IM is a Useful Tool- The EnduroSnob Interview

regina says:
so have you started to pack for this thing
Snob says:
I have a lot of stuff laid out
Snob says:
it will take about ten minutes to pack
regina says:
what is the oddest thing you are taking, are you taking wheels, is Matt really taking wheels, am I far to freaked out about the thought that you are carrying stuff like that with you?
Snob says:
(are you working me over interview style?)
regina says:
because me baraging you with these kind of questions is odd?
Snob says:
maybe
Snob says:
I am not taking anything odd with me
regina says:
i do not think this kind of questioning from me is odd
Snob says:
matt's taking tires
Snob says:
not wheels
regina says:
ok, then what is the heaviest thing that is not liquid that you are taking
Snob says:
my fat ass
Snob says:
on the ride itself?
regina says:
excluding that too, and yes
Snob says:
I suppose my multitool actually weighs the most
regina says:
interesting,
Snob says:
and yes, you are too freaked out
regina says:
so what are you going to eat, I am actually eating two whopper juniors with extra pickle that I removed half the bun and made into a double, out of sympathy of course, did you think of the word you trying to think of
Snob says:
I am eating lots of Hammer Perpetuem and a couple of Tuna salad sandwiches
Snob says:
I am sure I will suck down some Hammer Heed and the occassional gel as well
regina says:
ok I do not know what those Hammer products are, some kind of endurance circle food stuff?
Snob says:
yes
Snob says:
they used to sponsor my team for adventure racing so I know their stuff works well for me
regina says:
well that is handy,
regina says:
oh and what the heck is up with hulk or thing, like they are the only two
regina says:
what about ice man?
Snob says:
name an x-men less powerful than Ice Man
Snob says:
the idea is that they are similar
Snob says:
so of the marvel comics strongmen
regina says:
hmmmmm
Snob says:
who would you pick
Snob says:
plus
Snob says:
there are thing and hulk gloves you can buy
Snob says:
WAIT
Snob says:
that is the strangest thing I am taking
Snob says:
thing gloves
Snob says:
the thing gloves say "It's Clobberin' Time"
Snob says:
Again, more cool than Big Green.

Bring the Pink - The Matt Wills Interview

With less than a week to go, what's running through your melon regarding TransIowa?
The weather and all the shit i have to get together for the event. Making sure i've thought of everything i'll need. Should i pack a camera?
What would you say is your biggest concern regarding the race?
I'm mostly worried about the overnight portion. I've done plenty of nightriding but anything longer than 12hrs in the saddle will be uncharted territory as far as exhaustion and mental soundness.
Hulk or Thing?
Thing. he seems pretty chill all in all.
What's the bike and how's it setup?
Custom rigid Soulcraft SS 29er diskbrakes. 180mm cranks. 36x17 with1.8bontis. salsa flat bar, WTB pure-v saddle. Endurenz light.
Post race beverage of choice?
Coca-Cola.
Acid is not a banned substance for this race. Should you consider listening to Butch's advice?
Never done acid. Probably can live without doing it either.
Any last words?
Hope we can keep the homies togther for most of the event. Some companions for the voyage will certainly make the suffering more bareable. And maybe remembering everything a bit easier.

Savior in Waiting - The Butch Interview

What are your general thoughts in heading to Iowa with the 'Lincoln Three?'
I am excited. I am glad that i jumped on the wagon to go. I hang out with Willz a bit, but don't get to see Sam or Skip enough so a lot of car time with buddies will be fun. I am excited to see how you all react to the race and how weird you are after your body is depleted of all its energy (or at least most of it). I told Willz he should ride the race on acid, but he just told me that i was a bad influence. Is acid against the rules?
What's your favorite car game and will you use it to pass the time?
I usually masterbate a lot in the car.(if you would consider that a game) Unfortunately, i don't think that will be my main form of entertainment. I might go with scrabble, but not on a bumpy road.
Hulk or Thing?
Thing is 10 billion times cooler than the Hulk.
1.) He can function in a team like environment.
2.) Green is only a color for plants and bicycles.
3.) The Hulk is too passive aggressive.
How can riders collect Butch points while riding across Iowa?
I have set-up a list of ways, but will not reveal it until we step into the van to start the trip. Most of them include doing stupid things on your bike while i drive by taking pictures. The biggest award point though I will reveal now so that fellow trip company can think about the issue. The biggest amount of points will go to whomever keeps Sam from picking up truckers at truck stops. We just can't afford to wait outside truck stops with a time schedule like we have.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how strong do you expect that smack talk in the van to be?
I am way better at emailing smack than talking smack in a van. On my bike, i would say i am above average and in a tank i would say that i am excellent.
That being said, i expect Sam to slide open the door and start swinging shit right away. I mean 8-9-10 rate material. He probably is sitting at home right now talking shit with Jenny just to practice. Plus, he has been driving to OMaha everyday. With an hour to spend just thinking up shit you gotta have some good ones thought up. I would say that that will continue until about 1 hour before the race. During the race i would say about 3 rate material because i want to take it easy on everyone. The ride home? Who knows. Sam and/or anyone else might be out of their mind enough to say just about anything. I am hoping that a banter will continue with 10 rate material, but i just think everyone will be too tired or delirious to really say much at all. That way i can run my mouth as much as I want. Well...Until i get smacked down with the Thing Glove.

