Fitzgerald's 7.0 Begins!
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If you haven't heard, we are moving the shop! Don't worry though, we aren't moving far. In fact, this will be the easiest move in the history of moves since we are only going next door! We began remodeling the new space yesterday and hope to have the remodel and move complete by the middle of October. Keep your fingers crossed!09 18 07 - 10:48
2008 Bikes right around the corner!
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Here's a quick teaser on some awesome new '08 bikes that have just been unveiled. The coolest looking bikes so far are the new Norco's. The crew in Canada has revamped the whole line! Check out some pics at Pink Bike
08 30 07 - 10:36
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Take it easy on your bottom bracket!
Inside every frame beats a bicycle’s heart and it is known as the bottom bracket. No centimeter of terrain is traveled without this beating heart turning over time and time again. Relentlessly driving you forward, never questioning its purpose, selflessly taking the full brunt of your pedal forces. A quiet work horse who asks for no recognition, seeks no glory, and never rests. Why then do you insist on blaming every click, clack, clunk, creak, and squeak on this trusty warrior. Of course like every hero your bottom bracket may tire and a replacement must be summoned. But you must resist those who are building a culture of fear based on worn out BB’s! They want you to be listening, always listening for the first signs of this attack. Looking down at every switch back and wondering, “when will my BB fail”? They want you to second guess your next bike ride and instead go to the shop for a new one. They want you to be tortured by the slightest unknown sound your bike generates. They want you to be counting the miles until your bottom bracket explodes right between your feet launching you into the nearest ravine. I am here to tell you, we have searched for the creaks and clicks and our findings are conclusive. The noise you fear is not coming from your bottom bracket!
08 21 07 - 09:57
Conquering the Laramie Enduro!
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Submitted by Michelle Byers
Saturday, July 28th: The 4:30 am wake-up call came earlier than I had hoped given that I hadn’t slept much the past several nights; my brain was in overdrive thinking about the race. This was only my second endurance race, and having been pulled from the Park City E50 the previous year after missing a cutoff time, I was amped to see how my training was going to pay off in the 2007 Laramie Enduro.
After downing a plain bagel and chocolate soy milk, I lay on the bed and ran through my race strategy in my head. Go out hard and fast through at least aid station #2 to make time on the course hopefully ensuring that I made all the cutoff times. The good news was that it had been raining in Laramie all week, so the trails were well packed and fast as we learned the day before in our pre-race ride.
Dave and I arrived at the race parking lot at about 6:00 am and debated – arm & leg warmers or not? There was a layer of fog that had settled at 7500 feet. It was cool, about 52 degrees but no rain; we decided to err on the side of a little extra warmth after getting really chilled on the downhill to the start line. Our warm-up got cut short when we realized we hadn’t signed, so we jumped in a line that was 20 minutes long, signed in and then found our spots among the hoards of some 360 racers. AC/DC was blaring at the race start, and I was excited but feeling much calmer than I had at the start of previous races; my heart rate was only 99.
Expert racers were off first, and my stomach jumped….as did my brain. Sport racers were next, and at 7:05 am we were off. I began weaving my way through a host of riders up the service road hill…heart rate only at 169…good pace, trying to edge my way up in the pack to avoid the inevitable bottleneck that I soon reached once jumping from the service road to single track. Again, weaving around bobbling riders, I finally found my way onto they single track and I’m off. Feeling strong, legs are spinning well as I find my way through the tree-lined single track…down the technical and rocky hills…I’m thinking ‘this is beautiful trail and nothing like riding at home in the Big Hole mountains of Idaho’. I finally pop out of the trees, cross the two lane road and jump onto the fast rolling service road in the open plains. The fog is still lingering over the course and I adjust my sunglasses to the Mr. Magoo position on my nose, to enable better viz. Making good time, heart rate still in the upper 160s and feeling great. At mile six I hit one of the loose and sandy sections of the course. Next thing I know, my bike is sliding sideways, left foot is out of my clip and holy shit I’m gonna’ wreck. Luckily, I managed to keep it together, ride out through the treacherous ruts, regroup, and get my mojo back. Whew…that was too close! Two guys rode past me and congratulated me for a spectacular save.
