Boneshakerbike

Author: Bill

  • Bear Hunting

    Bear Hunting

    Hunting for bear ground that is.  Last nights edition of the Thursday Night Rides included some dirt, some mud, and a lot of slushy snow. We have been enduring winter weather and last night we entered into the aftermath with determination and dedication to … well, I don’t know what. Maybe the loop just had to be completed this time around and by god we did it!

    It all started out innocent enough.  I send out an email in hopes no one is interested in the ride.  I get back responses that, hell yeah, we are riding.  So I show up thinking that maybe it will be ok.  We head up Marshall Canyon Road and it is not long we take our relationship to the comfortable logging road climb.  We mozy and we chat … well everyone else did. Some comments as I passes a few folks … “I have never done Lolo Peak, how high is that?” … “where do I get one of those?” For me, I was trying to keep the heart rate down and rest up from some kind of cold.

    I trudged on so that I could measure the “Leg 11 : Marshall Ski Area” of my vision quest. So I kept the death march to the top of the hike-a-bike.  It was almost impossible to keep the front tire moving because the snow was very sticky.  My plan was to get to this point, get the stats off my bike computer, and ride back down to the group. To my horror I looked back down the trail and saw the group hiking there bikes up to me.  Shit! Looks like the troops want to finish this loop.

    While waiting for them I meet up with a grizzly who was just as grouchy as I was. It asked, “aren’t you the grizzly man?” I acknowledged and struck a deal with it to scare everyone back down the trail so as to avoid what I knew would be a cold and sketchy decent down Mid Tower. I gave it one of my cliff bars as payment and then it just up and ran off.  Dirt bag ripped me off!

    I awoke face first in the snow as I heard Josh’s laughter down the hill. I sat up disoriented.  It all came back to me, how I gone anaerobic pushing a bike through heavy snow until I topped out and passed out.  I quickly gathered myself just as the troops caught up to me.  We would now find our way down Mid Tower. On our way we found some bear tracks …. hmmmm.

    The ride down was the worse.  Cold raging water, no brakes, and slippery slush kept things interesting. I think Josh was one that found themselves on the ground.  I crossed the little stream at the bottom of the decent and my feet came out in blocks of ice.  Brrrr.  I was so cold the rest is a blur.  I some how drove home and soaked in the tub until I could feel my feet and toes.  Just another hypothermic Missoula ride.  Where is summer? Where is the bear ground?

  • Results Are Out

    2008-jb-results

    Man, it is weird to see me in the pro results.  Soak it in, soak it in.

  • Snow Bike Tonight

    It seems my energy drink mix might not be the culprit for my struggle two days ago. Even with plain water last night, I couldn’t push past an hour of pedaling. It felt like the longest hour ever, especially since I was riding indoors due to the relentless winter weather in Missoula. It’s unusual for Mount Sentinel to have snow in June, let alone snow that accumulates over three days.

    Despite the cold and rain this Thursday morning, it’s group ride night. I checked in with everyone, and it looks like some are up for our scheduled ride. So, I’ll be there too, with my snow bike, prepped for snow, mud, and raging streams. Hoping I don’t bonk after 45 minutes like last time. My heart rate data this morning seems promising.

    Now, the question is, who gave me this cold? I’m on a mission to find out!

  • Energy Drink Gone Awry

    Energy Drink Gone Awry

    billblog I recently tried a new energy drink called CarboRocket.  It worked pretty well and what was so appealing was the simple list of ingredients. Maltodextrin, fructose, and sea salt.  One day I was in the Good Food Store and saw a bin for Redmond Sea Salt, which is one of the ingredients.  Just for kicks I looked for pure fructose and maltodextrin. I found them and had purchased them in hopes of playing with my own formula.

    I mixed two to one maltodextrin to fructose and a dash of sea salt yesterday and headed out for a 1 hour spin.  Just a recovery spin, nothing special.  Well folks, lets just say that we should leave the drinks to the pros.  My concoction messed up my blood sugar so bad I bonked 1/2 hour into the ride and nearly passed out.  I barely got home before passing out on the couch where I slept until I got a phone call later last night.

