Author: Bill

Reading about facing discomfort really resonated with me today. The phrase “Surrender to the pain. Then learn to surrender to the good. It is there and more is on the way” speaks volumes.

Lately, I’ve been feeling extremely fatigued and bruised, and my instinct has been to seek comfort, like a leisurely bike ride with a friend. I strive for peace within myself and my surroundings. But how does one find comfort in a challenging Cyclocross environment? Sometimes, it means facing and enduring discomfort.

Being pulled from a race for being too slow is a deeply uncomfortable experience. Contrary to what some might think, I don’t seek misery and pain. The discomfort I’m talking about is part of the healing process – evolving into a better athlete.

When you face a big race and the results are disappointing, the emotional pain can linger long after crossing the finish line. But feeling this pain is vital. It’s like emotional, mental, and spiritual surgery – removing parts of us that are infected and inflamed.

Yes, processing hurts.

I believe I’m strong enough to withstand this discomfort and the temporary feelings of emotional and physical pain. Facing and feeling this discomfort brings me closer to release.

Dealing with physical pain hones the skills to manage mental pain. I trust in my resilience, the support of my friends, and my connection with the universe – my higher power.

Man, what a ride! My buddy and I were out shredding the trails last night, starting at 5:30 and pushing on just as darkness painted Missoula a deep purple. We finished off with a legendary huckleberry shake at the Big Dipper – talk about the perfect reward!

We covered 16 miles in about 2 hours, conquering 3,400 feet of elevation gain.

This trail is my go-to because it’s super convenient – starts right at my doorstep! It winds up Mount Sentinel Fire Road, spits you out in Pattee Canyon (Crazy Canyon area), throws in some sweet single track, and then blasts you onto Folf Field. After crossing the road, we hit Sammy B., savored some more single track downhill, and then climbed back up Crazy Canyon before cruising back into town.

This is a gem of a ride, folks. You can crush it in 1.5 hours if you’re feeling feisty, or stretch it out to a chill 3-hour recovery spin. The diverse terrain throws everything at you, from technical climbs that’ll test your legs to flowy descents that’ll make you whoop with joy. Trust me, it’s a mountain biker’s playground!

So, next time you’re in Missoula and itching for some two-wheeled therapy, give this route a try. You won’t regret it, and that huckleberry shake at the Big Dipper will be waiting for you at the finish line.

I have chose the wrong day old from the basket this morning and now I am almost enjoying a mystery muffin with my free latte (I earned it from the way to go club ). I am sitting on the south wall at the Break Espresso enjoying my free beverage and also looking out the window at some deliciously looking sunshine. I rode my new cross bike and it is really getting dialed in. My quads are burning from last Thursday and this weekend has its share of epic ride plans .

Last Thursday I showed up at the TNR with my new Cyclocross bike. After some parking lot mechanization and cross re-training we set off to do the University Beacon . It was a rainy, windy, and cold evening as Alden, Ross, and I set out for the last lengthy TNR of the season. Amazingly I reached the top of University Mountain without a dismount. This feat is big because of the huge road rings that are hung on my cross bike. It was painful.

So now I am sitting at the espresso with aching quads; it feels like spring training all over again. The cross racing season begins next Wednesday and I am quite excited about that. Today’s plans are still up in the air but tomorrow my friends and I have planned the Lumberjack loop . This loop is around 40 miles and has great views. It ends at the Lumberjack where mandatory Moose Drools are taken to recover from the ride.

Last weekend I went to Salmon Idaho for a race. I was not able to blog when I got back so I better get those results out on my blog. I have been pinged numerous times about the results. I got first place in a race against myself. It was me myself and I neck and neck till the finish where I dug deep and beat me at the line. The big news is that I got 3rd overall which is more impressive in my mind. I was robbed though at the awards as I was given first place and made to mount the podium allby myself. It was very embarrasing. I was robbed … give me my third place!

If anyone wants to do a big ride today give me a ring. If not, at least go vote for your favorite trail [click here ][results ].