As I continue making my way through the immensely diverse terrain of fields, aspen groves, and single track and double track, I realize how much fun I’m having and how quickly the miles are ticking by. This is great! I reach aid station #1 (16.7 miles) at 1:29:00, well before the 2:45:00 cut off time. In addition to going out hard and fast early in the race, I also knew I needed to limit my time spent at aid stations. I knew I had enough water and calories to get me to aid #2, so I grabbed a water bottle from the outstretched hand of one of the volunteers and blew through aid #1.
The fog finally begins to lift and the warmth of the sun penetrates the back of my jersey. The next several miles are somewhat of a blur as the miles continued to fly by, and I continued to maintain a high but sustainable heart rate. Mile 20…my sit bones and upper back are killing me, and I’m having a mental low point in the race. I realize that I have 50.5 miles to go. Then, I catch another female racer and ask ‘How ya’ doing?’ She replies, ‘Not so great and my confidence is shot.’ I tell her she’s doing great and to keep up the good work. I suddenly realize that I feel better myself! Then I remind myself…focus on the small victories…getting up the next rooted, rock laden hill…reaching the next aid station…focusing on when I need to take calories again. With those thoughts in my head, I lifted myself out of my temporary funk and knocked out the next 16+ miles. I pulled into aid #2 (~35 miles) at 3:03:00; again, well in advance of the 5:00:00 cutoff time. I was feeling strong and focused. Much to my surprise, I saw my friend Joanne at aid #2. In my six years of mountain biking, Joanne has always been stronger and faster than I am, so I was jazzed to know that my pacing strategy was working so far. After a quick refill of Heed and water in my camelback with the help of a volunteer, I was on my way in four minutes.
The several miles of trail following aid #2 were sweet. Rolling and fast with beautiful, expansive views with only a few deep puddles to navigate through. Thanks to cows, this also meant navigating around…or through if you weren’t as lucky…fresh patties. Oh well, it wouldn’t be a mountain bike race without a few extra obstacles. Damn, Joanne passed me! As the course progresses, I remind myself of my body’s hourly regimen of calorie intake from Hammer gel and endurolytes. I’ve never had cramping in a race, and don’t want to start today. I roll into aid #3 at about 5:00:00 having completed about 45 miles. I realize that I haven’t yet peed during the race, which isn’t good, but this aid station is pretty exposed. I give it a thought for a split second but decide to wait until I find a large rock. With a full camel back and only three minutes lost, I roll out of aid #3. So far, so good, but I know the course is going to get tougher from here on out.
For the next nine miles, the course continued to climb and included several nasty bog crossings, one of which was thigh deep. Nothing like humping your bike through a big wallow wondering what is lying on the bottom. Luckily the bog monster didn’t launch out at me and take a limb off, although I’m not sure if my bike shoes will ever be the same! Reminder to self…calories, endurolytes. God, the miles are going by slowly, and my legs are starting to feel heavy, but the race course volunteers continue to give their hoots, hollers and boosts of confidence which help keep me moving forward. I finally reach aid #4 at ~6:10:00. Okay, I’ve done 54 miles and I’m well within all the cutoff times so far. I tell myself that I have to keep rolling; no long stops. At this point, I’m about useless and can’t even attempt to fumble my bladder open. Another wonderful volunteer assists me and makes sure I’ve got everything I need. Off I go, slowly but surely.
Clearly, the hardest part of the course for me, both mentally and physically. Another low moment, and another self-help speech to pull myself from the dark depths of despair. I will NOT fail, I tell myself. This race will NOT beat me. I don’t care if I have to hike the next 16.5 miles; I WILL finish. With more short, steep climbs and legs muscles starting to fail, I realize just how hard the course now seems. I slip down into my granny gear, reminding myself constantly that I just need to keep turning the pedals over and moving forward. I’m spending less time looking around and more time trying to focus on the next five feet of trail. FINALLY, I reach aid #5 in about 7:30:00; a huge victory. I’m again assisted with my hydration pack and given a boost of confidence from a volunteer…only 7 miles to go. With 63+ miles behind me, I mentally gear up for what I know is the last very difficult climb…the Headquarters Climb. As I roll out from aid #5, I see the rolling service road ahead and think, ‘good, I can make up a little time’. Well, easier said than done. My brain wanted to go but my legs just couldn’t handle spinning in my big chain ring in the front. So, I resigned myself to a slightly slower speed, but man the downhills were a blast with top speeds reaching close to 30 miles per hour.
