Nightmare 2010 - Veni, Vidi, Vici

Hey Everyone!

My goal going into this year's Nightmare was to try and complete the ride in less then 10.5 hours. This would better last year's time by 12 minutes. My training up until this point had been perfect and I was having some really good sensations in my legs. But like any cyclist, I was still insecure about my training and hoped I had done enough.

Well, I think I did. My total time was 10 hours and 10 minutes. I shattered my old PR by almost 35 minutes! From the moment we set out I could tell it was going to be a good day. Less then five miles into the ride me and three other guys from Mason Dixon Velo (last year's winner Shawn Beeler, Andy Johnson, and Barry Klien) got a great gap on the field. I managed to hang with these cool cats until about mile 40 when they turned on the afterburners and I knew it was time to let them go. This meant I would be spending the next 137 miles on my own.

But not entirely on my own. I had my awesome support crew - Matt (@mattapperson on Twitter) and Alanna Apperson - who are my brother-in-law and sister. They kept me well supplied with the fuel I needed at all times. Without their amazing support the ride I put in would not have been possible! Gratzi you guys!

The first 100 miles rolled by in just 5 hours and 36 minutes - my fastest 100 mile time to date. After that the rest of the day just seems like a blur. All told I was stopped only three minutes (only for traffic lights and nature breaks) also making this one of the longest days I've spent on the bike without stopping. I took food while still rolling from the side of the road as needed. My longest "stop" came at a traffic light and lasted about 90 seconds.

By the end of the day I claimed fourth place. Although two spots lower than last year I still set a new PR on the Nightmare course. I want to give a major thank you to all the volunteers on the Nightmare route. Although I didn't see them hardly at all, without their tireless efforts such a great ride wouldn't be possible. Also, a big thank you goes out to Mike Ridgeway, the Nightmare director, for organizing this wonderful ride every year for the last 16 years. Be sure to check out the website at www.dreamrideprojects.org.

With Nightmare officially behind me it means that the racing season has begun for me. Next up I head out to Boulder Colorado for some altitude training to get ready for the CX season. Well technically it's for my brother's wedding but I like to think it's a training camp ;-)

After a week in Boulder I come back and less then two weeks later the CX season kicks off in Trexlertown PA at the Nittany Lion cross. If you're in the area be sure to stop by and cheer me on. I'll be once again flying the RGM Watches/Richard Sachs colors this year.

Thanks again to all the people who will make this season possible and who have already helped out thus far!

Thanks for reading!
Captain Crunch

Another July another Tour de France

Wow where has the time gone? It feels like just yesterday we were awaiting the start of the Tour and now it's already finished. It certainly was a great Tour - the best in years ATMO! With the conclusion of the TdF means that cyclocross is just around the corner. It also means that the Nightmare is only 14 days away. I can tell it's gonna be another good year and that I should be peaking again soon. My goal for the Nightmare is to ride it in 10.5 hours. You can see my cyclocross goals over on the right.

The blog has been quiet all summer. As soon as September starts you can expect regular updates on a weekly basis. I'd like to take this moment and thank everyone in advance for there support this season. If t wasn't for people like you there wouldn't be a racing season! Never underestimate what you guys do for me.

Best!
Captain Crunch!

My Cyclocross setup

As we creep ever nearer to the beginning of the CX season I thought I would share the setup I'll be using for this season.

The bike began life as a stock 2008 Raleigh RX1.0. After the end of last season I knew some upgrades were needed to make it a full on race worthy machine.

