we are. The entry fee is $990 (which is my goal).....and it has been decided to also try to raise more money than the entry fee and donate that to Trips For Kids (a nonprofit that introduces at risk children to the outdoors through the wonderful world of mountain biking.

If you know me....you know that mountain biking has been my life for over 20 years now. 1988 I ventured out on the trails of Monte Sano Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama on my brand new green Murry ATB MTB something or other. Thanks Mom and Dad.......best Christmas present ever. See what you started...

Anyways.....If you'd like to help and like to see me achieve one of the most grueling things ever......I'd appreciate any and all donations!!

Mr. Davey Boy Norris is also planning on joining me in this endevour....so hopefully together with the support of Wheat Ridge Cyclery we can raise lots of money for Trips for Kids!!!

If you wish to donate you may do so by clicking here.

And remember.....Donate early and Donate Often!!

Thanks!
Holla-wood

Breck Epic 2011.....

Registration is open. $750 early bird discount if you register before October 4th. Which is 4 days before my birthday....so who is buying me an entry for my birthday?



Come on we can't let Team Dicky have all the fun!

Who else wants in? Also on a unrelated but related not......I'm hearing rumblings of a few of my Colorado Contention heading down to 24 hours of Old Pueblo in AZ. Pirate can fill in details about the race, since he did it a few years back. Mid winter/post cyclocross desert fest of mountain biking? Anyone?

Crested Butte the Movie Part 2: Reno, Flag, Bear, Deadman's A.K.A. Loch Ness A.K.A. Nessie

Reno/Flag/Bear/Deadman's Gulch Mountain Bike Ride Preview from Juicy Fruita on Vimeo.

Hollywood Does Crested Butte

Doctor Park - Crested Butte, CO from Juicy Fruita on Vimeo.

Crested Butte the Movie Part 1 - Doctor Park

Doctor Park - Crested Butte, CO from Juicy Fruita on Vimeo.

I'm wearing the camera and Derrick is in front.

Thanks to Derrick at www.juicyfruita.com for posting the video.

Things my bike says to me:

As most of my rides are now solo, I spend a lot of time talking to my bike.  Sometimes it's as simple as 'go faster' or 'why are you doing this to me?' but other times we reflect on the state of the economy, spitball ideas for capping the Deepwater Horizon well, generally whine about work, or sketch out plans for a concept album set in seventeenth-century New England.  You know, the usual.

Sometimes she'll (or 'he'll,' depending on what bike I'm on) talk back, but it's rarely more than a subtle 'speed up,' 'sit and spin b*tches,' or 'easy on the powergel there big guy.'  This Sunday, however, my mountain bike had something a little louder, and a little more critical to say:

What's that?  Don't hear it yet?

Oh yeah, that's my titanium-railed saddle telling me to 'lose some effin' weight ya fatass!'  

This would in fact be the third or fourth saddle whose rails I've bent, though luckily those have been stretched over a few years.  Never before have I twisted them quite as nicely as I did these, nor have I ever felt both rails go out at once, which is best described as a nice little dropping sensation, followed by some audible groans of protest.

Consider message received.  Now I'm going to get a cookie.

Growl Growlin Growler in Gunnison

Ok....well I survived. It wasn't pretty at times, but how well can an endurance mountain bike race go for someone who has not raced in two seasons, never in Colorado, never against a Colorado filled field of some of the best mountain bikers around, not for some lazy bike shop employee (me) who hasn't logged a mountain bike ride this year that is even half the race distance......excuses. I'm good at them. But, it always takes something like this to get my ass in gear and get going. A front tire wash out and a faceplant to face to usher in my late start to the season. Luckily the only "real" crashing I did Sunday was in the form of caloric crashing......I did take two minor spills, but both were slow and only left me with a small raspberry to the left hip. Check out the beginning of the race below. Video of the rollout of town to the trails from www.singletrack.com. It gets more action packed as the video rolls.



Also I finally made it to the Interwebs in press!! Check this. Half of me made it into the photo. The far right hand side of the photo. Look for the BCC colors!

