Paris to Ancaster 2013

My eye was on the weather forecast for Brantford Ontario all week as I watched the rain showers pass over us here in Michigan. Yep, the 20^th running of the Paris to Ancaster was going to be a muddy one and I was glad I had the 616 Fabrications CX bike built up and ready to rock. Paris to Ancaster is a gravel grinder-ish road race-ish kind of course nestled in the farmland just West of Hamilton Ontario. It’s 60km’s of paved/dirt/muddy trails guaranteed to coat you and your bike head to toe in mud in just under 2hrs time. This year was no different.

 

The field was stacked. Notables were returning P2A champ and Canadian National CX champ Mike Garrigan, current US CX National Champ Jonathon Page, and rising CX superstar Justin Lindine. My strategy was get near the front off the start, then stay on these 3 guys for the remainder of the race.

I managed a really good start and was first into the narrow rail trail. I stayed right on the front until Mike Garrigan came around and squared himself up for an attack on the right hand turn up the loose tractor trail. It’s the most critical section of the race. Garrigan punched it, Page got by me and a few others. I immediately punched right back and closed the gap to Garrigan. Wow, the legs were good today! I looked back and he and I had a gap as we swung the right hander back onto the pavement! Should I pull through and keep it going? I took the safe route and sat on Garrigan. The pack bridged and swelled.

Normally we head right back into more trails, but this year was different. We kept rolling down the dirt road. I had no idea how long it was until the next trail sector. About a mile down the road I realize I’d been shuffled to the back. I looked up and saw Garrigan, Lindine, and Page all right on the front making a right hander into the next trail sector. Dam! I got caught sleeping. I tried like hell to shuffle through the pack, but it was too narrow and the trail was deep peanut butter mud. The 3 were gone along with a few others. As we made our way back out onto the road, I found myself chasing hard to catch back up to group 2 which was about 7-8 guys. I put in a huge effort to bridge just before we hit the next trail sector. It was too much. I was gasping, but not blown. I let a little gap form and thought maybe there was a chance to get back on if they sat up on the roads ensuing the trail sector.

We swung back out onto the roads and I chased like mad. We made another right hander into a nasty cross wind. It felt like a brick wall. I got to within 20ft of the group, but the cross wind was too much and I dangled off the back and watched the group creep away. I put my head down and recovered the best I could. From then on it was a 25 mile solo time trial to the finish. The worst thing was I could see the group up the road the whole time! I just couldn’t get there.

 

It’s amazing how a little mistake in a road race can get you thrown out the hatch. This race is especially tactical with the trail sectors and cross winds thrown into the mix. In my earlier days, I was typically strong enough to recover from errors, and I won quite a few of these races, but when you’re racing national champions and others who are just as strong as you are, the margin of error is very slim. You’ve got to be right on top of the moves and tactics, or else you’ll find yourself making small little errors that cost you BIG efforts… and we only have so many BIG efforts in the tank.

Good thing was I never got caught. I ripped down the mud slides and suffered up the 20% grade to the finish line and was able to roll in solo for 10^th overall… an improvement on last yrs 15^th, so I was pretty happy with that. I still need to improve on my tactics. The 616 Fab CX bike was awesome! The disc brakes were a god send on the mud shoots and I didn’t have to think about the bike the entire race which is a good thing. I also ran the velocity A23 disc wheelset. I had them wrapped with Challenge Open Grifo tires at just under 40psi. The ride quality of the wider rim is fantastic. Never bottom’d the rim out once. I also did two 24oz bottles of infinit nutrition. That was plenty to get by on for the entire race. I even had enough in the tank to ride 20 miles back to the start to get the van.

Well that’s all for now. Big congrats to Justin Lindine on the win in his first try. This guy is on a real tear this spring. Thanks for reading, and remember to brush up your race tactics and course knowledge. It can really make the difference between a podium finish or a just finished.

2013 Barry Roubaix

Well… the first BIG Michigan race of the year is officially in the books with Barry Roubaix. 616 Fabrications as well as Velocity wheels were sponsors of the race, so I really wanted to pull out a good result. My preparation for the spring started back in December, so needless to say I was pretty excited for this race. The temps were FRIGID, and course conditions were “sketchy” at best, but that didn’t stop almost 3000 people from attempting to slip and slide their way through the 62 miles of icey potted out dirt roads in Hastings Michigan.