I reached the bottom of the HQ climb at 7:44:00 along with a few other riders. Together, we leap-frogged each other several times in a combo ride/hike-a-bike shuffle. Mentally, I really perked up; there’s nothing like being with other riders who are also suffering. About half way up the climb, an older female volunteer sat perched on a tree root with a big cooler of water. She said, “You’re doing great; you’re halfway up the last gnarly climb, so just keep riding like a girl!’. I thanked her as graciously as possible with a smile on my face and continued my ‘push’ to the top. The group of riders I set out on the HQ climb with broke apart at the top, and again I was alone. The views, though, gave me a lift and I thought not everyone gets to experience this. I am so fortunate. Legs burning and feet bruised, I rode as much of the next 1.5 miles as possible. I was passed by a male rider, who said, ‘we’re almost there – only about a half mile to go!’. My gut jumped with excitement and my heart raced with the thought of being so close to the finish. He pulled away from me, and I found myself silently weaving through the last part of the course….so I thought. I came upon a woman rider, not in the race. As I passed her, she said, I don’t think you want to go that way. I explained that I was in the race, and apparently so was her husband. After making a wrong turn that cost me about 15 minutes, coming within a hair’s with of losing it, and having to dig deeply to climb two unnecessary hills, she graciously got me back on course. Other racers – YEAH! And, oh my god, I see the road…and now I’m on the service road flying downhill past where we parked that same morning. Big chain ring in the front, wind flying through my helmet and tears starting to well in my eyes. With a right hand turn I’m 100 yards from the finish line and I can see the canopy Dave and I set up the day before next to the finish line; then I see Dave jumping up from his chair running out to greet me. As I cross the finish line in 8 hrs 54 minutes, the tears start flowing down my cheeks and my breathing is short and quick. I roll past the volunteer trailer and turn around to see Dave, my husband and best friend, coming up to me. I throw my arms around his neck, tears streaming down my face. The sense of accomplishment, the sense of relief, the sense of joy…it was overwhelming!
What an amazing experience. I will remember this race for years to come and am already looking forward to next year’s race. The course was fabulous and the volunteers, out of this world. Next race, a rematch with the E50 in August!
08 07 07 - 10:33
Jay Petervary Wins GDR!
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YEEEEE HAAAAA JAY! We are all so proud of you! Thanks for the amazing inspiration. If some of you out there don't know, Jay P won the Great Divide Bike Race and broke the record! Look at my last GDR post below for all the pertinent links. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said all over the internet, so I'll simply post Jay's last 3 call in reports... I think that says it all!
2007-06-30 13:03:55 GMT
Hello all, it's 6:40. I'm in Silver City. It's JP. And uh, I'm going to Antelope Wells as we speak. This is my last phone call. I just wanted to give a big thanks for everyone who's been supporting me. Trace, I love you. Thanks again. Fitzgeralds Bicycles, thank you. Orbea, the bike flows like water. Crank Brothers for keeping me locked in. And uh, family and friends. We'll see you all when I come home. And uh, it's going to be an enjoyable 120 miles. Hope you all have a great day and uh, we'll see you soon. Thanks again. The trail treated me well.
2007-06-30 17:35:27 GMT (11:35 am, Mountain Standard Time)
Hey hey hey, Daddy-Os! 72.7 miles left. Just crossed the Interstate here, what's that? 10 (I-10). So that puts me in Separ. Last couple things of ice cream and gator aid, and I'm on my way. Let's uh... let's turn them winds off. I'm tired of that headwind in my face. So uh, things are going good now. I was a little choked up this morning. And hey, Jeff Boatman, I didn't forget about you. YOUR BAGS RULE. Best way to tour. Thanks buddy. Carousel Design Works. And uh, everyone else, we'll see you soon. Thanks all! Peace out.
