FUN AT THE ICEMAN?
MOUNTAIN BIKING THIS WEEKEND? OH YES!
THOR TAKES THE FINISH, COLD!
Belo News
Galesburg, Mi.
November 6, 2010
Galesburg, Mi. – With our intrepid hero, the Sharkman being missing in action so much this fall season, the Iceman Cometh being contested and the fact that the prediction for Saturday was in the low 20’s, the talk in cycling circles was whether anyone would show up for this weeks edition of the KK-TdG.
As the Sharkman loaded up his cyclocross bike into the sharkmobile and looked at the temperature reading on the dash at 23 degrees, he wondered if this would be the first Saturday that he would find no one at the start.
As the Sharkman drove into the parking lot at the start he was pleased to see Thor unloading his steed and next to him, the Wolf King!
Trip distance: 43.3 km
Maximum speed: 55.4 km/h
Climbed altitude: 452 m
Brewman – 2:23:15
Hoosier Boy – 2:55:09
Danimal – 2:35:44
Falcon - 2:20:51
Iceman – 2:13:45
Cleary – 2:41:43
ICEMAN'S STORY!
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Iceman
Traverse City, MI. - Our own Iceman (not to be confused with the race name) sent the following reports:
“Epic racing in the snow, ice and mud. Iceman conditions were some of the toughest of recent years. Below freezing temps when my wave 8 rolled out at 9:28 A.M. on a crisp sunny morning. Fresh snow from the day before made much of the course icy for the early waves and it turned to mud later in the day. Descents were very slick with crashes all around the course. As a Clydesdale, gravity is my friend in only one direction! The ice slung me 20 feet into the woods at a pretty high rate and I hung on long enough to T-bone a small fir tree. Cold conditions must have been tough on the equipment because there were mechanical stories, (also known as fish tales) all over the camp ground later that fine day. Broken chains right and left, spokes, crashes...love it. I was lucky mechanically speaking but I could not get my left thumb warmed up and it turned to stone about 15 miles in. I could have gnawed it off and I would not have felt anything. Tough to hang on and shift, but the show must go on. I reached over with my right hand to shift the front derailleur when I had the chances. (Actually kind of hard to do on a bumpy trail while delirious, with a half frozen RIGHT hand) It's the ICEMAN baby, gotta keep going!
Saw several Minions and enjoyed some time with Gazelle Girl around a campfire as she was reeling off one joke. Yes just one joke, but it was a good one. She did great on the Tandem with her partner. Not sure how they navigated some of the single track, but the show must go on. It's the ICEMAN baby. Great job Gazelle Girl!
Had a campsite next to the Danimal. Sweet Trailer. Great time had by all. Lots of Minions and lots of Team Taylor (17 of us) represented SW Michigan!
Sign-up is in March, mark it down and don't be late. The climbs, the descents, the self inflicted head games, the weather, the friends, and of course the beer. Be there!"
Iceman
Impressive Iceman stat of the day.
Andy Jacques Maynes of Team Bissell Pro Cycling was in the lead pack when he broke his chain with 8 miles to go. That's 8, not .8. We saw him pushing his machine and sprinting across the finish line for a 2:05.xx finish. He RAN the last 8 miles!! I do not feel that bad anymore. (Even though my left thumb tip is still tingly). Its the ICEMAN baby!
Have a good day and remember, in everything we do in life, there is always someone in a worse situation, struggling even more with something. Its all relative.... So stay positive.
ICEMAN’S TALE
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Gazelle Girl
Traverse City, Mi. - My story of the Iceman has me feeling rather lucky for my experience. (Well, most of it.) My tandem partner, Richard Neumann and I, started in wave 9 at 9:31. It was in the low 20s. Quite chilly, but no frozen fingers, toes, noses or drive trains. We were both quite pleased with our thermal management and – save for one incident of pretty severe chain suck – the performance of the bicycle.
WE DID SHED A BIT OF BLOOD
Check that - I shed a bit of blood. We were working our way through some particularly tricky single track, the kind that draws a crowd just to watch the carnage. I saw a series of slick tree roots coming up and readied myself for my role in keeping the bike upright as we went over them. As we approached a man yelled out, “Watch those roots, tandem!” In one split second I thought, “GAH! Bad mojo, bro!” We slid along the roots instead of going over them and were immediately sent off the trail headed for two trees. Miraculously, Richard avoided the trees, kept the bike upright and stayed aboard. Somehow I came off, whacking my shin on a pedal, but kept both feet on the ground. We maneuvered the bike back onto the trail, I leapt on and we pedaled away to the cheers of onlookers. I must say, it was some pretty decent teamwork because it felt like the kind of incident that should have put the three of us on the ground. Other than that, no falls. And the trail was VERY SLIPPERY in spots. I did a lot of giggling, as it was fun to feel the bike slip around but still stay upright. Kudos to Richard for his superior handling skills!
