For years you have been asking for a Tuggnut chain tensioner to use on your Cross-Check.  And for years we have ignored you.  Not really, but there were a bunch of other things we needed to get done first, so it only seemed that way.

Earlier this year our answer to this, the Surly Hurdy Gurdy, arrived here with little to no fanfare.  We figured you nerds would find it on our website and rush right over to your favorite bike shop to order one.  That’s what we figured anyway, until we heard from our trusty bearded inventory control robot Phil Raitt that we have a bunch of these in stock but hardly any have sold.

I’m here to inform you five people who wrote to us about six years ago BEGGING us to make this for you that these are now available, and you need to make good on your promise of doing “ANYTHING!!!” for us to make it now that we have in fact made it for you.     

If you only learn one thing from this blog post please make it this little nugget.  The Hurdy Gurdy is designed to be used with the Surly Cross-Check.  The Cross-Check is a bike with forward-facing semi-horizontal dropouts.  There are other bicycles made with this style of dropout, by a bunch of companies that are not Surly, and while the Hurdy Gurdy MIGHT work with some of those bicycles, we do not in any way guarantee that they will.  The only bicycle that we do guarantee them to fit on is the Surly Cross Check.  Oh, they will also fit on the Surly Travelers Check, because both frames use identical dropouts, but that is all we can promise.  Feel free to buy one to use on another brand of bike, but please don’t blame us if it doesn’t work.

Check out the Hurdy Gurdy.

Isn't she pretty?  Sexy investment cast stainless steel usually is.

Here is a photo of our Single Speed Cross-Check without the Hurdy Gurdy installed.

Here is a photo of the same bike with the part installed.

It can be used with either bolt-on or QR hubs.

Installation is pretty easy but as always if you don't know how to read instructions or use bicycle tools please have your local shop do it for you.  That's what they are there for.

Happy trails!

More pictures from our dumpage. So many places... so many bikes

Are you still riding the Surly stainless seat collar that came with your frame?  Our old seat collar has successfully clamped a lot of seat posts for a long time, but we now offer a new badass version that has loads more durability and swank than the one you’ve got!

This updated collar features an all new cast stainless steel body and new hardware.  The new hardware uses a stainless M6 bolt with a conical washer, and the old threaded casting is replaced with a stainless barrel nut.

The new stainless collar will be available in two sizes: 30.0mm (for our bikes that are still sporting 27.2mm seatposts) and 33.1mm (for our bikes that get down with 30.9 seatposts) in black and polished silver for those that love the shiny:

.

Seems like the only hard decision here is what to do with your old one...

Wow. 

Am I right?

New year.

Yeah.

2015 already.

Woah.

Where is the century going?

Am I right folks.

Also, pictures from our dump.

You know.

Cuz.

Well, we went over all the submissions for the Krampus video contest, fourteen in all. We laughed, we ridiculed, we soiled our pants.  I, for one, tip my hat to anyone with the guts to make a video and post it on the internet for all the world to see. A world filled with “too cool for school” assholes who don’t’ have the balls to do something like this themselves but nit-pick everyone elses work until all that’s left is a tiny pile of dust.

It’s always easier to do nothing, sit back and tear down folks who do something, than it is to take the risk, create something and put it out there for people to see, hear, touch, taste and feel.

So in that sense every one who entered the Krampus video contest won.

YOU’RE ALL WINNERS!

In a much more real sense, this is the video that actually won.

There are various reasons for that, but mostly it’s the one that made us laugh the most. It had a complete story, told visually (like they do with them movies), original music, lots of edits and pretty good dialog to boot. The Krampus costume sort of was non-existent, but all in all, this video clearly had the most effort put into it and it was “laugh out loud” funny too.

We’re giving honorable mention to this one.

The style of the video and Krampus costume seriously kick ass (by far the best costume) so they’ll get a little something for their trouble.

I want to thank everyone who sent us a video. Seriously, most people just don’t have the guts to put themselves out there like that, and you all deserve a curtain call.

Thanks for being part of this.  

Without fans like you all out there, none of us in here would have jobs. (Which now that I think about it….)

Keep riding.

A while back we switched all of our fatbikes (which at the time all had off-set rear ends) to on-center forks and front wheels.  The people out there (that’s you silly) told us that’s what they wanted, and we (being the extremely reasonable people that we are) responded.

Though many of us (myself included still love the offset fork, because of the versatility that it offers.  It’s one of the things about my Pugsley that I just can’t seem to fall out of love with.

I have three wheels (many of you have heard this before because I never shut up about it, so forgive me if your one of those)(or don’t)(whatever floats your boat)…ah yes, three wheels for my Pug. SS, fixed and geared. Changing that bike from one to the other takes on average three and a half minutes, and it’s like having a few bikes in one, with one less tire than I otherwise would have had.

So, long story short (way too late) I love the off-set fork. It’s one of the things that makes me return to this bike time and time again. I know I’m not alone out there. There are folks out there who agree with me, and that’s why we sell them aftermarket. 

This year we’re trying an experiment, and we have some color (matched) forks available. Pug Ops Battleship Grey (http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pug_ops), SS Pug Purple (http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pug_ss_2015), Pugsley Green (http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pugsley), and of course Black. So you can get a fork that matches, or even better, you can get a fork that doesn’t. Either way it’s up to you.

