How The Mud Had Won

Revenge for some, just fun for others.  Everyone has their reason to do the Iceman Commeth.  The METAL Loaded Motors use the weekend trip north to Traverse City to close the mtb racing season and have some fun.  But true to it's name this year, Iceman brought with it some of the worse weather conditions to race in.  The rain, sleet, snow and hail all started the evening before the race and never really let up.  The team knew it was going to be a tough Saturday.

Friday to Saturday weather (Race Day)

Quick recap: Skylar set the table that morning.  She was to go off earlier than the guys as her wave started around 12:30.  Due to the conditions being less than favorable, her along with many others were pulled from the race at the half way point.  You had to cross the check point at a certain time in order to keep going.  What I will say though, even though she was pulled, Skylar rode the toughest part of the course as it was clear to many who raced that the first half of the course was much tougher than the second.  The boys are proud of Skylar for lining up at the start and giving it all she had.  In fact, it was well know the only reason why Aryn decided to follow through with doing the race was because Skylar was already out there racing.

Aryn and Mitch getting ready in the 30 degree rain

The boys nice and clean before the race

(Jon, Mitch, Aryn and Brian)

As for the boys.....the course was a disaster.  Imagine riding a trail after 18 hours of rain, snow and sleet and 5000+ people going over it.  Pirate lines were cut into the woods well off some of the trail because some places were not passable by bike.  Times really didn't matter as it was clear 10 minutes into the race that the challenge would be crossing the finish line.  Here's some random pix of the course well before the METAL Crew went through:

Mitch, Aryn, Jon and Brian toughed it out and were fortunate enough to finish without any major mechanicals or injuries.

The diesel engine, Brian.  Rode the entire course without unclipping.  2x10 set up on his fully rigid Santa Cruz Highball.  Impressive!!!!  And looking good in the new green METAL knickers.

Jon had to run a few hills but only because he was badass enough to do this race on his fully rigid Gary Fisher Superfly Single Speed.  Check out the pop on the ESI Grips.  One gear and no suspension.  True Grit!  

Aryn's set up was his fully rigid Felt Nine-C 1x10 with a fully Loaded cockpit.  Had to run two hills due to loosing traction because he didn't have a bail out gear.  38f/36r was his lowest gear.

Mitch rode his Focus Raven to team glory with what appeared to be the best set up for the day.  A 2x10 with front suspension and back pockets filled with plenty of GU Energy.  He wins best bike set up and best legs for the weekend.  But don't let the set up fool you.  Mitch worked his ass off for every mile.  

Post race.  Mitch was probably smiling here because he was about to cramp.

After the race the team headed over to Kamp Kahuna for a warm shower and some snacks.  The Matthews, Frosts and Freds we all there swapping stories from the race around the campfire.  Big thanks again to you all for the post race hospitality.  Not to long after the team went out to dinner and then headed back to the hotels to soak in the warm tubs and get some shut eye.

Next morning there was a few moments of calm

Before having to drive home in this

and eventually deal with this

Big thanks to our sponsors for helping to make this a mountain bike season to remember.  Twin Six, Loaded Precision Products, ESI Grips and GU Energy!  Thanks again to everyone at Kamp Kahuna and of course all that were involved in making this year happen....especially Danielle, Sue, Laurie and Becky!  You ladies are the best support crew ever!

From an outsider's perspective, great article on Pinbike.com of the race by Matthew DeLorme

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/harbinger-of-winter-the-iceman-cometh-2014.html

Who we had the pleasure of chatting with briefly

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/the-bikes-of-the-iceman-challenge-2014.html

(Still three more CX races on the schdedule for 2014)

Here comes the BOOM!

No, it wasn't the racers from this team at the Mad Anthony CX race in Detroit inside the Historic Fort Wayne.  It was the sound of the cannon that was set off at the start of every race.  Seriously.  A real cannon.  Loud and awesome.

As far as how Aryn ad Gerry did, there isn't much to cover.  Gerry started off the team's day at 10am in the CAT4 45+ class.  He is still riding himself into shape after the foot surgery this summer.  But the goal here was to move up from finishing last to finishing not last.  17 out of 21 baby!

Aryn missed most of Gerry's race because he was helping a racer who crashed hard and dislocated his shoulder.  Because of when and where it happened, Aryn and his son Ashton were the only two around to help the guy.  BTT Andy showed up mins later and organized some medic help but Aryn and Ash stayed with the guy till help arrived and then some.

