R.D. (aka "Speed-Racer")
Will Motocross for Food.
Check out the gnarley upgrades:
Tuesday, July 27, 6:17 pm
DAY 2 (Monday, July 26):
SOMETHING ALWAYS GOES WRONG!!! Despite 6 months of preparation, my whole plan crashed and burned because of a cheap plastic alarm clock. The 'time' on my alarm clock got changed - it must have gotten jostled around in the duffel bag - so when I thought I was going to bed at 9pm, it was really 10:30pm so you can imagine my state of mind when I woke up to a campsite that was nearly empty with thousands of cyclists already zooming down the road! No matter what you do, no matter how hard you plan, something always goes wrong. Why try? Why even bother with language? Why don't we just grunt and throw poop at each other?!?!
Maybe what I needed to realize was that you can't control everything in life. Just the previous day, a sage RAGBRAI veteran took one look at me and said "Hey, man, what are you doing? RAGBRAI isn't a race, it's a state of mind. You just have to relax...go with the flow...and just let it happen so why don't you take off that hot facemask and enjoy yourself." I said I'd think about it but I was really thinking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lITBGjNEp08
After packing up, I put on all of my BMX gear and rode furiously across Iowa on a futile and foolish quest to obtain material glory. If the sage RAGBRAI veteran saw me riding that day, he would surely have shook his head in disapproval.
I imagined the "patch staff" packing up at exactly 2:29 except they would see me at the last moment and give me the patch and high fives all around but this is not the ending that I got.
After finally reaching the Century Loop, my feet were starting to kill me (but this is normal) and when I finally reached the end of the loop (a few hours later), there was a blue "RAGBRAI" tent with a sign that said "Get Your Patches Here!" but it was empty. I rode up to the empty tent and a lady walked up to me said "Here's your patch." and I said "OMG! Thank you!" but before I could finish, she walked away and toward 10 other cyclists saying "Here's your patch...here's your patch...here's your patch..." Then I asked someone what time it was and they said it was only 12:30.
So I got the patch...another day and another victory for "Speed Racer"...but in a way, it was almost disappointing...like it was all too easy. As I rode on to finish the ride, I said to myself "Wouldn't it be funny if I did the loop twice." but no way, that was crazy...then I thought about it: "I'm 38 years old, I'm not getting any younger, my feet are killing me but my knees feel fine. When am I ever going to get a chance to do something as epic (yet, probably impossible) as this?"
I must have a talent for crazy ideas.
I turned down the Century Loop again.
2 hours later, I arrived at the blue tent again and amazingly, she's still handing patches. I said "WHAT KIND OF A PATCH DO I GET FOR DOING THE LOOP TWICE?!?" After recognizing me she said "You get the 'crazy' patch!" but since there was no actual 'crazy patches', she just gave me another patch.
Then I had to finish the ride. Wow. It was tough but after 122 miles (196 kilometers) I did it.
The two patches are now stitched side by side onto my bike bag - all the people here are talking about it. Every time someone rides by with a camera, it's like a photo shoot B)
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Tuesday, July 27, 5:04 pm
DAY 1 (Sunday, July 25):
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At dawn, I dipped my rear tire in the Missouri river (don't worry, it was on purpose) and you can actually see video of me doing that here http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/app/videos/?id=16663119 (please turn the volume down, I sound like a complete idiot) and hopefully, on Saturday, I will be dipping my front tire in the Mississippi river (also on purpose).
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Dipping your tires in Iowa's bordering rivers is an old RAGBRAI tradition for reasons that are obvious if you think about it. Picture this: you just finished successfully riding across the entire state of Iowa and you're giving high fives to all your friends when some Buzz Killington points out "Yes, but did your bicycle tires make actual contact with the bordering rivers? No? Well, (chuckle) then you did not cross the state!"
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I successfully rode the whole day Sunday wearing the SCOTT Facemask, Bell Helmet, Mongoose racing shirt, Red Checkered Vans (with old school socks) and even the "De Coster" gloves. About 100 people asked me what the deal was with my bike and outfit and I was happy to explain it to everyone who asked but I might have failed a few times to 'wrap it up' before their eyes glazed over. People kept asking me if I was hot in the helmet and facemask; I was a little hot but it wasn't too bad. I told people that next year I planned to ride across the state while setting fire to myself.