As many of you have noticed I have been mysteriously absent from the ol blogger since last weekend. Oh yea! I got 3rd place in that! But that is not the big news this morning. I finally got some sleep, cleaned up the house, and am in some form of consciousness this morning. You know how it goes with new relationships; no sleep, up all night, day dreaming during work, constant staring, and other stuff that goes on between a cyclist and his machine. Well I have a new relationship and it’s name is Askia .

Askia is a cyclocross bike. It has a Fetish frame that is quite heavy but pretty responsive after a couple late night sprints up the street late last night. I have put on it Redline Aluminum forks and Ultregra groupo pritties. It’s got cheap Tektro brakes and a duct taped seat. I plan on ridding it at the Thursday Night Ride tonight.

Yesterday was the final phase in the big build. At noon I ran down to the Bike Doctor for some final parts; cable housing, hangers, clamps, and a tiny little shifter screw. I highly recommend the bike doctor! At least when you ask for compressionless housing they know what you are talking about.

After work I thought I could whip together the final parts and go into Pattee Canyon for a ride. As usual little things like shift/brake lever positioning and a bad brake cable housing kept me home and in a working frenzy until 8PM. When it was done I went riding around town to test it out. It is surprisingly fast and accelerates pretty quickly which is good for a cyclocross bike. The only problem that remains is its heaviness which hurts the shoulder after a long run.

So now that I have gone public with my new relationship, Ill see you on the trail.

A week ago I scored a decent deal online for a cyclocross frame and since then I have been trying to piece together a rag tag cyclocross bike so I can compete in the Missoula Cyclocross Series this fall. My Fetish frame arrived yesterday and I spent the night putting what parts that would fit off my road bike. So what I have now is a frame, deraileurs, crank, pedals, and cable guide. That is it! Looks like this project will be a little larger than I originally thought. Feel free to comment!

My first impression of the frame is that it feels real heavy and I don’t mean just a little bit. Also the paint job has a lot to be desired. The decals are not stuck on correctly. All this can be expected though for a frame that costs $199.00.

Today I am expecting a shipment from Price Point which only includes things that I can not put on the bike yet. Small piddley things! Tomorrow I am hoping for the fork but what ties it all together is going to be the freehub body and the headset. These Items are coming from AirBomb.Com .

AirBomb is shaping up to be the big disappointment in this project. I ordered on September 6th which was 6 days ago. It still has not shipped! I emailed support and they said that I would not get charged until they get the stuff together and it ships out. I check on their ship status page (which they claim that the order was placed the 9th) and it says that the shipment will go out in 3 to 6 days.

So that is about it and the cash flow is out of commission. It looks like some miscellaneous parts will have to come out of grocery money. Excuse to diet, right? The latest cash flow stopper the vehicle which is currently sitting at the apartment leaking oil after blowing a gasket or something last night.

Hello from Break Espresso (a more expensive break now!) where I have to my right a big cinnamon roll and to my left a cup of coffee. Out the window the sun has started to light up downtown Missoula and the foot traffic is bustling in preparation for the Farmers Market. I am sitting here thinking that my knee is not ready for this weekend. This weekend is the final race in the MORS series and the Montana state championship (NORBA). This week I have been suffering tendonitis in the left knee and as of last night the participation in Sundays cross country race is in question.

A tendon is a tough yet flexible band of fibrous tissue. The tendon is the structure in your body that connects your muscles to the bones. The skeletal muscles in your body are responsible for moving your bones, thus enabling you to walk, jump, lift, and move in many ways. When a muscle contracts it pulls on a bone to cause movements. The structure that transmits the force of the muscle contraction to the bone is called a tendon. ~orthopedics.about.com

I woke up Friday morning and it quickly became apparent that I could not walk. I know that when I went to bed the night before it felt sore and I was wondering at what point did the injury occur. I think it was Wednesday when I jumped off my bike to try a run-up Cyclocross style while out on a ride. I felt a little something in my knee then. Thursday night I put a little heat on it and maybe that was a mistake. So I guess I will call it tendonitis!

