24hr Low Down, Ho Down, Show Down, But Not A Let Down:)

Friday Night:


Troy and I sometime after 10pm

Craig and I arrivied Friday afternoon around 5pm to set up camp. After camp was set my buddy Steve shows up, pitches tent, then we proceed to crack the first beer at the completion of this tedious task being done:) Now we have to go into town and swing by my Aunt & Uncles place for some wood. We get there, my Grandma, my Mother, my Aunt & Uncle, and JB & Boady are in the driveway kicking back some suds, shooting the breeze.....naturaly we join for a beverage. Load up the wood and proceed to head back to camp. Now back and safe to carb load more with out the possiblity of a "DWR", Troy comes by hungery and offers to get us dinner at the lodge....being a Freegan (see Freegan Practices):) we can only oblige him to this wonderful offer of free food:) Thank you again Troy!! Dinner is done now its time to well you know .......carb load some more while letting dinner settle by the fire.

Around a six pack or so we decide its time to go crisen the fire pit with Troy, I suit up, Steve attemps to get ready while Troy is going to hike back in and meet us there. Steve is as slow as Aunt Jamima, I get impatient and start too roll out slowly. Once to the top of the first series of switchbacks I sit and wait. I let out a few howls....5 mins go by and no Steve so I assume he has made the wise decision of not coming so I roll onto the pit. Using the 8 beer night riding test I was trying to create the feeling of riding in the dark with 9 hrs of riding in me. Only problem with this test is my body is used to the beer test and not the 9hr test.....so I don't think the results would even come close to the same. Troy and I roll up to the pit at the same time, only problem is we have no dry goods to start fire...Steve did...we try anyway while drinking our beers we hauled in. We failed as all the once dry leaves and dead grass were saturated by all the fog in the air. Beers are gone time to head back. A couple more beers and then its beddy time, I think I shut down somewhere around midnight....I think:) Ear plugs are a campers best friend:)

Race Day:



Woke up around 7am feeling purdy good, pulled out me plugs and heard a terrible snoring noise coming from Craig...that man can cut some big fucking trees down in his sleep. 30 min later everyone was up and it was time to head into town for some Bfast at Country Kitchen. Unshowered and smelling of sweaty smoke and 3 day old booze we throw down our buffet of 3 plates for the non racers and 2 for the race'ee, then boogie. Hit Wal-Mart up for a few last minute goodies then back to start preping for my first solo event. Teri my lovely 37 weeks into pregnacy wife shows up and we start cutting bars and what not to ediable proportions. Once that is done I go over to the Kerkove pit for some last minute questions and to bs a little bit. This guy is a fucking nut job going for 2 solo 24hr wins in 2 weekends:) Mingle with other racers till about 11:30 then decide I'd better get me kit on and go find some flowers for me rig. But not before Rob Verstegh our local Oakley Rep comes by with some High Life and hands one to me, once again calling upon the Freegan powers that be I oblige in a prerace beer with the man that so generously hooked me up with a pair of these, and these. Thank you again my brutha:)


shortly after finishing High Life

Get my flowers, prerace meeting in 5 min. then its go time.


Got flowers, race meeting. Matt Maxwell furry mate and Sterling Hiese bald mate:)

Take our bikes to the drop zone we'll be running too then walk back for the tubeular blowing start. While walking back past me pit Kerkove and Dennis get too hear the rumble of Craigs snoring sitting up right in a chair....I know how to pick a good pit crew:) The tube blows and we run. I think I was in the top 20 mates to hit the single track.




This course is my favorite one that I've ridden in Iowa it really demands an all around rider with skillz, flow, and power. I pass a few people before the first lap is done, wanting to keep the pace around 50 mins. Second lap goes good,


Ya know ya want some purdy flowers don't ya:)

3rd lap I hit the little rock crossing a little hot with only 20lbs pressure in the 29r tires I get a pinch in the front. I keep riding until it starts to get a little too squirrely and I eat it, ok put some fucking air in it dumbass:) Finish that lap, change tire at the pit area and put 30lbs in, now its going to be a rougher ride but I shouldn't pinch, roll back out. I had been taking about 15 sec. to take what Teri was handing me for nutrition on each lap. I had no problems eating and drinking, felt really good about that, only thing was this solo diet was giving me gas and alot of it:) I was consuming around 200-250 calories per lap, with 3 sport legs at the end of every 3rd lap.

Lap 4 and 5 were all good but it started getting a little dark in the woods with the cloud cover and threat of rain in the air so on lap 6 I switched from the Pro Racing Jackets to the Half Jackets with a clear lens. The Pros are hands down the best pair of glassed I've ridden in. I wear a cycling cap all year long on my rides and only start to fog up after I've stopped for a minute in the hottest Iowa weather, once going again they clear right up. On lap 7 it started to sprinkle a little bit with some sections getting greasy, so on lap 8 I opted for a change of bikes to the FS/SS K2 with me Panaracer mud tires. I won't lie my upper body was thankful for the front suspention. My upper body (shoulders and arms) is all the was hurting at this time in the race, my legs felt good and so did my lower back...I was truely amased at that. During lap 8 it was obvious the front shock was lacking air, so on lap 9 I made a stop at the pit for air. Lap 9 was getting greasier on the course and on the last turn in the woods before popping back out into the front of the course I ate shit on a wet root twisting me handle bars and bending my rear brake lever but not hurting me at all. I get up and laugh a little bit that I have to ride all crooked. Back at the pit I straighten me bars and break lever then decided to take me first extended break a lap early I think it was 7:40pm. Crack open a bud heavey and ask Teri to rub me neck and arms before I get back out. While in the camper Teri was rubbing me and I looked into her eye's and made the decision to end my race. It was at this piont I had realized how selfish I felt, Teri would never have said anything and would have toughed out the whole fucking night to make sure I was getting everything and more that I needed. But in reality it was I that should have been looking after her needs at 37 weeks pregnant, how fucking stupid am I. Teri needs to get as good of a nights sleep as possible and it sure as hell wasn't going to happen here, so we grabbed the pillows and said see you in the morning. I don't know how I would have done had I kept going, I do know I felt good with the exception of the upper body aches, I had passed/lapped 4 of the solo competitors, I was in 4th overall with us 4 starting to break the solo field up and I was still on the lead lap with the big dogs:) This race will be around as long as I hopefully so there will be many, many more times to see what I can or can not do on a single speed rig.
My plan for 2007 is too start doing nothing but long distance races/ 24hr solo Single Speed good times:) Oauchita Challenge hopefully will be the first for 07, we'll just have to wait and see what little Izzy has to say about that:)

I have to thank my lovely wife Teri for all she did, you are one badass woman, Craig you are a fucking animal thanks for helping, Coach Donny for the nutritional info., Kerkove and Buchanondale for helping with me questions, Troy,Kyle,Ron,Chuck,Jane and the rest of the crew for giving us a kick ass place to beat ourselves up. My bruthas at Rassmussen, and All who cheered me on.


Peace