2007-06-30 22:51:17 GMT
(Loud sigh) Boy. JP here. Hey world, I arrived at Antelope Wells at 4:18 PM Saturday, with absolutely nobody here. There's one gentleman here that's let me in to get a bunch of cold pops, let me use the bathroom, gave me some information about a shuttle in the morning, try to get to Deming some time tomorrow. And uh, yeah, pretty hot out there, but the Great Divide has treated me well. I have no complaints. And uh, thank you to everybody that's been involved. I hope everybody is doing well. And I will report on my times here soon. I will just be around thinking about things underneath a tree for the rest of the evening and day. Alright, thanks everybody, and thanks for getting this going. Uh, this was something else. Alright, yup, just sort of at a loss for words at this time, but catch me on the forum or something. Alright, thanks everybody, bye.
07 01 07 - 4:41
Jay P Leads Great Divide Race!
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OK, This is the most exciting race in the world... I think! 2500 miles, 200k feet of climbing, +/- 16 days, and self supported! That's right those are very similar to the stats for the Tour De France except the whole self supported thing! The best part is our man Jay Petervary is leading the race with authority in his first attempt at this epic which started Friday June15th. I can't possibly describe how great it is to follow his progress so I'll just give you the tools to experience it yourself.Race Details
www.greatdividerace.com
Transcribed Phone Messages from the Racers
greatdividerace.blogspot.com
Audio Podcasts of the Racers Phone Calls!!
www.mtbcast.com
MTBR Forum full of chit chat and speculation on the race
www.mtbr.com - forums - endurance racing - GDR Updates
Chart of Daily Results
www.topofusion.com/divide/GDR07.htm
According to the topofusion chart Jay has 535 miles to go!
Here's the latest and greatest on JP, June 27, 9pm:
Got hit today with some hail-had to use his umbrella and hang out under a tree for 45 minutes. Then made it to Cuba, ate good, showered, shaved, cleaned his clothes and is inside with his bike, last night too, so he's been getting good sleep. Did a little more then 100 miles today, which included a lot of climbing, had 200 ounces of water but didn't need to drink it all, it was a little cooler today then it has been. Plans to do 200+ miles tomorrow. Is feeling good and staying focused.
06 28 07 - 1:45
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The Orange Train headed to New Mexico last weekend for the 5 day stage race Tour of the Gila. Chellie Terry (Pro 1, 2 womens, pictured above), Kris Lunning (Cat 2 men's), and Ian Tuttle (Cat 3 men's) all had great weekends. Highlights include Chellie's great Crit race on day 4 finishing with the main group, Kris' amazing 2 man break on day 5 only to be caught inside 5 miles to go, and Ian's fortitude after a massive pile up in the peloton causing him to go back to town, switch bikes, and chase down the main field. Hopefully we get some more in depth coverage from the riders themselves in the near future. Nice job Ian, Kris, and Chellie!! Check out all the results here.05 11 07 - 08:11
Good Bus, Magic Bus.
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My life changed drastically today thanks to the START Bus Teton Valley Commuter Line! No longer did my commute follow the normal routine of pack the car, race to the gas station (because I forgot to fill up the night before), pull out into the long line of speeding cars, spill coffee in my lap as I shift quickly to keep up with the speeding traffic, curse the other drivers as they make stupid passes on blind corners, try to get a glimpse or two at the snow pack while trying to also watch the road, get stopped at every light, and finally pull into work. Instead I packed up my messenger bag, hopped on my bike, rode to the Victor bus stop, and patiently waited for my luxury coach to arrive. Once there I loaded up my bike, turned on my ipod (check out "The Evens"), opened my book, kicked back, and watched the scenery pass by behind the huge windows. Instead of door to door service I opted to get off at Albertson's so I could get a little more fresh air riding before settling into work. As I coasted into the bike shop a brew pub employee said, "did you sleep in town last night?". "Nope, I rode the bus"!