ALONG THE WAY
The best unprepared rider was a bloke sporting torn tube socks for arm warmers and a tall kitchen garbage bag fashioned into a vest. He looked C-O-L-D. But in the words of the Iceman himself… The show must go on. It’s the Iceman, baby!
AND SPEAKING OF SHOWS
My two race buddies and I were quite happy to bed down on Saturday night knowing that the restless pre-race night we’d previously spent in our motel room would be replaced by a well earned, restful sleep on race night. (Of course, a few post race beverages would help us ease into our slumber.)
BAD NEIGHBORS
Sadly, we were awakened about 3 a.m. to the sound of voices in the room next door. LOUD chit chat. Sounded like at least one girl and two guys, maybe more. They were yappin’ up a storm. I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I was awakened by was the sound of – ahem – well, you know. Logical assumption? Party over. They’ll get this out of the way and we’ll finally have some peace and quiet.
AU CONTRAIRE
The sounds that followed the din of coitus were the same din of multiple voices as before. What the…? Eventually, we all fell back asleep again only to have the pattern repeat itself. This time with what sounded like a different - albeit a bit more vocal - male at the helm. Then more chit chat. Mon dieu!
NEXT DAY
I snuck around all the tables of the continental breakfast room looking for a girl with the hair on the back of her head teased into a rat’s nest as we were most curious about this band of disruptive swingers. (Were they fellow Icemen and an Icewoman???) No dice. My pals and I surmised they were all back in their room working on yet another round.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Before leaving, I was half tempted to knock on their door to see if they might want to purchase one of my Team Harry Kreempye jerseys. How apt! I was driven away by the din. Mon dieu!
Thank you for reading my “tail.”
MOUNTAIN BIKING THIS WEEKEND? OH YES!
THOR TAKES THE FINISH, COLD!
Belo News
Galesburg, Mi.
November 6, 2010
Galesburg, Mi. – With our intrepid hero, the Sharkman being missing in action so much this fall season, the Iceman Cometh being contested and the fact that the prediction for Saturday was in the low 20’s, the talk in cycling circles was whether anyone would show up for this weeks edition of the KK-TdG.
As the Sharkman loaded up his cyclocross bike into the sharkmobile and looked at the temperature reading on the dash at 23 degrees, he wondered if this would be the first Saturday that he would find no one at the start.
As the Sharkman drove into the parking lot at the start he was pleased to see Thor unloading his steed and next to him, the Wolf King!
Wait, the Wolf King arriving early? Is that possible?
Following our hero into the lot was Bissell Boy making it four hearty Minions ready to ride……well, sort of…..
Wolf King realized that he had packed his mountain bike shoes instead of his road shoes. But he had his single speed mountain bike in the back as well, so he could change the pedals as they had different cleats. Unfortunately, no one had an allen wrench to change the pedals. Soooo, the Mighty Minion Nation had to wait for Wolf King as he went into the hardware store, bought a set of allen wrenches, changed pedals, ran to the Klutch to have a confused Luann hold on to his road pedals and the wrench set while he rode, all while the Mighty Nation froze on the sidewalk.
Following our hero into the lot was Bissell Boy making it four hearty Minions ready to ride……well, sort of…..
Wolf King realized that he had packed his mountain bike shoes instead of his road shoes. But he had his single speed mountain bike in the back as well, so he could change the pedals as they had different cleats. Unfortunately, no one had an allen wrench to change the pedals. Soooo, the Mighty Minion Nation had to wait for Wolf King as he went into the hardware store, bought a set of allen wrenches, changed pedals, ran to the Klutch to have a confused Luann hold on to his road pedals and the wrench set while he rode, all while the Mighty Nation froze on the sidewalk.
Temperature at launch time, 25 degrees!
As the Minion Train pulled out of town, the crowds were down due to the cold. Sharkman announced that he would not be contesting the honorary sprint, or any other sprint on this day, while riding out of shape and on his cyclo cross bike.
The peloton was kind enough to wait for their hero on each of the hills as he struggled due to being out of shape, riding a cyclo cross bike (what was he thinking?) and wearing enough clothes to be mistaken for a Shakleford survivor from Antarctica.