Pre TransIowa Interview - Sam Rosenau

SamClimb
Originally uploaded by Endurosnob.

How about a short interview for the blog?
-Sure, why not.

How do you feel now with TI so close?
-Excited, nervous and ready to throw down in a very relaxing 30 hour style.

What bike are you riding?
-I'll be riding a Gary Fisher Rig, looks like around a 34x16-18, or a 20 if the wind is angry.

Have any tactics or strategies for the race?
-Hopefully I can ride with someone the whole way, other than that, eat a lot, drink more and keep moving.

Song you'd least like to get stuck in your head?
-Any Cindy Lauper.

Times you plan to stop?
-Once every hour or two to piddle. As little as possible until Algona, maybe more to find pizza between there and Decorah.

Number of Beers consumed after you finish?
-At least 12, no time frame though.

Hulk or Thing?
-Hulk.

The Fuzzy Science

Before David Letterman became famous, he was a weatherman in Muncie, Indiana and was famous for saying there was hail the size of canned hams dropping on the city. Compared to other meteorologists, he was really just as accurate, which is why reading this doesn't bother me in the least.

The forecast across the state reads in two words: Scattered Showers.

My two word response: Bring It.

When Not on the Bike...

Found on BobDob.com

OK Commuter

I work with some willing cats. Recently, I found out that yet another person in our office is making the effort to commute occassionaly by bike.

My loose theory is that people need to see it's possible. Incubation then takes place. Most will always think it's crazy, but some will keep the idea in some safe corner of their mind. "Maybe on nice days, I'll pay less for gas, it will help me get in shape... " At some point, a few will give it a go. If that happens, anything is possible.

A once is a while cyclist is better than an all the time driver.

Latest tale of the tape:

Two Indy Fabs purchased.
One Kona purchased.
Four Tour Registrations (maybe more).
Seven sometime commuters (Out of 47 people).

Spring is here. Time for number 8.

Pat the Bunny

Okay, Now I understand.

Understand what? I believe MW would call it, "9erness."

The Niner and I went out to Wilderness for just under three hours of single track solitude. The goal was to keep the pace pretty high the whole time. Mission Accomplished. Apparently, Easter and some of the locals heading to Manawa meant empty trails for me.

While there is the sense of riding slower, a few measurements seemed to prove that I am pushing pedals faster than ever before and the bike is certainly to blame for some of this. Plus, my marginal technical skills now have a nice crutch with this bike. I am looking forward to getting out to Platte.

Your team kit doesn't look this good... BareKnuckleBrigade.

"Why do you wear that Stupid Bunny Suit?"

14 days... "six hours... 42 minutes... 12 seconds. That... is when the world... will end. "

Bike maintence today, yes. In fact, as I type this Mrs. Snob is struggling to put some new Michelin Jets on her Jamis Nova. Getting the last of that bead in... almost always a pain.

All which is loose must become tight again. Such the state of the Niner.

Easter morning with the family. Easter afternoon is gravelicious. No Manawa for me, just local lines.

"Why do you wear that stupid man suit?"

Office Closed

That's a wrap!!

No, I am not pulling a Paddy. The world outside beckons a little too loudly today. 85 degrees and Sunny. A little bit of a wind, but that's what hiding in the trees is for. Wilderness for a few hours, home by the time I would normally return from work. Heaven.

Fade to black.

And Then There Were Three

Well, for a variety of reasons, the Lincoln Mafia is now down to Three riders taking on TransIowa.