Inspired by Korps' Garmin post from the other day.....I give you the Growler Data. Second half.....not so pretty. See excuses below. Off to train more.



Finally some things I learned this weekend:
1) Train
2) Don't Bonk
3) Bacon is great around mile 50
4) Don't get food poisoning the day before an endurance race
5) Colorado mtn bikers are crazy strong
6) I hate single speed 29er mountain bikers.....or secretly I wish I was one.
7) 75% of the racers were on 29ers
8) I think I won the 140mm Travel full Squish 26" category
9) racing in the desert is odd. 38 degrees at the start and 80+ at the finish
10) Bacon really tastes good aroud mile 50....ummmmm

and last but not least....the Baily Hundo is 2.5 weeks away!!! AHHHHHHH!!!

The Baily Hundo is a 100 Mile Mountain Bike race organized by 4 Colorado State Senators and benefits Trips for Kids and the Colorado High School Mountain Bike Association. My entry is a donation that goes to these two awesome programs for kids and mountain bikes. If anyone would like to donate and add to my entry donation, please let me know or donate directly through the linked Baily Hundo Site. Thanks!!

Juicy Fruita...

I answered the phone yesteday at work and to my surprise it was a fellow North Kackalacky transplant, Derrick from Chapel Hill lore. Derrick and I met back at Franklin Street Cycles way back around 1999. Oh the good old days. Derrick caught the bug that I caught for Colorado and moved to Fruita with his family a few months back. A bold move.....but one that I am starting to hear more and more these days. You see Derrick didn't just up and move to Fruita, he made a major life change that was fueled by this need for uninhibited and unlimited access to mountain bike bliss. Much like numerous other BCC'ers.....Derrick completed his PhD and was working on a couple of post docs in the world of academia (Go Tar Heels!!).....but as his blog explains:

"After that trip, I went back to my postdoc job in neurobiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then did another in genetics, only to realize that my love for science wasn't enough to overcome how miserable the indoor activities of science made me feel."

Anyways, fast forward to now and Derrick has begun an ambitious plan of starting a new company called Juicy Fruita. His goal is to first provide "beta" to incoming mountain bikers who are not familiar with local trails, giving them the essential knowledge that will ensure killer rides and keep them out of hypothermia's grips. Colorado is a different beast than hitting up the loops at Crabtree or Chapel Hill North. If you don't come prepared, if you don't respect the weather........you might not make it home in one piece. In other words Juicy Fruita will provide you with the knowledge and guidance you need. Currently, Fruita and Grand Junction have been "beta-ized" and Crested Butte is soon to follow. Below are some sample taken from the website.



Juicy Fruita is also working towards offering turnkey trips for anyone wanting to visit the sweetest Colorado singletrack hotbeds. Clients will be able to book a trip that includes everything from rental car, bikes, food, guidance, lodging.....etc.

So there is still hope for all the BCC academia types out there.......ummm....SmAli, Professor, Pirate, Senor Curveship......

Lottery!

Well I've entered.....hopefully they will pick my entry out of the 2010 lottery pool of a bazzillion Lance fans.

Who else is in? $15 to enter lottery. Click here to read and enter.

Downhill!

Dark Humor

Has the Leadville 100 Jumped the Shark....

Hopefully not, because I was kinda sorta planning on doing it next summer.....and I don't wanna be "that" guy that is always late to the party. Anyways, based on the upcoming movie about Lance and Leadville.....I suspect everyone's grandma will be vying for entry next year. Ugh. How did endurance mountain bike racing become so popular? Regardless, the scenery looks spectacular and thin air gives you less air resistance....right? Who's in? Lottery for entry usually opens in January.

Portrait of a Cyclist as a Young Man

A few of us have seen this before, a photo appears in our in-box sans description or context. We know nothing of the rider, or the ride. We have a bike in its naked, unadorned beauty and strength. I like those photos because I think bikes of all types are neat and I definitely geek out on them (a bit).