After a very cold warm up, and a little course recon, I headed to the start with my travel buddy Don Cumming. Before we knew it, we were off. A quick right hander onto the dirt roads, and we hit the first KOM about 3 miles into the race. My plan was to start at the front and sag climb to see who was strongest, but no one came around me. Jordan Wakely and I pretty much went over the top in tandem with the entire 62 mile group in tow. The roads were down right treacherous! Ice and pot holes were jumping out at us everywhere, and carnage ensued as I could hear the crunching and sliding of bikes and bodies behind me. I knew I had to get back near the front ASAP, so I worked my way up and pretty much stayed near the front for the rest of the race.

Attacks were coming right and left. Justin Lindine flew off the front on the paved road section out near Yankee Springs and I almost thought that was the last we would see of him, until about 5 miles later when all of sudden he came raging back through the group! He must have taken a wrong turn. Dam, he was strong. Mike Anderson got on his wheel, and I got on Mike’s wheel as Lindine drilled it through the rollers. Lindine let up just for a second, and BAM! Anderson launched. I hesitated just for a moment looking for the group to counter his move, but it was a second too late. Anderson and Lindine, the two power houses of the race, had the 3 second gap they were looking for.

I didn’t panic though. I figured I would grab my feed at the aid station, then drill it to bridge. They were right there. But soon after the aid station, the entire group took a left, instead of a right, and we went off course. It was only maybe a ¼ mile but…  just like that, Lindine and Anderson were gone, and all the people that tailed off the back of our group got a free ride back on. Son of a bitch! From that point on, our group pretty much stayed together. I would say there were at least 30-40 people at one point. I must have attacked over a dozen times in an attempt to get off the front, but all it did was string it out and everyone would stay together. All the big hills were gone and there really wasn’t any other course features tough enough to break it apart again.

The group whittled down a little by the end, whether it be from people crashing into 36 milers, or just tired legs. We lined up for the sprint, and I knew I would probably end up somewhere near the back, which I did, at 13^th place. A little disappointing, but I still had fun, and I didn’t crash or hurt myself, which is always a bonus, especially with the course conditions. The 616 bike ran flawlessly as well. I thought I had really good legs, and I felt super strong… Strong enough to ride with Anderson and Lindine??? Well, I’d like to think so, but we may never know. I definitely need to brush up on my road tactics.  

 

A couple improvements could be made on the course. Maybe larger arrows on the course markings. When you’re flying downhill at 25mph on a sheet of ice, it was a little hard to decipher a small arrow at times. Also, I think the course might flow better if we rode it in the backwards direction. That way the defining features of the course are at the end, rather than at the beginning. It might make it more suspenseful.

 
Good thing is the legs are strong, and I have many more opportunities this spring to go for it. Congrats to Justin Lindine on the win. He deserved it. Next up is Paris Ancaster. A cool 40 mile point to point race in Ontario where I’ll get the chance to go up against Mike Garrigan and Jonathon Page. Wish me luck. These guys are just as strong! Thanks for checking in and hopefully we’ll see you out there on the roads this spring!

2013 Southern Cross

The first race of the year had me making the 12hr drive South to the mountains of Nothern Georgia to partake in the epic Southern Cross. 50 miles of paved/dirt fire roads with about 6000ft of elevation gain would certainly be enough to sort out the strongest riders. I was super excited to try out my new 616 stainless steel race rig, and it didn't disappoint. At 18.0 lbs, it's light and fast enough to hang right in there with the guys on CX bikes.

I got off to a good start. The off season stair running paid off as I was the first one to the top of the big nasty run up. From there, I hopped onto Thomas Turner's wheel as we head up into the mountains. Just coming off his masters world CX title, he was on a mission to ride all of us off his wheel, which he eventually did. We head up the famous "winding stair" climb and it was all I had just to stay with Thomas and Brian Toone. About 1/2 way up, I popped off the back, then near the top, I was joined by rockstar Garth Prosser and Spencer Whittier. We worked together pretty well up until the 2nd big climb on the course. I decided I was going to make the move and go for it. I hammered up the steady climb and distanced myself. From there, after a few more suprise uphill kickers, it was pretty much a time trial to finish 3rd.