Frame - 2009 Raleigh RX1.0 w/ Easton EC90 Carbon fork
Wheels - Rolf Vector Comp
Tires - Challenge Grifo 32's
Rear Dérailleur - Shimano 105 9spd
Cassette - Sram PG950 12-26 9spd
Front Derailleur - None
Cranks - FSA Gossamer
Chainrings - 38tooth with a Salsa Crossing Guard and Third Eye chainwatcher
Shifters - Left Shifter - Tektro RL520; Right shifter - Campagnolo Xenon 10spd (to see how to make this work with the Shimano R/D please click here)
Cables - Gore Sealed Ride-On
Brakes - Cane Creek SCX5
Bar - Deda 40cm wide
Stem - Deda 90mm +/- 8 degree rise
Saddle - Specialized Toupe 130
Seatpost - FSA Alloy with 25mm setback
Pedals - Crank Brothers Eggbeaters

I've had the chance to test this setup on a few mountain bike rides and am really happy with it. Now to get out and prove it on the course and hopefully pilot it to a few wins!

Best
Captain Crunch

The Funniest Guys in the Peleton

Hey Everyone,

So while I may not be racing racing road this year in favor of putting my focus on CX, I'm still a roadie at heart. This month is a great time for fans of pro cycling as both the Tour of Cali and Giro are currently being contested. As I've been following my favorite riders, David Zabriskie, Jens Voigt, and Ted King, it made me realize that these guys are just as much comedians as they are bike racers. I'll link to a tibit from each one.

First we have Ted King. This guys writes and awesome and very snarky blog. Check it out at www.iamtedking.com. Also check out his t-shirt line, I Am NOT Ted King. Someone hacked his Twitter account a few months back and he just took the idea and ran with it. My favorite shirt is the Giro pink one!

Next up is Jens Voigt. One of the hardest working guys in the peleton, it is pretty much universally agreed that he is one rider who is most assuredly racing clean and someone that young fans can look up to. This clip from the documentary "Overcoming" sums up Jens in a nut shell. Remember, when in doubt think "WWJD?" - What Would Jens Do?

Now, my friends, I give you who I think is the funniest guy in the field - David Zabriskie. There is simply too much to say and too many videos to post so I'll put link to the three I think best show the kind of guy he is..
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3

Hopefully I brought a little laugh to your day. Now I'm off to go watch some Giro coverage.

Best
Captain Crunch

Six-Eleven Bicycle Co.

Hey guys,

I want to introduce you to a great new up-and-coming builder that I had the chance to meet a while back at NAHBS. His name is Aaron Dykstra and he runs Six-Eleven Bicycle Co. He has an awesome story and the inspiration for his bikes is even cooler. Give his site a look. I've already decided that my next road bike and CX bike will be coming out of his workshop sometime over the course of the next two years.

Best
Captain Crunch

I hate flat tires

The Chinese have the "year of the cat" but for me so far it has been the "year of the flat". Four months into the year and I've already accrued 5 flat tires. Today, less then a mile from home I double flated. That's right - two in one shot. I simply turned around coasted back home and took care of it in my driveway and didn't have to waste a CO2 canister. The rest of the ride went off without any problems, except for my paranoia of getting another flat tire. Hopefully things will be better for the rest of the season.

Best!
C C

Big Makeover For MAC’s 2010 Cyclocross Schedule

You probably don't realize the warm fuzzy feeling I got from reading that headline in my twitter feed this morning. For one, it's a signal that cross season is almost here as organizers are starting to prepare their races schedules. Two, it means my favorite sub-culture of the sub-culture of cycling is growing, meaning bigger better races closer to my home. Here is the link to the article online

With that being said, the MAC series is the premier series for cyclocross riders in the mid-Atlantic seaboard area. This year they've expanded by leaps and bounds to include more races. Both the Charm City and Grangue races are full weekends and they have inclued the Whirly Bird race near Philly on the calendar this year.

What does this mean for me? It means that I no longer need to drive 5+ hours into the Northeast Kingdom for big races every other weekend this winter. Focusing on getting good results in the MAC series, along with the third round of the USGP, means that I shouldn't have to drive more then 2.5 hours for some high quality races with big fields of riders. However, I am still planning on going up north at least once (probably for the Providence race or the Cycle-Smart classic) so I can hang with the boy and girls of the Richard Sachs team (they'll also be at the USGP in NJ and at Natz).

Stay safe out there!
Captain Crunch