This year, my teammate Ryan Eiesle and I chose Bear Springs Trap XC as our first race of the season. We both entered the single speed class again this year after our good finishes last season. This time I geared down to 32/18 from a 32/16 last year hoping to improve on my 6th place finish. Bear Springs is one of my favorite courses of the year: it’s probably 85% single and double track with just a few gravel and pavement sections. It is very technical riding in some parts with big rocks, roots and some tight switch backs. It also includes some sections that are very fast. I started off the race at about the same pace as last year hoping to be faster on the climbs with the change of gearing. I worked my way up to around 8th place and felt good on one of the biggest climbs but at the 17 mile mark on the second big climb I hit “the wall” and started going backwards fast. I felt horrible and probably would have DNFed if I had known the a fast way back to the start. I ended up in a disappointing 15th place but even with that, this race is still one of my favorite races and definitely one to try if you like a real MTB ride. Ryan finished a very impressive 4th considering the three riders ahead of him normally race the in the pro class. Next up is the Coast Hills Classic. I plan on racing the single speed again–hopefully for a little redemption!

JW

Things have come almost come full circle with regard to cycle racing for me. By that I mean that my days of “training” are a fading ghost town in my rear view mirror and particular results have become even less motivating than they once were. While I will admit that racing became a manifestation of my desire for excellence in life, the reality is that cycling has always been just a passion for me and I have always been a “starving artist”.

In the beginning, I rode to be free and to reach my destination.  Most of the time I got there faster than my riding partners. After a few years I began racing and with early success I found that I needed to continually raise the bar and compete against stiffer competition to measure up. Before long, I had upgraded myself until training became a necessity. Read more »

I am sure that April is the worst month of the year in the Willamette Valley… OK maybe not the worst but it sure feels like it sometimes! Mother nature threw us a curve this year with phenomenal weather over Easter with the children enjoying sunny hunting in their dresses! I enjoyed rapidly drying trails and lots of EPIC riding as March ended “like a lamb” and the new month began just as pleasantly.

That was a week ago and a world away, though. Why? Well there is a little gathering here we call the “Mudslinger” that has been going on since 1987. Apparently mother nature has been put on alert to unleash all manner of destructive weather behavior on or directly before this date and RARELY disappoints. Last week followed suit, and it began to drizzle on Thursday and generally became more intense as the weekend approached. Soon any sign of dryness was gone and only indication of spring were the blooms from the overly optimistic trees floating on new and growing puddles. Read more »