Author: Bill

In a quaint Montana town, under a vast blue sky, the perfect setting for a grueling 24-hour mountain bike race unfolded. Bill, with his competitive spirit and love for biking, was geared up to master those trails.

The race started with an electric vibe. Cyclists, driven by adventure and a hint of craziness, gathered at the start. Bill, recognizable by his fiery red hair, was in his zone. His bike, as eager as he, seemed to throb with excitement.

The course was relentless – steep climbs, thrilling descents, and winding paths through Montana’s rugged terrain. Throughout the day, Bill faced each challenge with grit and skill. He saw the race as more than physical; it was a test of personal limits.

The night race was surreal – just Bill, his bike, and a headlamp under the starry sky. Each pedal was a fight between exhaustion and thrill.

But Rapelje’s heart lay in its community. Riders shared tools, stories, and support, creating a camaraderie rare in races. Bill, ever the joker and motivator, was a key part of this spirit.

As dawn broke, the race ended with everyone tired but exhilarated. Bill finished with a satisfied grin, already sharing his night adventures.

The 2009 24 Hours of Rapelje was more than a race; it was about endurance, friendship, and the love of biking. And for Bill, it was yet another epic tale for his collection. Watch out for more stories of biking and the great outdoors!

Good morning from Missoula, Montana. I’m checking the not-so-great weather forecast as I prepare for my trip to Butte. I’ll be meeting Bob Waggoner at Triple Ring headquarters to pack up for our journey to Rapelje.

Joining the trip are fellow Thursday Night Ride member Alden and Larry. This experience is going to be a game-changer for them. Also racing this weekend are Team Muleterro members Rich Shattuck and Sten Hertsens, who’ll be in the solo race with me.

This race is a major prep for my World Championship and serves as a curtain call since I’ll be in Canmore in 5 weeks. This means I need to be mindful of my effort, doing some final testing and practice. One such practice is live race updates. Ideally, a pit crew member (Rick, who’ll be the communications director in Canmore) will update my Twitter account Bill24Solo.

Last weekend was fantastic – I joined the crew at Triple Ring Productions headquarters for a mountain bike ride on a segment of the Butte 100 course. Along with me were Rich Shattuck, Sten Hertsens, Guy Vesco, and, naturally, Bob Waggoner. The trail was exactly as cool as I remembered it. We even got caught in the rain at one point, but nothing could dampen the joy, thanks to my Carbo Rocket boost. And now, I’m gearing up for the 24 Hours of Rapelje this weekend.

Last nights spin took me out to Miller Creek where I met up with 5 cool people out enjoying the roads. Nice sunny afternoon. We discussed Chad, The Red Barn, and I found out that one of the group had just purchased a Turner from Chad.  Good bikes. Spun back home and proceeded to spend 6 hours cleaning up my Turner from last weekends big romp.

Ok so the above photo was not taken last night but it was recently and on the same trail that the Thursday Night Ride did last night. We were 7 strong when we met in town to do the prologue up the Fire Road and into Crazy Canyon. By the time we reached the Crazy Canyon Trailhead I counted over 25 people milling about in the parking lot. Some were friends and some from other groups but one thing was certain, last night was a good night for mountain biking.

The group split up a little as some were actually with another group and some of us just were kind of off on another trail for some reason or the other. Soon we were all on the climb up University Mountain and we all strung out all over the mountain as we displayed our numerous abilities to climb. Zephanie and I gradually caught everyone by the end of the climb and proceeded to do some extra climbing while we waited at the top. Both times she kicked my rump to the top but only because I reached my workout threshold and had to slow down.

I have been out of Carbo Rocket since last weekend so I started to lag by now and this is a good thing because I realized how the stuff keeps me fueled and not only that refreshed and consistently recovered.

We all descended the ridge and the flowers were out in a powerful force of beauty. Most everyone managed to go down the headwall near the end of the ridge and most impressively was Zephanie as she had NO rear brake

Last nights ride I decided to see where that little trail on top of Huckleberry Headwall went, not good, big hike to the top of the ridge. Big physical expenditure.

But the ride down was … interesting. Got home feeling a little ragged due to not taking some Carbo Rocket with me (only water). At least I didn’t get lost until 1 am this time

This upcoming Sunday I am thinking about Smoking The Bowl for six hours. I am thinking a 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. effort. If anyone is interested check out the map and give me a holler. Going to need some Carbo Rocket because this bowl smokin will make ya thirsty not to mention the munchies for Kettle Chips “Lightly Salted” 🙂

My training description is, “Off-road with several long climbs. Ride climbs in heart rate zone 3, flats in heart rate zone 2 and recover on descents focusing on efficient riding. Be smooth, be fast. Keep pace steady and strong through entire ride – no fade today! Start smart and finish strong! Fuel consistently and keep stopping time to a minimum. Only a few 1-2 minutes stops all day – no extended breaks. Eat, drink and change clothes while you are on the move.”

Thanks to L. Dent and the Thursday Night Ride site for a map of the loop. http://tinyurl.com/l5tmn8 or TNR MAP here. Stats look like 1:27 minute hours ^{thanks Ed} loops (8.99 MPH for 13 miles) 2,699ft per lap!

If that isn’t your cup of mud and want to go hard I am also thinking of a road bike ride called Skankaho Spank Your Crank from Red Barn Bikes in Hamilton on Saturday.  This one is the most tentative. In any case Saturday will be a 3.5 hour Zone 4 effort day.

Don’t like the sun? Join me for a midnight ride Friday night as I will be doing a test run on the Zepher Trail for 2 hours in the dark

10 hours 25 minutes.
85.66 miles
18,919 feet of climbing

Sunday I set out on a local lap that I call “The Rattler” it is a 17 mile loop with 3,900 feet of climbing per lap. It is a brutal lap and lots of dismounting and extreme climbing up routes that are usually only been rode as down-hills. http://tinyurl.com/therattler

My plan was to ride zone 3 on the climbs and zone 2 on the flats for 9 hours with minimal stops to only pick up hydration (Carbo Rocket). Until now I have been doing these long rides in zone 2 and training for 24 hour pace. So I was pretty hesitant to go so hard on the climbs.

Other participants were Dave, Zephanie, and Chad although a couple dudes showed up on Saturday but declined to come back out Sunday. Next time I

Hello from a sunny and FINALLY warm Missoula Montana. I am sitting in my car outside work making some hard decisions. I have slipped from economic recovery in my world to slip sliding back down the slopes of homelessness.  Isn’t it one thing after the other?

Its not the end of the world because there are others who suffer worse than me. I just have to tighten up the buckle some more and suspend all activities that cost even the slightest bit of cash.

I still have enough resources to train for about two more weeks and by then I hope to maybe be able be close enough to the worlds to just coast on in. Not what I really wanted to happen.

So I am stuck in the best place on the planet if you have a mountain bike