But if those photos told 1000 word stories, the photo I received from Hollywood this morning is Homeric-quality epic. What can we make of this photo?
What do and don't we see here? These are questions that art historians have made their careers on. And dare I say it, when I saw this photo, I couldn't but think that this photo conjures up a set of questions to rival the mysteries that surround perhaps the world's most complexly rendered and masterful portraits, Diego Valesquez's Las Meninas:

I'll let you study up on how Valasquez's portrait confuses the relationship between the viewer and the figures- after all, we need to leave something for art historians to do. But what of this photo. Sure, I see 2010 Gary Fisher Superfly too. But who could it belong to? What rider is simultaneously so rad as to be require a carbon dual supension 29er and so fredtastic to palp wheel reflectors. Gosh, there might be a pie-plate on that bike, to go along with its top-of-the-line SRAM XX kit.

And what of the shadowy figures who appear in the photos. They are literally shadows on the wall. Who do they belong to? One must belong to Hollywood. But which? Does Hollywood have an Entourage? Who's taking the photo? Where did they think it would be posted? Who's it for? And how come Hollywood hasn't told us about his new Ducati?

Kaboom

This past weekend Canadian Geoff Kabush won the UCI Mountain Bike XC race in Mt. Saint Anne, Quebec, against a full field stacked with Olympic champ Julien Absolan, World Champ Christophe Sauser, and the other fast European riders that have dominated the series for the last decade. During that period several North American riders have been touted as the one who might break a winning-drought that reaches back to Ned Overend and John Tomac. Several have come close, but until now, until Kabush's ride this weekend, the "W" has eluded North American riders (Note: I love how the US cycling publications have shifted to the more "inclusive" coverage of North American riders as its become clear that the chances for success ran higher north of the 49th parallel. I guess I'm in that group, too. I also recognize I might be among the few who actually still follow this series with any regularity). It's not entirely clear how to explain this new success. Maybe there are fewer dopers now than in the past. Maybe North Americans are training harder and seeing the results. Whatever it is, it's a new day.

Bringing it Back to Dirt

Ok, so the Tour de France is in full swing, but let's not forget our dirt loving bikes. The videos below contain highlights from last weekend's National Mountain Biking Championships at Sol Vista....just up the road from me in Granby, Colorado. Shaun Palmer even makes an appearance. Think of it as a little pep talk/encouragement for all of you BCC'ers racing at Crabtree's Huck-A-Buck this weekend.

Pro DH Jumps & MTX Practice - 2009 U.S. National Champs from Litter Mag on Vimeo.

Pro Downhill Slowmo - 2009 U.S. National Championships from Litter Mag on Vimeo.

I hope you all make those fresh new kits shine!!

Dark Mountain Day Trip

The night before the trip saw many emails and a few conference calls where we tried to take measure of reports of potentially water damaged trails, the possibility of an afternoon shower, and temperatures that were forecast to approach triple digits.
But our resolve could not be shaken and yesterday five us made the trip to the Dark Mountain trail system outside Wilkesboro. In short, these trails live up their reputation. They're incredibly well made, with bench cuts and high berms to keep things fast and flow-y, and they sit along the Kerr Resevoir. The boys were moving, with the usual suspects JD and Ben at the sharp end, keeping us in line. Or they tried to. I, or should I say my body, was uncooperative. I seemingly couldn't get started in the heat, which sucked for everyone.

The day, however, would not be without its suprises. The "Bloody Creek" campground on the two and half mile road section linking Dark Mtn with Warrior Creek was, in retrospect, an ominous portent of Ben's one-off accident. It came as our group separated at a road transition requiring us to hunt for the continuation of trail. Ben and JD had preceded us up the road and as we called to direct them back to the hidden trail blaze, something startled Ben and in a flash we saw him go over the bars. At 6'5" Ben has a long way to fall, much longer than the rest of us. Ben's elbow caught most of it, luckily sparing any damage to his head, helmet, or bike. But that elbow didn't look so good. Our initial fears of a broken bone were off the mark, but the tallest member of our bunch lost a good bit of flesh and for a few minutes, blood, as the result of a deep, deep gouge. We lept into action, with the Professor getting a lift back to his car from another rider, and OG and JD tending to Ben with a first aid kit. By the time the Professor arrived, Ben was better. The bleeding had stopped and a broken bone seemed unlikely but a trip to the local hospital for stitches was required.