That, coupled with some other things, Aryn did not get the warm up he was looking for before his first Master's 35+ race.  He wasn't there to win anyway, just looking for a good training race.  And man dd he get it.  In this class your heart rate goes from 50 to 190 in about 30 seconds and doesn't come back down for another 60 minutes.  Aryn was happy to start his final lap without being caught by the Pro class.  John Osgood had a heck of a race and took off early, finishing fourth.  Aryn focused on trying to reel in Andy Fedewa and Brad Lako but every time he made a dig to close the gap those two made their own to make sure the gap didn't close.  Andy eventually broke away from Brad but Lako was able to hold his position on Aryn to the finish line.  Brutal, painful, hard fought race.  Aryn is quickly learning that this is just how CX is....all. the. time.

Enough about racing, sooooo many people there taking pictures that it was hard to choose which ones to use.  Thanks to Stephan Z for all the great pix and also to Tailwind, Bob Bruce, Ritzy and others who were there to document the day.

The course had an amazing layout.  You started inside the 'courtyard' and as the race went on you went up the embankments and back down inside the fort.  Then you are lead outside the wall to do some looping around and off camber hill side riding.  Then you come back around and enter the Fort through the tunnel and go up a steep off camber climb.  You do some more riding on the top of the wall embankments and then come back down for the barriers.  That's just a quick overview.

The starting point straight to a hill climb. This is inside the fort.

One of the few steep descents inside the Fort.

Barrier action

Gerry coming in to finish

Exiting the tunnel (this was part of the race course)

The turn inside the tunnel

Outside the south end of the Fort by the water

The steepest drop of the course outside the Fort

Inside the Fort here you can see the barriers and also in the

back the off camber climb that caused a few bottlenecks

Outside the north end of the fort.

Still outside the Fort on the north side.  

Props to Seth (in green and black) for manning up and racing Masters as well.

Second hill climb of the course, inside the Fort, about 30

seconds into the course.

View from the top of that climb.  Yes, it seemed that steep when you
were going up it.

Aryn exiting the tunnel coming back inside the Fort.

South end of the Fort, outside the walls.

Yes, he was in that much pain.  

Thanks to all who put on such a great event.  Tailwind, BTT, Detroit Endurance Club and others.

For more pix check out our friend's Stephan's public FB link.

Loads of pix - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153276477173626&set=a.10153276425458626.1073741844.803408625&type=1&theater

"A day late. A buck short. I'm writing, the report...."

Little behind on the recaps here.  On 10/11 Ken, Gerry and Aryn went to Veteran's Park to race some more CX.  Gerry is still our seasoned vet at CX, this was Aryn's second CX race and Ken would be got his intro to CX there.

Still riding his way back into shape after foot surgery and a couple, few......many beers, Gerry's only goal was to get in a good training race and finish.  Mission accomplished.

After the win in CAT4, Aryn leveled up to CAT3 and raced age group.  Much to his surprise he was able to fend off the group and finished with his second win of the season. (That trend is about to stop as he will be moving up to Masters for Mad Anthony).  Ken was there to video what was setting up for a sprint finish against a younger racers from the class ahead.  However, both Aryn and the other racer washed out in the final turn and the both of them ran their bikes the last 50 yards to the finish.

Ken, well Ken was there to see what the hub bub was all about.  Goal: Race CAT4 and not crash. Ken completed his mission and finished 8th out of 17 in the process and he's already asking when the next races are!  Looks like he has a new drug habit like Gerry and Aryn.

Gerry and Aryn plan to attend Mad Anthony on 10/25 which will be in Historic Fort Wayne in Downtown Detroit.  Well, just east of Downtown but close enough.  Still in Detroit.  Gerry will be looking for a 'Not Last' in his class and Aryn just hoped he won't get lapped in Masters 35+.

Last weekend, sub MLM team, TEAM YOUNGBLOOD, went north for the annual P2P (Peak to Peak).  A lot of racers use this as the warm up for Iceman/see where your fitness is at/ride an awesome trail XC race.  Both Laurie and Mitch would be racing with Baby Thunder acting as Pit Boss and Bradley as Crowd Control.

It would be Laurie's first race since the Pit Boss came into town.  She was excited to be out racing again and was more than happy with her result.

Mitch had a pretty eventless race (yeah, just made that up).  Eventless but with a solid outcome.  He finished 4th out of 26 and then loaded the baby trailer with dirt and rocks and ran 5 miles across the sand dunes for a cool down.  That was 3 days ago and we haven't heard from him since.  Laurie says this kind of behavior is normal for him leading up to Iceman.  Something about stripping down to his underwear and roaming free in the wild living off the land to become one with nature until the day before Iceman.

But enough text....lets get to pictures!!!

The METAL Loaded Motors CX Team

Ken coming

Ken going

Gerry coming

Gerry.......still coming

Aryn leaning

Ken doing....Ken things

The last time you'll see Aryn finish first in CX......ever

Laurie realizing this is not the best person to be drafting

Bradley saying, "What's rule #2 dad!?"

Laurie and Brad taking a breather post race.

(Baby Thunder not pictured due to Pit Boss responsibilities)