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Tomorrow, however, is the big "100 mile challenge day" where they give out patches to riders who choose to do the extra 20 mile loop (making the day's total miles 100 instead of 80). Unfortunately, the patch giveaway is only "while supplies last" and they quit handing them out at 2:30. My average riding pace is 10-15mph so there's a real risk that I might not get there in time but I'll be sure to wake up extra early tomorrow to get off to a good start. I'm totally prepared. I've never been so prepared for anything in my entire life. I WILL GET THE PATCH!
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For those who don't already know, RAGBRAI is a 7 day bicycle ride across the entire state of Iowa where you will be pursued by a horde of giant robots that are trying to kill you. Riders that make it to the end will receive a big-prize: their lives.
RAGBRAI is also known as the world famous bicycle ride across Iowa where people do a lot of partying and have a really great time along the way.
See you there!
R.D.
Visit ragbrai.com for the latest ride news and pics.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday's Ride: 101.13 miles, 163 km - 09:45:03
Sunday's Ride: 80.4 miles, 129 km - 10:06:37
Total Distance and Time: 181.53 miles, 292 km - 20:21:40
SATURDAY'S EPIC RIDE:
SUNDAY'S TOTALLY RAD FINISH:
VIDEO FOOTAGE of Sunday's Finish!
( Speed Racer Redux Video! ) from Chixulub on Vimeo.
The animated map of Saturday's ride says it all but Sunday was even more amazing than Saturday.
Sunday's ride was only 80.4 miles but it was much more difficult due to a very strong headwind because it turned many decent downhills into virtual "uphills". There was also the ever looming threat of being ordered onto a "SAG truck" (the truck that picks up stranded cyclists and wraps up the ride at 5pm).
A little more headwind and I would have quit but luckily, the wind would decrease every now and then and it was just enough to keep me going.
Photo courtesy of Rod McBride midwestrocklobster.blogspot.com
The SAG Truck stalks it's prey.
Not only was I exhausted, I must have been a little punch-drunk too because right when I was thinking about throwing in the towel and giving myself an "A for effort" a volunteer pointed to the left and shouted "Only a quarter-mile to go! You've got it!"
As I turned to look, my eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing - was it The Emerald City, Shangri-La or Raymore-Peculiar High School? I honestly couldn't tell which.
Once my eyes saw the finish-line, I was no longer tired - I could have ridden 20 more miles! I don't know where all that energy came from but there was one more obstacle waiting for me: a speed bump 50 feet in front of the finish line...
...I totally ramped it, of course (Motomags were made for ramps!) then I slammed back on the brake pedal and left a 130 degree skid-mark across the finish line. Then I started break dancing - okay, now I'm lying. Then they made me repaint the finish line after I messed it up - no, I'm just kidding, they were cool.
Photo courtesy of Rod McBride midwestrocklobster.blogspot.com
Sunday's Finish Line!
Photo courtesy of Rod McBride midwestrocklobster.blogspot.com
Go Team Lockton!
Behind every mongoose is a great teacher and my teacher was Jennifer (pictured on the right) - she's the one who got me into organized rides and if it weren't for her, I'd still be riding on the sidewalk (for real). Jennifer would say "Drink before you're thirsty, eat before you're hungry and breathe before you need to." Truer words have never been spoken since the time of Confucius.
I should also mention that there would be a lot fewer pictures documenting my journey (and no VIDEO) if it weren't for Rod, The Midwest Rock Lobster (pictured on the right). He also embarked on a Fantastic Voyage that weekend and you can read all about it on his blog: http://midwestrocklobster.blogspot.com
MORE PICS OF THE RIDE:
Photo courtesy of Rod McBride midwestrocklobster.blogspot.com
The Lobster told me there were "free chalupas" over this hill.
Photo courtesy of Rod McBride midwestrocklobster.blogspot.com
"Ha ha, very funny, you got me...but there's free BBQ at the end, right? Right?!?" Sadly, there wasn't any BBQ left by the time we got there so I had to settle for FREE CHALUPAS!! Thanks Jon!!
Half-man, half-mongoose and one-tenth crazy - sometimes you have to give 110%.
Cameo appearance by the Lobster's rear tire and tropical shirt.
Photo courtesy of 00_Duck
60 miles into Saturday's ride and where I met 00_Duck from bmxmuseum.com!
A "HOW TO" GUIDE - (DIY):
The first thing you need to realize is that your knees will almost certainly become injured unless you get a really high seatpost. How high? Sit in the saddle, put your heel on a pedal and push the pedal all the way down. Afterwards, your leg/knee should be completely extended if the seatpost is as high as it needs to be.