So this is marks a great start on the Cyclocross season. I have been anticipating this year and have a new frame and parts on there way as I blog. I have not received the parts or the frame yet but next week should prove to be exciting. It has been almost ten years since I Cyclocross. I wonder if old age and Cyclocross is a good mixture or not. It is cross season every one!

So now I head out to get supplies and drive off to Helena. When I get there I will make the big decision … To ride or not to ride! That is the question.

Hello from my apartment in Missoula where I sit enjoying (as much as you can do before a stressful job) a cup of coffee. I am about to get up and start breakfast preparations. Before I do that I thought I would blog my latest project … a Cyclocross bike. This fall I want to do the Cyclocross series here in Missoula . So out goes my road bike and most of its parts will be going on the psycho bike.

A bike should start with a frame and that is where this saga begins. I spent most of the day labor Day scouring the web for a Cyclocross bike buy. All seemed hopeless until I remembered a frame company that I read about called Fetish Cycles . I went to their site and found that their Cyclocross bike was $800.00. So much for that idea.

Their Cyclocross frame is called Ankh . I don’t know what that means and maybe I don’t want to.

Our newest frame the ankh, is the vamp of Cyclocross from our custom Double-butted aluminum, this frame is made to take any abuse you can imagine Or create the sculptured top tube is designed for rigidity and shock absorption. Compatible with disc and v-brakes, the ankh will allow the tire of your dreams. It will accept a 45mm wide tire with plenty of room for mud to pass. The new fetish Cycles ankh is a lush ride that will never disappoint.

I found someone on ebay selling this frame brand new for $199.00 so I placed the bid. I had a very uneasy feeling at this idea but it was too late. I never won an item before just used the Buy Now feature. I won the bid.

So that is where this story begins, with the frame. Here are the parts I must scrape together (If anyone has some used that I can buy off them let me know):

• fork (Cyclocross)
• cantilever brakes
• cables/housings
• shifter/brake (possibly handle bar mount shifters … or grip shift)
• stem (don’t know yet, maybe not)
• headset (don’t know yet, maybe not)
• bar tape

Today’s race at the Bitterroot Resort, aimed to boost real estate sales on Tom McClay’s property, was the penultimate event in the MORS Series. Despite the light smoke and a grueling climb, the race felt short for beginners, only a 20-minute lap. The expert trail led us through McClay’s land to the Forest Service boundary on Carlton Ridge, including a “bushwhack” section humorously dubbed “Old School” by the race director. After a mid-mountain climb, we rushed down to the finish. Despite the course’s rough edges, it was my kind of challenge—an 8-mile ascent followed by a 3-mile climb. I thrived, finishing 7th, with hopes of improving my initial pacing to compete among the leaders. This race, a true test of fitness, sets the stage for next week’s series finale in Helena and the upcoming cyclo-cross season.

Hey from Break Espresso, savoring a muffin and coffee! Just set up a page to gather Missoula’s favorite trails. Came back from Lone Peak Revenge, part of the Montana Off-Road Series, and, well, finished nearly last due to a bike issue.

My bike frame got here Friday, but it lacked some bits, especially the unique seat post clamp. Had to improvise with parts from my K2. During the race, this makeshift fix failed, and I ended up walking part of the course. Luckily, an official lent me a tool, and after some repairs, I managed to enjoy the last two laps. This course was a true mountain bike challenge, with tough climbs and stunning views at Big Sky. We’re thinking of camping there next year for the event.

Next is a dilemma. Next weekend’s race in Missoula is tangled with controversies. Found out the organizer, possibly a real estate agent, plans to hold it at a controversial ski area site on Lolo Peak. I’ve openly criticized this development before. Worse still, the series seems funded by the developer, hence the resort’s name on our number plates. My friends and I are torn. Participating could mean compromising our stance. I’m considering racing in a “Save Lolo Peak” shirt as a form of protest. What would you do in my shoes? Totally frustrated with these people exploiting our community. Thoughts?