    So my next move will be to get some more CarboRocket and leave this sort of thing up to Brad Keys and his new drink.  Oh yea, I am not ready to give up on Cytomax with its lactic acid buffers and all.

  • Second place Salmon Idaho

    Greetings from Missoula, Montana, where I’m diving back into routine after a fantastic weekend filled with all my favorite activities: camping, campfires, racing, and road trips. Coming off an injury from a bike race accident in Great Falls, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it all turned out great.

    The camping trip was incredible, with my friend Alden and Garland, who secured our spot. Our adventure began with a visit to a Brew Pub in Salmon, followed by setting up camp in the snow. Despite the chilly start, the campfire warmed us up, setting the stage for a memorable evening.

    Waking up with a sudden sore throat, likely from allergies, I felt out of place as my friends prepared breakfast and I stuck to my usual pre-race meal, sipping coffee to ease my throat. That day marked my first pro race since moving up a category.

    The race felt different this year, initially leaving me disappointed. However, once it began, the fast pace challenged me, especially since my heart rate was lower than usual, indicating my health wasn’t 100%. Despite this, I managed to stay with the lead group.

    As the race progressed, it became clear I couldn’t catch the leading Trek rider. I struggled on the descents, losing ground but managed to maintain third place, constantly checking for competitors behind me.

    Entering the second lap, I focused on defending my third-place position, but surprisingly, I closed the gap on the climb. Although I was passed again on the descent, I kept up, learning to navigate technical sections faster.

    By the third climb, I had overtaken Dave and gained a significant lead. My climbing form was excellent, and newfound confidence on descents helped me secure second place.

    Determined to close the gap to the leader in the final lap, I climbed well and descended quickly, finishing just over a minute behind the first-place rider—a result I was thrilled with.

    My friends also had a successful day, with Larry, Alden, and Joe each taking first in their categories, and Garland finishing strong. It was a weekend of overcoming challenges, learning, and sharing victories, complete with matching medals for Todd and me.

  • Trek Love

    Trek Love

    Tonight I went out on a training mission on the Trek (my mudder). The bike has crap parts and a cheap $99 fork but it climbed like a goat and descended with confidence.  I was so taken back by how great the bike felt I had to do some comparison riding when I got home.  Lets just hope I am in good shape because there is no way I can afford a Trek OCLV frame.  I cant use this frame because my current parts specially the Stan’s wheels would not transfer to a non-disc brake frame.  For now I will chalk it up to good form and a wait and see attitude.  I will be able to compare if I EVER get to ride my leader.  I mean it has rained almost every time I have been outside for a long long time.  I have rode my good bike maybe 4 times this year so far.

  • I Can See My Breath!

    I Can See My Breath!

    Good morning Hello from a rainy, cold, and “see your breath” day. You know days like this make everything seem dismal and the mood is awful.  Drivers want to run over cyclists and the cyclists don’t even want to be out there, drinking in the grimy road water spraying off their front tire.  And … when it is wet and rainy, there is no room for a flexi-cast wrap thingy on my foot.  If I get it wet I must cut it off and have the doc re-work another and that cost $65 bucks.  So why not cut the damn thing off for good?

    Its day 2 without my cast and last night I went Hiking with Marcy on the Orange Street Trail. Tonight I plan a mud-fest short track mountain bike bru-ha-ha. Tomorrow is the Thursday Night Ride with the annual post-moab biker party at a friends house. Hmmmm …. what should I bring?

    Hey, today is Out To Lunch and Fat Tire & Sean Kelly’s Missoula Cruiser Tour!

  • 11 111 11000

    11 111 11000

    11 hours, 111 miles, 11,000 feet of climbing in two days of epic mountain biking. Can you say hell yea! Thinking today is a good day to take off (need laundry bad) I am blogging to you today from a sunny Missoula. Last night I embarked on another mountain bike journey and it did not disappoint. I posted photo in my Photo Gallery.

    I took off from work around 5PM and at first I felt a little fried so I stopped by a friends house to try and gain a riding mate.  Attempts failed and I set out on my own. By the time I got to my first destination the Ravine Trail Head (or CP 6 on my vision quest) I was feeling randy and I was enjoying the ride immensely.