I was really happy with 3rd. I had a solid race, and felt strong the whole way. We finished in just over 3hrs, and I was actually able to pull back a little bit of the time I lost on winding stair, which is a good sign. A 3hr race is just about perfect, and I'm finding that I enjoy just hammering the mountain roads over the trails. Pack racing is also much more fun than slogging out solo hrs on the trails. It's definately a lot less of a beat down on the body too. The 100 milers kind of drag on for me, and it was nice to finish a race and not feel like I almost died getting to the finish line. I think I'm really digging these gravel cross style events. Congrats on the win for Strava King Brian Toone! He's a really cool dude and it's a pleasure to stand on the podium with him. Watch out for this guy.

Thanks to the hospitality of the Livingston's, I had a sweet place to set up base camp for a week of training. The sun, warmer temps, and the smooth Georgia roads made getting in a big week almost easy! A couple highlights were the "silk sheets" group ride, an epic mountain fire road ride with Eddie O'Dea, and the classic 6 gap road ride. 6 gap is a famous ride that starts right near Dahlonega. It goes over 6 huge climbs and does some of the same roads that were used in the Tour of Georgia. The area is beautiful and the roads are dialed. It's a ride you have to do if you're ever in the area. Unfortunately the weather wasn't so good that day... temps in the 30's and rain. I started at the Hiker Hostil, right where the 5hr energy road team was holding their training camp. One of the riders came out just as I was suiting up. He looked at me like I was crazy. I guess it's not everyday you see a guy on a mountain bike with bagel wrappers over his shoes and a shower cap on his helmet ready to do a 100 mile road ride through the mountains in the rain by himself. But hey, I'm from Michigan, this stuff doesn't phase us. So get out there and get those miles in. The season is almost upon us! Thanks for checking in.

2013 Update, 616 Fab, Training Etc.

So 2013 is well underway and things are shaping up to be another fun season of mountain bike madness. The big news is for me is the new bike sponsor, 616 Fabrications. They’re a custom frame fabricator right here in the good ol’ state of Michigan.

As a matter of fact they whipped me up a sweet stainless steel 29er rig outfitted with the latest and greatest XX1 components, topped off with bits from Thomson and Magura. I’m really digging the way stainless steel rides. With the super high tensile strength of stainless steel, the tube wall thickness can be reduced to an absolute minimum which makes for slightly lighter tube sets over conventional steel. And who could discount the ride quality. The smaller diameter tubes yield excellent compliance, and the springy-ness of steel ensures any flex you put into the frame is given back. Stainless also doesn’t require paint or a coating. So it keeps the frame looking sharp for years and also eeks off a few more grams. Combine that with custom tailored geometry and you get one sweet Michigan made machine that will last for years. Granted there’s lighter frames made from other materials, but I prefer to ride something that represents more of who I am, where I’m from, and what I believe in. It’s a bike that has its own little character… one of kind… a bike built for a Simonster.

 

I also gave myself an early birthday present… a set of DT Swiss Carbon tubular wheels. At 1250 grams for the wheelset, these things are stiff and light. Combining the tubulars with the stainless steel frame gives a ride that is unbelievable. Most races I won’t even need suspension. The bike feels much smoother and controllable. It’s something you have to experience. The CX’ers out there know what I’m talking about.

On the racing front, I’m switching it up a bit. I plan on doing Mohican and Lumberjack (100 mile MTB races), but I don’t think my body could possibly hold up to another full season of NUE races. So with that being said, I’ll be focusing more on races like Barry Roubaix, Ore to Shore, and Iceman.

Along with that new focus, goes a new training strategy. In years past I would grind out 6-7 hr training marathons to stay competitive in the NUE series, but this years base/build hasn’t had me on a ride longer than 4hrs. I’ve been doing a ton of “sweetspot” training, and it seems to be yielding good results. I definitely feel a lot fresher. I also had some extra vacation time I carried over from last year, so I set up three 10 day training blocks where I’ll crank out the daily hrs uninterrupted with work. One was in December, one in January, and I’ll have one down South in Georgia for February (huge thanks to Mike Livingston!). Each of these blocks has a rest week before and after, and during the 10 days, I’ll look to rack up about 35hrs. Not having to go to work and focusing solely on training is like a dream. I can sleep 10hrs a night, train 4hrs and then catch a nap in the afternoon. No wonder the pro’s are so dam fast! I really hope it helps, and I would be over the moon if I got a little bit of that speed back I used to have.     