The ride was fairly uneventful and by the time the Nation crested the cul de Norte, they were warm enough that the feeling began to return to their fingers and toes.
As the riders began south through the Bible Conference Hills, the sun began to warm their faces as well.
The ride turned out to be quite social and the four riders began to execute an extremely effective pace line. It was actually hard to believe this was a Minion pace line as it began to work along very smoothly. No one contested the G Ave. Sprint and as the group crested the final hill, Wolf King made an early move. Thor went after him, riding Wolf Kings wheel until just before the finish, were he came around the legendary sprinter to take the tape. Bissell Boy rounded out the podium finishes and Sharkman struggled in with his fin between his butt cheeks.
The Klutch was abuzz with Paparazzi wanting to know how the riders had survived the cold. Thor stepped up and to celebrate his win, bought the entire Mighty Minion Nation koffee! Good man, Thor, good man!
Discussion revolved around the average speed of the ride (17.29 mph) and Wolf King shared that he down loaded an app for his iPhone that records that information from GPS and actually shows a map of the route when you are finished.
As the Minion Train pulled out of town, the crowds were down due to the cold. Sharkman announced that he would not be contesting the honorary sprint, or any other sprint on this day, while riding out of shape and on his cyclo cross bike.
The peloton was kind enough to wait for their hero on each of the hills as he struggled due to being out of shape, riding a cyclo cross bike (what was he thinking?) and wearing enough clothes to be mistaken for a Shakleford survivor from Antarctica.
The ride was fairly uneventful and by the time the Nation crested the cul de Norte, they were warm enough that the feeling began to return to their fingers and toes.
As the riders began south through the Bible Conference Hills, the sun began to warm their faces as well.
The ride turned out to be quite social and the four riders began to execute an extremely effective pace line. It was actually hard to believe this was a Minion pace line as it began to work along very smoothly. No one contested the G Ave. Sprint and as the group crested the final hill, Wolf King made an early move. Thor went after him, riding Wolf Kings wheel until just before the finish, were he came around the legendary sprinter to take the tape. Bissell Boy rounded out the podium finishes and Sharkman struggled in with his fin between his butt cheeks.
The Klutch was abuzz with Paparazzi wanting to know how the riders had survived the cold. Thor stepped up and to celebrate his win, bought the entire Mighty Minion Nation koffee! Good man, Thor, good man!
Discussion revolved around the average speed of the ride (17.29 mph) and Wolf King shared that he down loaded an app for his iPhone that records that information from GPS and actually shows a map of the route when you are finished.
The following is from his app:
Your Performance on the trip started on: Nov 6, 2010 at 9:44 AM
Your Performance on the trip started on: Nov 6, 2010 at 9:44 AM
Trip time: 01:34:08
Trip distance: 43.3 km
Trip calories: 1864 kcal
Average speed: 27.7 km/h
Maximum speed: 55.4 km/h
Climbed altitude: 452 m
Yes, you are reading those numbers correctly. Wolf King, being the bike fanatic he is, does everything in metric. You do the math....
But it is a pretty cool system and if you have an iPhone, you can down load the app for $9.99. And there is also a “miles” option for regular Americans! Is this a great country or what?
But it is a pretty cool system and if you have an iPhone, you can down load the app for $9.99. And there is also a “miles” option for regular Americans! Is this a great country or what?
Or you can buy a $400 Garmin!
The attached is from the Apps site courtesy of Wolf King;
B.iCycle is the best cyclometer app for the iPhone and we are working hard to make it even better. To help you enjoy all features of B.iCycle, we have created a comprehensive manual for you. This guide is available for you both as online-manual and within the app as “Help” within the “Settings” tab. If you like B.iCycle you can help us by leaving a review in the AppStore that shares your experience with other bikers.For feedback, requests and problems please contact us at support@b-icycle.com.You can view your track by opening the KML file in Google Earth (download it for free on http://earth.google.com/ ). Just double click the file and it will load (requires v5.0 or newer).
The attached is from the Apps site courtesy of Wolf King;
B.iCycle is the best cyclometer app for the iPhone and we are working hard to make it even better. To help you enjoy all features of B.iCycle, we have created a comprehensive manual for you. This guide is available for you both as online-manual and within the app as “Help” within the “Settings” tab. If you like B.iCycle you can help us by leaving a review in the AppStore that shares your experience with other bikers.For feedback, requests and problems please contact us at support@b-icycle.com.You can view your track by opening the KML file in Google Earth (download it for free on http://earth.google.com/ ). Just double click the file and it will load (requires v5.0 or newer).
MOUNTAIN BIKING THIS WEEKEND!