    I rode over to the Rattlesnake and down the Curry Cabin Trail.  From the Rattlesnake I climbed up to Jumbo Saddle and did the Sidewinder as well.  I finished off the night climbing towards Blue point on the East side of Marshall Canyon (the ski area).

    I arrived home to record 5 hours for 45.1 miles and 5,000 feet of climbing. So the last two days have been a test, a test to see if I still had the endurance it takes to do long races.  I say yes, say true … 11 hours, 111 miles, 11,000 feet of climbing!

  • Grave Creek Growler

    Grave Creek Growler

    And then some! Today it is raining out and heavy too.  I am planning a 6 hour ride tonight as well as I prepare for some endurance races.  How does one pay bills and do back to back 6 hour rides?

    Yesterday I hammered myself and it took an entire pint of vanilla ice cream and berries to fully recover last night. Do you want to recover from a 6 hour 66 mile off road epic ride?  Sleep 10 hours and eat some ice cream!

    So there I was about to embark on a journey that I had done before (check out the Grave Creek Growler Page) but today I planned on seeing how much further I could go until I hit the six hour mark (my weekly time budget).  I would follow my Vision Quest Epic  that I am planning. This endeavor would set the weekly climbing record previously set at 10,999 feet in February. This week I would accumulate 11,300 vertical feet of climbing and it was this big ride that put me there. And … I got some photos and videos along the way.

    After climbing for an hour and 20 minutes I reached my first check point at mile 12 with almost half of Sunday’s climbing in the bag at 3,225 feet. The next leg took me over the Grave Creek Range which is a ridge that runs all the way to Petty Mountain.  I made it to check point 2 at mile 27.3 (9,8 from CP1) at around 3 hours since I had left home.  All downhill from there to Dry Gulch!

    As I headed down to Dry Gulch I switched from CarboRocket to Cytomax and to my surprise it seemed that Cytomax wasn’t keeping pace and I started to slow down. This was surprising but could be attributed to all the climbing in the Grave Creek Range.  There are three REALLY steep climbs that put me at the 171 beats per minute range.

    From Dry Gulch I pedaled my way across the valley floor to the Point Six Road. I reached the gate/parking area at about 5 hours and felt toasted.  After eating a baggy of potato chips I was ready to rock and roll.  This was the first time I used potato chips and to my surprise they REALLY worked.  I am not kidding.

    I had run out of time before I got too far up the Point Six Road so I turned and left for home base.  Once home I crashed the rest of the evening and ate ice cream.  Ahh the first epic mountain bike ride of the summer and I only ran into two snow banks.

  • Unattached No More, Getting On The Mule-Train

    Unattached No More, Getting On The Mule-Train

    For immediate release (Missoula): According to some pretty reliable sources from the Team Unattached camp, Bill Martin is being let go and has been dropped from the team.  According to the team manager, “After Bill’s display on the road scene we need to distance ourselves and regain our high quality of racing exposure.  Plus he just damaged one too many jerseys.  I mean … a bird flew at him and he crashed … common!“.

    Bill hit the ground running and was voted in immediately by the exclusive racing Team Muleterro. Not everyone gets this opportunity to be voted into this exclusive racing  organization and according to one board member Bill is a, “stubborn MULE headed perpetium consuming mother. AMule!”.

    We caught up to Bill training in the hills of Missoula. “Everything happens for a reason and I believe that I am right where I need to be at this point in my career. You only get one chance to ride with a team that has such a rich spiritual connection with high mountain passes and the extreme athletic performances that drove those mule trains into the heavens“.

  • Thursday Night Ride 12

    Thursday Night Ride 12

    It was good to get in the dirt last night with the group.  The results are mixed, uphill no problem, downhill another story.  lots of “OUCH … OUCH” on the way down. I just posted 4 photos from the ride. 

    For some reason I was not in a photo mood.  There was a group of people out in the Rattlesnake that were definitely in a party mood.  On the way down he went by huge crowds of cheering bikers.  it was like being in a world cup … felt awesome.  I cant wait to race again!

    My fitness is coming around and I am way past my April 21st fitness and quickly approaching a point were I left off.  I plan to rest two days and do a Galena Grinder preview here by doing the Grave Creek Range Growler all out on Sunday. 