 

So here’s to what hopefully turns out to be another great season. First race of the kicks off this weekend at Southern Cross in Dahlonega Georgia where I’ll get a chance to ride with Paco Mancebo. I should have my work cut out for me trying to stay with this guy. I’ll keep you all posted on what happens. Thanks for reading!

BAM! Here comes 2013

Iceman + Season Wrap Up

Well that’s a wrap on another full season of mountain bike madness. Iceman went off without a hitch. It’s funny that I placed 17^th… exactly the same placing as last year. I thought my prep this year was a whole lot better not having to deal with a broken neck, but I believe the 2012 Iceman was the most competitive yet. The start went off fast as usual. I stayed right on the front and tried as hard as I could not to get bumped backwards. You have to be super aggressive on the start before it bottlenecks into the woods. Sure enough, the left side surged and I was instantly buried 50 deep. I can never seem to nail these chaotic mass starts, but at least I survived.

Once into the woods, I went to work getting around people and working my way up through the chaos of flinging sand and swervey lines. Before we hit Tornado alley, I was in the top 7. The pace seemed to surge just after and that’s where I blew up and tailed off the back. It was the opportunity I wanted and I was so close to sticking in there with the front group. Just a little more power and I would have made it. I know I can do better.

I settled into the 2^nd group and tried to stay near the front as much as possible. I tried to get off the front a couple times, but the pack was right on me. Not much happened till we made the surge for the shoot. Tristan Schouten and Colin Cares got around me, along with a few others. It was all I had in the shoot to finish 17^th. Not too bad. No crashes, no mechanicals, and no wrong turns. Not all that satisfying, but given the competition, it was what I had on the day.

It was a hard year overall. Lots of big road trips and a total of eight 100 mile MTB races which netted me 10^th in the NUE series. I was the first to finish 4 races and I actually lead the series for a couple months. I’m surprised I had the motivation to make a push for Iceman. Training for a season of 100 milers, then trying to flip the switch and go fast is a huge challenge. It takes some time for the body to get used to going all out. It was a successful season though. I won a road bike race, a mountain bike race, and a cross style gravel grinder. Good all around performance I thought. A lot of those races contained National caliber athletes and I was able to ride with the leaders and compete for podium spots at almost all of them.  

Can I do better? Hell yes I can! As much as I love the 100 milers, I’m not exactly built for 100 mile long races with 12,000ft of climbing. So in light of that, I will be focusing less on the NUE series, and more on the gravel grinders and triple crown races. I might even try a few more road races since that style sort of fits right in. I think my true calling is more of a steady power rider, and it’s time to start focusing on a specific style that suits me and catering my race schedule to fit. I’ll still do Mohican and Lumberjack, but other than that, I think I’m done with the NUE’s. I work full time along with this circus of racing, and it’s too hard to try and focus on 2 or 3 styles of racing and expect to compete with the full time pro’s… especially when you’re not cut out for one of those styles ala NUE. Some of the courses are getting a little too on the hazardous side for my comfort level as well… call it what you want. I also thought that the 100 milers sort of wore on me as the season progressed. Each race I just felt slower, so I think cutting way back on them will definitely help develop more of that speed and power I need to hang with those front groups of pro’s at the big triple crown races.   

Well that’s about it for right now. Huge thanks goes out too all the sponsors, Notubes, Infinit Nutrition, CPA Crossings, and of course RBS, who bent over backwards to help get me everything I needed. Thanks guys, you rock! And who couldn’t forget my awesome wife Michelle who endures all this craziness day in and day out and also helps me tremendously. Thanks for checking in, and hopefully I’ll see you out there prepping for next season on the frozen dirt rds of Michigan.

For Sale: XL Trek Superfly 100 W/SRAM XX

$3000 or best offer. Email me at mikesimonson@hotmail.com