The problem is: all BMX seatposts will bend on the first ride if you raise it that high. I solved that problem by getting a seatpost that will NEVER bend.
Where can you get a seatpost that wont bend? I smuggled mine out of AREA 51 but later I found out you can just order them here: http://www.aedmotorsport.com/4130/roundtube.htm
If you want the tube I have, it's 22 inches long, 1/8 inch thick and made of chrome moly (4130). A.E.D. will cut it to the right length for you and it will only set you back about $25 (trust me, go with A.E.D., it's a lot easier than crawling 80 miles on your belly through the High Desert).
You'll also want a "stem raiser" so you wont be all hunched over. They come in different sizes depending on your stem and fork tube - I got mine on amazon.com but sheldonbrown.com also sells them.
And finally, you need to train for at least a month prior to the ride. Start out with a 5 mile ride or whatever you can do, rest a day or two, then try to do 10 miles more. Repeat this process until you can do around 80-90 miles and then you're ready.
If you start to feel knee pain, slow down, alter your technique, don't pedal so hard and the knee pain might actually go away. Sometimes knee pain just means you're riding too aggressively - take it easy, don't muscle it up those hills, use your weight instead. But if the knee pain persists - you have to stop riding - I would have quit one mile from the finish line even if just one of my knees started hurting. Knee pain is not normal for any sport, if you're feeling knee pain, you're over-doing it and you need to rest.
Whether you finish or not is beside the point, it's totally worth it just being the "BMX guy"!
Engraving of Confucius.
EPILOGUE:
"To be a mongoose,
begin and you are half done.
Mayhem will follow."
Confucius - 512 B.C.
R.D.
Saturday & Sunday, September 26 & 27, 2009
Enjoy the music and updates - thanks again to everyone!
It's still not too late to donate!
Time to ride...
R.D.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Here's the deal:
I'm riding in the National Multiple Sclerosis 100 Mile Bike Event on September 26th and if I reach my donation goal, I promise to make BMX history by completing the entire 100 miles on my factory original 1979 BMX Mongoose with Motomag wheels.
If I fail to reach my donation goal...
...I will quit riding at the 80 Mile Finishing-Line. Why would I walk away when I was so close? Because the final 20 miles will feel like ten-thousand miles and I know me, I'll rationalize to myself how I "tried my best" and call it a day. DO YOU WANT IT TO GO DOWN LIKE THAT? I certainly don't but I'm so lazy I actually think I'll be happy if I don't reach my fundraising goal so you really need to push me and hold my feet to the fire.
So please donate...
...by clicking either the "Donate to Participant" or "Donate to Roger!" button on my fundraising page: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/KSGBikeEvents?px=7005701&pg=personal&fr_id=13142.
If you can't donate...
...you can still make sure I don't weasel out of the final 20 miles by emailing all of your BMX buddies about what I'm attempting to do on September 26th, 2009. Do you know anyone who was a kid in the 70's 80's or 90's? Chances are, they had a BMX and know how crazy this stunt is - send them a link to this webpage and let's see if we can reach my fundraising goal of $5,500!
...or please don't!
...so I can stop at the 80 Mile Finishing Line and enjoy a cold drink with the multi-speed cyclists instead of having to ride 20 miles more - which is a lot more than it sounds. Either way works for me. I wish this were just a clever fundraising gimmick but it's not - 100 miles is very difficult to do on a BMX - I honestly don't know if I can do it. Not reaching my fundraising goal may be a blessing in disguise - BUT IS THAT HOW YOU WANT THIS STORY TO END?
If you can do it, I can do it:
What you give today could power an OS BMX past the cheering crowds at the 80 Mile Finishing-Line and onward toward the gaping maw of the final 20 Mile Century Loop. Multi-speed cyclists will stare disbelievingly, event organizers might wonder if I'm hallucinating and try to stop me but I'll keep riding and I wont stop until I return from the 20 mile loop - and then I'll probably crash into a tree.
What's it like to ride 100 miles on a BMX?
I don't know, I've never done it. Since I began training, I've gotten up to 80 miles and it took 8 hours. Afterwards, I exploded - just kidding but seriously, I experienced a kind of fatigue that I have never experienced before in my entire life. 100 miles is a tough ride even if you're riding a 21 speed. I'll keep training.
It's going to a great cause even if I'm unable to finish the ride - so donate $5 even if that's all you can and dont forget to email all of your BMX buddies about what I'm trying to do - thanks for listening.
R.D.
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