    I am hoping I found a band of dudes to be a part of (Team).  It’s all top secret and I have to be voted in.  It is a under-ground cult where I will have to go through some extreme hazing to get in.  I think as part of my initiation I have to toilet paper John Curry’s house … lol … (not really John).

    I am now out the door to the doctors in Victor.  Have a good weekend!

  • Broken Man, But There is Hope

    Howdy, folks! Bill here, and I’ve just wolfed down a fish taco in the hope that it’ll give me enough energy to tackle the work ahead. But honestly, I’m still feeling a bit peckish. Now, I’m not one to let a rumbling tummy get in the way of a quick post, so here goes!

    Last night, I pushed my limits with a little ride up the Blackfoot River. Now, remember, it was raining cats and dogs, but the radar promised a break. So, I bided my time and finally hit the road around 6 PM. Just as I reached Potomac, the skies decided to cut me some slack, and I got to savor a bit of dry pavement. But here’s where things get interesting.

    On the way back to town, I hit a bit of a wall, and I must’ve slowed down big time because the road dried up like I’d been on an epic journey for a week. You see, taking a couple of weeks off might give you some strength, but endurance? That takes a vacation, my friends. I couldn’t even make it 2 hours before I started falling apart. Thank goodness I had some Perpetium with me to power through.

    Now, let me spill the beans on a new drink I tried called CarboRocket. At first, you might think, “Never again!” But there was a game-changer yesterday. Usually, on a medium-paced endurance ride, I’d pass the convenience store in Potomac around the hour and a half mark. But last night, I rolled up 15 minutes early, and I kept on pedaling further than usual. So, I’d say this stuff really works; it’s just that my body needs a bit more fine-tuning.

    And guess what? It’s Thursday Night Ride tonight! We’re meeting up at the Rattlesnake trail-head at 6 PM. This time, we’re heading up the Trail of Tears, and I couldn’t be more excited to put the road bike aside and embrace the mud. Yup, you heard me right, I’m ditching the road bike – the knobby tires are back for good, or at least I hope so.

    Now, if I can just recover from last night’s adventure, I should be in tip-top shape, right? Let’s hit the trails and make some muddy memories!

  • Good Ride Deserve A Smoothy

    Good Ride Deserve A Smoothy

    Last night was a short ride but I feel my fitness is coming back.  I found that I have the ability to go up a hill a lot faster lately and I can not figure out why.  Maybe its that CarboRocket, but as a reward for such a strong performance I made myself a smoothie.

    I received news last night that my Uncle Bob has gone to the hospital so I would like to wish him the best and hope he recovers.

    Today I plan to ride at a pretty consistent pace for three hours.  The time is now … to make the big ol comeback.  Plus I want to see if the CarboRocket lights up!

  • Trail Proposal Looking Better

    Trail Proposal Looking Better

    The new plan strikes a balance between us bikers, nature, and hikers with dogs. I’m thrilled to speed down the new part without slowing on the lower half. No more dodging dog mess there! Plus, the uphill road in the upper area will turn into a trail, which is neat.

  • The Lonely Road Back

    The Lonely Road Back

    Greetings from Missoula, as I return to work after a three-day period of rest. Today, I’m embarking on a fasting day, part of my plan to shed the healing weight gained during my ankle recovery. It’s likely to make me a bit cranky – a contrast from yesterday’s energy. Today I’m slow, yesterday I was fast.

    It’s like reaching the top of a climb only to descend again. Now, I’m beginning the ascent once more. But it’s the journey that’s the most fulfilling, right? Yes!

    However, today also brings sadness. Last night, I learned of the passing of a member of my “personal” family. This person held a special place in my life, commanding great respect. My best friend, deeply affected by this loss, is dealing with it while I’m not there to offer support.

    It’s times like these that remind us to cherish the journey. Achievements are fleeting, but the journey is constant. It’s important not to waste it. This is what we often learn in moments of loss and reflection. Enjoy the journey, always.

  • Fatty

    Fatty

    And I am not talking about the good kind! Good morning from the City Brew (it’s a holiday, don’t know where to go). I am about to take Marcy hiking on the trail up the street (hopefully the sheep are not there).

    I am simply known as the “Blueberry Scone Dude” and I am starting to take offense to it since I have become aware that I am 10 lbs overweight. Very sad day … Just call me Fatty!