The Professor deserves special recognition for accompanying Ben to the emergency room. We've long admired his physical strength and good nature on the bike, but it's nothing compared with his generous spirit, patience, and good will off it. Ben, we're thinking of you and look forward to seeing you on the trails soon. Rest and be well.

More Bounce to the Ounce

[formerly: 'Bouncin' on a Big Bike']

My rides have been few and far between this year, but last Saturday I got to head up the the SMBA trails in Saratoga Springs for their annual 'Mix-Up the Dirt' (aka 'MUD') festival, where beers, burgers, and bikes were in abundance.  It was really a great event, with well over a hundred people there, two or three different shops, representatives from the Luna Chix team, a couple of guys from the White Face downhill park, Sigma Systems accessories, plus the Trek/Gary Fisher demo truck.  I'm not sure how much schwag the different groups handed out, but there was a ton, including tires, pumps, lights, and even a complete bike.  Not bad at all.

The SMBA trails are tight, rocky, technical masterworks of trailbuilding, and the lingering moisture from the rain the night before had everything covered with a thin slime.  I don't know where beginners -- and even intermediates -- go to ride around the area, but they don't go here: SMBA serves up the beatdowns for anyone not on their game.

Before I hit the trail I wandered over to the Trek tent and pick me up a big helping of bounce: a full-XTR Trek Remedy with 6 inches of travel front and rear.  Even with this generous helping of rubble-eating goodness the bike with still under 30 pounds, and while that didn't make it Hollywood-approved, it still weighed a reasonable amount.

This is a lot of bike.  I haven't ridden with gears in quite some time, and I've never owned a full-suspension bike, so this thing took some getting used to, and I'm not sure that I ever got it.  Don't get me wrong, this is a great bike for someone, I'm just not sure that I'm that person.  I felt more like I was guiding a couch through the woods than mountain biking, and there was nothing about the thing that you could call 'flickable,' but it would be great fun on a wide-open, fast trail with lots of drops and rubble. On the tight, slow trails of SMBA it didn't exactly shine, for while it liked to eat up the rocks, it wasn't nearly as nimble as I would have liked.  SMBA has a lot of little-ring plodding through rock fields and quick changes of direction, and the Remedy would much rather have been eating up the high speed descents in Fruita than guiding me deeper into the forests of the Northeast.

That said, gears are nice.  Suspension is nice.  After returning the Remedy I got to spend some time on a Gary Fisher HiFi Pro 29er, a XC full-suspension rig.  Me likey.  Me likey a lot.  I don't know when my finances will allow me to have that kind of ride in my stable, but it was sure nice to be able to down shift when climbs got steep, or sit down through moderate rock gardens rather than stand and pump through.  

Feeding the desire for a new ride was the bike weighing contest hosted by EMS.  The idea was to guess the weight of your bike, and

 while I was pretty close on the ol' Ferrous, I was disappointed to find out that she tips the scale at well over 27 pounds: 27 pounds and 9 ounces, to be exact.  That was only an ounce less than a friend's new Stumpy, and even more than this kid's rad Astana-approved trike.  (Kidz these days, what with their trikes and their casts, I tells ya...)

The Stumpy seems like an ideal platform for the area, by the way, as it manages to balance significant travel (5 inches front and rear) with light weight and trail bike geometry.  (Well, it least the freewheelin' Gary didn't have any trouble flogging it around the trail.)

All-n-all not a bad day, truth be told.  I determined that a) bikes are fun, b) I like to mountain bike, c) I am out of shape, d) my bike is heavy, e) hot dogs taste good, even when burnt, f) trees hurt when you hit them, no matter how much suspension you have, g) rocks are hard, h) I need to stop making lists.  As I cruised back to Albany the skies opened up and the rest of the weekend was spent dodging rain, but this allowed me to lick my wounds and cruise the internet for the light parts that I now 'need.'

Finally, a take-away shot from the trails to give you an idea of what they're like.  Bob was happy to be rolling around on a long-travel Ellsworth.  The pic, isn't great, as I caught him just after he landed the drop, but hopefully it'll give you some flava.