The Sam-R-I Warrior.
Matt Wills.
Da Snob.

The details are all coming together nicely. Butch and Dave Story are our support crew. We have excellent hosts in Hawarden. Now there is just that little matter of riding across the State of Iowa.

I just set up AudioBlogging a few minutes ago. Will I have the color that our local man on the scene brings? No way.

Here's to 340 Miles Cominatcha.

"Lies and Betrayals...

"Fruit covered nails... Electricity and LUST..."

Photo from IFbikes. Click the Pic and See.

Michigan's North Country Trail

Nearly every year, my family and I take a week's vacation in Onekema, MI. It's a very small town along the central Lake Shore just North of Manistee. One of the great things about the vacation is that it's near a trail head for the North Country Trail. So, every year, I slip away for a few hours most days and rock out some single track.

A little research shows that the North Country Trail runs the length of the state. I know some of it isn't open to bikes, but do we have a sleeping Giant of Endurance Events? Is there some sort of record for running the length of the trail? Pipe dreams all? Maybe, but I will most likely be back in Michigan in early July with nothing better to do than explore.

Give a guy a shot if you've got the goods.

Have Headwind, Will Mash

What kind of cat finishes TransIowa? How about a guy who pulls inventory duty all night, then rocks it for a few hours of gravel on the bike, putting up with a jackass who has decided to ride into the headwind. The Sam-R-I warrior in full effect.

Actually, the wind put a damper on the conversation as I hadn't been able to catch up with one of my favorite smart asses for quite a while. Great day. Nice Ride. Lots of TI talk. Sam hasn't chosen a bike yet and is even mulling the One Gear. Yield to the darkside, I say. It is your Destiny.

Combing the prairies for Oreo Cows.



No Sleep? No Problem. Sam training sleep deprivation style.



Two quick notes on Roubaix:

Good call, KW.

Snap a steer tube? WTF?

Yard Art and Oreo Cows

Rock D and I wandered some gravel for a few hours this morning and came across this beauty sitting out by the road.

On the other side of the road were Oreo Cows. Black cows who all had a white stripe around thier torso. Genetic manipulation began long ago. We'll have to go back again for a photo of the cows.

As fate would have it, as I was passing D St on the way home, CVO was pulling up to pick up Corey for their Crowder journey. I am looking forward to hearing how things went.

Fun with MS Publisher

Naproxen Sodium

Also know as Aleve. My legs are tired, have been tired, and are slightly sore. Time to add some teeth to the back cog.

Recon for the Epic has been bagged for this weekend. The weather looks mediocre at best and the race isn't until November, so I'm pretty sure well find a better weekend.

The Niner saw this first single track in Wilderness yesterday, but only a teasing tasteful. I see good things in my riding future.

Listen... You can smell Iowa coming.

The Execution of All Things

The Not-So-Secret Machine.



A little tweak...



And we're off...



Thanks JB for the assist.

Singing in the Rain

No race for the Lincolnites this weekend thanks to Mother Nature's Revolt, but RF brought Kansas soil back to Omaha. I like the foul weather so it's a bit of a mixed bag to me. In the end, I think CVO's call was the right one.

I did however manage to ride twice today. Maybe I should have just raced. If you are going to get soaked, it might as well "mean" something.

The plus side is that I did get a lot done for the Epic. The webstore is ready to rock. Rock D and I have outlined a recon trip for this weekend, mainly to ride what will be the unsupported section of the race.

The new look may be short lived. I tried for a bit to make the background pink instead of red but can't seem to pull it off. The comment section also works in a very funky way and I have yet to be able to straight that out either. If you really want to read the comments and see who they are from, you have to click on "post a comment." Otherwise, you don't get to know who said what and sometimes not all of them show.

Webmaster, I am not.

G-Ted has some nice photos of how the gravel currently looks in parts of Iowa. Maybe I should look into fenders.

RED RUM... RED RUM

What do you mean? I don't notice anything different.

I've added a few addtional changes aside from the look. Adventure Racing has been dropped from the scene to be replace by Fear of the One Gear. AR is dead. And probably should have been dead with me a year or two ago.

Adam has been added in the Think Tank. Also something that should have been some time ago.

Plus, I just dig the little guy on the bottom left. I need a sticker of him to put on the Niner over the verbage on the Top Tube. "Pedal Damn It" is nice. But, let's face it. If I start cursing myself in a race, I will be saying things far worse than Damn It.