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Galesburg, Mi. – Though the forecast for this weekend is for warm weather, there have been a lot of requests to move to mountain biking. You asked for it, you are going to get it, Bunkie!
Since riding at the Fort is a bit difficult in large groups, taking some of the social aspect away from the ride, the Commissioner of Minion Riding has decreed the following test schedule for next week will be implemented.
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Galesburg, Mi. – Though the forecast for this weekend is for warm weather, there have been a lot of requests to move to mountain biking. You asked for it, you are going to get it, Bunkie!
Since riding at the Fort is a bit difficult in large groups, taking some of the social aspect away from the ride, the Commissioner of Minion Riding has decreed the following test schedule for next week will be implemented.
We say “test” schedule as this will be a work in progress to keep the riding going for a few more weeks. Anything for more riding, eh? We will see how it works and adjust accordingly.
The Minions will meet at the Klutch for Koffee at 8:30 A.M.
If a Minion does not want to stop at the Klutch, they can go straight to the Fort Custer Trail head for a 9:30 A.M. launch.
Gazelle Girl knows a way to ride to the Fort from the Klutch through an entrance that is less than a couple miles from the Klutch so some may ride from the Klutch or drive to the Trailhead and ride from there.
The Minions will meet at the Klutch for Koffee at 8:30 A.M.
If a Minion does not want to stop at the Klutch, they can go straight to the Fort Custer Trail head for a 9:30 A.M. launch.
Gazelle Girl knows a way to ride to the Fort from the Klutch through an entrance that is less than a couple miles from the Klutch so some may ride from the Klutch or drive to the Trailhead and ride from there.
So you have two options. Klutch at 8:30 A.M. and or meet at the Trail head at Custer at 9:30 A.M.
Be there!
THE ICEMAN COMETH REPORT!
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Traverse City, Mi. – As we all know, this weekend, the famous “Iceman Cometh” race was held with another record crowd of riders, including several Minions. The Belo News was able to research some of the results and we apologize if we missed some of the riders, but we only know their Minion names and not their real last names. However, we have listed the results of those who we can find:
Queen of the G Ave. Sprint, our own Gazelle Girl and riding partner Richard Neuman took 8th place in the Tandem Division and did the ride in a remarkable 2:27:38! Whoa, way to go Minion!
THE ICEMAN COMETH REPORT!
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Traverse City, Mi. – As we all know, this weekend, the famous “Iceman Cometh” race was held with another record crowd of riders, including several Minions. The Belo News was able to research some of the results and we apologize if we missed some of the riders, but we only know their Minion names and not their real last names. However, we have listed the results of those who we can find:
Queen of the G Ave. Sprint, our own Gazelle Girl and riding partner Richard Neuman took 8th place in the Tandem Division and did the ride in a remarkable 2:27:38! Whoa, way to go Minion!
Other Minions;
Brewman – 2:23:15
Hoosier Boy – 2:55:09
Danimal – 2:35:44
Falcon - 2:20:51
Iceman – 2:13:45
Cleary – 2:41:43
Way to go Minions! You did the Nation proud!
ICEMAN'S STORY!
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Iceman
Traverse City, MI. - Our own Iceman (not to be confused with the race name) sent the following reports:
“Epic racing in the snow, ice and mud. Iceman conditions were some of the toughest of recent years. Below freezing temps when my wave 8 rolled out at 9:28 A.M. on a crisp sunny morning. Fresh snow from the day before made much of the course icy for the early waves and it turned to mud later in the day. Descents were very slick with crashes all around the course. As a Clydesdale, gravity is my friend in only one direction! The ice slung me 20 feet into the woods at a pretty high rate and I hung on long enough to T-bone a small fir tree. Cold conditions must have been tough on the equipment because there were mechanical stories, (also known as fish tales) all over the camp ground later that fine day. Broken chains right and left, spokes, crashes...love it. I was lucky mechanically speaking but I could not get my left thumb warmed up and it turned to stone about 15 miles in. I could have gnawed it off and I would not have felt anything. Tough to hang on and shift, but the show must go on. I reached over with my right hand to shift the front derailleur when I had the chances. (Actually kind of hard to do on a bumpy trail while delirious, with a half frozen RIGHT hand) It's the ICEMAN baby, gotta keep going!
Saw several Minions and enjoyed some time with Gazelle Girl around a campfire as she was reeling off one joke. Yes just one joke, but it was a good one. She did great on the Tandem with her partner. Not sure how they navigated some of the single track, but the show must go on. It's the ICEMAN baby. Great job Gazelle Girl!