    City Brew Stats…
    Music: Classical
    Current Read: Joe Friel’s Blog
    Window View: Cold, cloudy, and windy
    Toilet Paper Dispenser: Status unknown
    Population: 6
    Bandwidth: Awesome
    Sconecountnew: 1

    I have noticed that I am sluggish on the bike. When I stand up I can not do it for as long as I used to.  It is not the injury either, it is something else, something that is making me mash instead of pedal.  It is weight, yes, this morning I stepped on the scale and was horrified to find and extra ten pounds since my injury.  That is ridiculous! Eat to heal is a bunch of bull shit and as of today it is over.  No more eating!

    Yesterday’s ride was in the rain once again but just being out on the bike made me happy. I went up Route 12 toward Lolo Hot Springs for a spin. I went by these cool llamas and their ears reminded me of the peace sign so I gave them the peace sign back.  “Right on dudes”, I yelled to them.  They seemed to say, “peace bro”.

  • Carbo Rocket

    My friend and I have been trying something new called CarboRocket. He is reporting good things but I believe that our minds play tricks on us and this could all be psychological.  Still though, I have noticed a few things while using it.  More testing is needed but I think this could be the next Heed but without secret ingredients, bad tastes, and costing a arm and a leg for a simple energy drink.


    (1) Mood : For some reason when I start drinking it my mood gets real good.  I have been riding in pouring rain for two days straight and I hate it.  But when I start drinking it feels like the sun is out and I love riding. This is the most noticeable thing!

    (2) Recovery : I have not experienced any left over leg tiredness he next day after these rides.  This could be due to Recoverite. Even after my all out effort climb up the pass in 17 minutes I felt recovered.

    (3) Power (maybe): I climbed the pass in a higher gear than normal and if my body weight would not be 10 pounds over weight I would of simply flew up the pass in an even bigger gear.  I climbed it in 17 minutes.

    (4) Hydration : I don’t notice any evidence that it keeps me hydrated.  I seem to be more de-hydrated than with Cytomax a couple hours after the ride.

    (5) Endurance : Maybe a let down here (or a lack of protein/fat in it). I felt great yesterday until just 1.5 hours into the ride then my HR started dropping and I couldn’t keep pace.  I am planning 14 hours of endurance riding this week to look into it more. Maybe I need to mix it stronger.

    (6) Stomach : My stomach is hurting and feels bad from all the medicine I have been taking. I took this on an empty stomach on my indoor ride.  It did not upset my stomach and I even felt it made my stomach distress go away.  This would be great for the flu!

    (7) Taste :  The stuff tastes really bad at first sip! The sips thereafter are not that bad (not good though).  What I do notice is that I don’t have this big snot (goober) build up in my throat like Cytomax does.  With Cytomax I am always spitting this build up in my throat but with Rocket fuel I think I don’t get it.  It is clean and stays fresh. Three scoops seem really strong and almost overbearing.

  • Missing The Tour of Bitterroot

    Good morning from the City Brew! I am sitting with a fresh blueberry scone and joe (coffee).  I had to get a fresh scone because there were none in the day old pile.  I tell you ladies and gents, a scone addiction is worse than cigarettes.  I just hope they don’t impose a scone tax.

    City Brew Stats…
    Music: Country (this is new), some song about “Mama”
    Current Read: Jill’s Blog
    Window View: Cold, cloudy, and rain
    Toilet Paper Dispenser: Stingy
    Population: 4 (pre-“church crowd”)
    Bandwidth: Awesome

    I am sitting here looking at my AT ride data from last night. I climbed the pass way faster than I figured so my AT test only lasted 7 minutes instead of 20.  My average was 168 but I feel like since my injury it should actually have dropped to 166 (I also calculated the average from the pre-tt.

    I am 88 miles behind last years pace so I am not far behind given that the ankle heals properly.  I figure that after a week on the road bike I’ll be back on track.  I can not wait to get back off road and do some huge rides (almost got the Trek ready).

    I am missing out on the TOB but since I am not a real road racer I don’t feel too bad … still though! Today I am hoping for a 2 hour ride somewhere … any one want to partake in such a thing (road bike).