Had a campsite next to the Danimal. Sweet Trailer. Great time had by all. Lots of Minions and lots of Team Taylor (17 of us) represented SW Michigan!
Sign-up is in March, mark it down and don't be late. The climbs, the descents, the self inflicted head games, the weather, the friends, and of course the beer. Be there!"
Iceman
Impressive Iceman stat of the day.
Andy Jacques Maynes of Team Bissell Pro Cycling was in the lead pack when he broke his chain with 8 miles to go. That's 8, not .8. We saw him pushing his machine and sprinting across the finish line for a 2:05.xx finish. He RAN the last 8 miles!! I do not feel that bad anymore. (Even though my left thumb tip is still tingly). Its the ICEMAN baby!
Have a good day and remember, in everything we do in life, there is always someone in a worse situation, struggling even more with something. Its all relative.... So stay positive.
ICEMAN’S TALE
Belo News
November 6, 2010
Gazelle Girl
Traverse City, Mi. - My story of the Iceman has me feeling rather lucky for my experience. (Well, most of it.) My tandem partner, Richard Neumann and I, started in wave 9 at 9:31. It was in the low 20s. Quite chilly, but no frozen fingers, toes, noses or drive trains. We were both quite pleased with our thermal management and – save for one incident of pretty severe chain suck – the performance of the bicycle.
WE DID SHED A BIT OF BLOOD
Check that - I shed a bit of blood. We were working our way through some particularly tricky single track, the kind that draws a crowd just to watch the carnage. I saw a series of slick tree roots coming up and readied myself for my role in keeping the bike upright as we went over them. As we approached a man yelled out, “Watch those roots, tandem!” In one split second I thought, “GAH! Bad mojo, bro!” We slid along the roots instead of going over them and were immediately sent off the trail headed for two trees. Miraculously, Richard avoided the trees, kept the bike upright and stayed aboard. Somehow I came off, whacking my shin on a pedal, but kept both feet on the ground. We maneuvered the bike back onto the trail, I leapt on and we pedaled away to the cheers of onlookers. I must say, it was some pretty decent teamwork because it felt like the kind of incident that should have put the three of us on the ground. Other than that, no falls. And the trail was VERY SLIPPERY in spots. I did a lot of giggling, as it was fun to feel the bike slip around but still stay upright. Kudos to Richard for his superior handling skills!
ALONG THE WAY
The best unprepared rider was a bloke sporting torn tube socks for arm warmers and a tall kitchen garbage bag fashioned into a vest. He looked C-O-L-D. But in the words of the Iceman himself… The show must go on. It’s the Iceman, baby!
AND SPEAKING OF SHOWS
My two race buddies and I were quite happy to bed down on Saturday night knowing that the restless pre-race night we’d previously spent in our motel room would be replaced by a well earned, restful sleep on race night. (Of course, a few post race beverages would help us ease into our slumber.)
BAD NEIGHBORS
Sadly, we were awakened about 3 a.m. to the sound of voices in the room next door. LOUD chit chat. Sounded like at least one girl and two guys, maybe more. They were yappin’ up a storm. I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I was awakened by was the sound of – ahem – well, you know. Logical assumption? Party over. They’ll get this out of the way and we’ll finally have some peace and quiet.
AU CONTRAIRE
The sounds that followed the din of coitus were the same din of multiple voices as before. What the…? Eventually, we all fell back asleep again only to have the pattern repeat itself. This time with what sounded like a different - albeit a bit more vocal - male at the helm. Then more chit chat. Mon dieu!
NEXT DAY
I snuck around all the tables of the continental breakfast room looking for a girl with the hair on the back of her head teased into a rat’s nest as we were most curious about this band of disruptive swingers. (Were they fellow Icemen and an Icewoman???) No dice. My pals and I surmised they were all back in their room working on yet another round.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Before leaving, I was half tempted to knock on their door to see if they might want to purchase one of my Team Harry Kreempye jerseys. How apt! I was driven away by the din. Mon dieu!
Thank you for reading my “tail.”
FABRI-KAL CORPORATION SPONSORING CYCLOCROSS!
Reported by our own Brewman;
Kalamazoo’s own Fabri-Kal Corporation’s Greenware brand is sponsoring the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross this year:
http://www.usgpcyclocross.com/
I traveled to the last race, The Derby Cup in Louisville. What an experience racing on a professional course with professional riders (in other words, I got pounded into the ground). At least there were some nice perks being one of the sponsors. These are awesome events and the Pro’s are incredible athletics. Very fun to watch and be part of.
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