NOW FOR EVEN MORE EXCITING NEWS

These new forks have been redesigned and improved by our resident Enginerd and Wheelie Master: Thor (applause sounds).

It’s no secret that there’s lots of folks out there who think an off-set fork is pretty damn weird looking, and around here there is some discussion about whether or not the new design is even weirder looking, or much more normal.

I spoke to Thor about the design, and he designed it even stronger than it was before (after the bad batch that we had to recall we thought making it stronger was a plus), he took the bend out for simplicities sake and to allow for the anything cage mounts on both sides, and he changed the disc tab, so now it takes (wait for it)…

 FRONT CALIPER ADAPTERS FOR DISC BRAKES (instead of the rear)(which doesn’t effect wheel changing or function, it just means you can use the adapter that came in the box for front and rear now. Neat!)

Here are some technical drawings of the two.

As you can see, things are a bit different. Here is what the old one looks like on a bike. (The picture was taken by a buddy of mine, the Coast Kid. His blog can be found here: http://coastkid.blogspot.co.uk/)

Here is the new one.

And another angle.

And another…

And now we’re circling the drain…The green, black and grey forks are available in the US at any shop that has an account with mom and dad (QBP), ETA on the purple forks is February. We ordered them in very small quantites so once they’re gone (the colored ones at least) they’re gone for good.

Keep warm, drink beer, go ride.

Some more pictures from our image dump.  As always the builds are awesome and the places that they go continue to make me green (er).

Do you have your own pictures of your Surly? Submit them here: http://surlybikes.com/gallery

And Yes, this first bike is a 29+ Ice Cream Truck....hell yea!

Hey Pals,

I once wrote a page for the 2015 catalog about the 650b Straggler. It talked about the virtues of the 650b wheel size. I said witty things like "650b wheels were popular on 'Constructuer' style bikes, and we all know how real shit was back in the day" and I extoled the virtues of the wheel size saying "It mitigates toe-overlap, makes it easier to fit smaller riders and is more nimble than it's larger counterparts." Blah blah blah.

All of that stuff is true and now it's possible for you to get one, because guess what! We have complete bikes in stock now.

Huzzah.

So yeah, we have complete bikes that came in to our warehouse at QBP in sizes 38-50, and frames in those same sizes by the end of next month. Sadly the 38 completess are already gone. We undershot how many people we thought would want a bike that small. It'll be late summer before we see the 38cm bikes back in stock. We're only doing complete bikes in the 38-50cm sizes and frames will be available in what we're calling "extended" sizes (52-58cm) in the fall. A bit of a long way out, but many of you have clearly learned the virtuous nature of being patient.

For the short stacks that missed out on the 38cm completes, I'll repeat that we should have a shipment fo the frames in 38-50cm sometime in early February, or as I like to call it Fabruary, because it's FABULOUS. And it's gonna even more fabulous because we'll have Straggler 650b frames by then.

Call us or your local bike shop if you have questions. Call your local bike shop if you don't have any questions and want one of these bikes.

Go ride your bike.

So this thing has been happening to me lately.  Once a week I send responses to all the folks out there who want us to sponsor their trip across the world, or taco stand or beer drinking contest.  Most of the time I tell those folks “No”.  Which is for various reasons, but mostly because we don’t really give a lot of product out to people, and we never give cash. It has to be something really special.

This is where the aforementioned “thing” comes into play.  We’ve been getting lots and lots of sponsorship requests from folks who just like the brand. They’re not asking for anything.  Let me say that again.

THEY’RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING.

Nothing. Nada. They just want us to know they’ve been riding our bikes for a while and consider themselves to be a Surly rider.  They don’t want a bike, or even a hat, they just want us to know that they’re out there, spreading the good word.

In the world of brands and manufacturers and consumers they call people like that, “SUPER FANS”. And that’s exactly what those people are.  I imagine many of you are people just like that. It’s how I started on this whole Surly train. Years before I worked here I rode the bikes, and that was all it took.

So it has occurred to me that we rarely say “Thanks” to folks like that (at least in any “big grand gesture” sort of way).  We say it, we blog it, we buy people beer when they come out to ride with us, but we wanted to do something a little more special. And so was born the:

SURLY SUPERFAN COUPON

It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. 150 bucks off any Surly complete bike. Here it is:

Print this mother out, fill it out and take it into your local Surly (or even QBP) dealer and redeem it for 150 bucks off any Surly bike that the dealer, or QBP has in stock. Dealers send us a copy of the filled out coupon and the receipt, along with coupon code (with dealer# and part#) and we'll take it from there. 

The coupon expires on April 1^st 2015 and is only good on bikes in stock.

SORRY INTERNATIONAL FOLKS THIS IS FOR DOMESTIC COMSTOMERS ONLY.

So go crazy, and seriously…

THANK YOU ALL. WITH OUT YOU, THERE WOULD BE NO US.

Now go ride!

Every week I post more pictures and every week the dump just seems to keep growing and growing.  After just under two years, it's the biggest part of our website now. Thank you everyone who has submitted a bike, and to all of you out there who keep riding and waving the Surly flag. I've been saying this a lot lately, but without you there is no us.

It’s that time of year (ok, in 6 weeks)  when mom and dad (QBP) throw their winter mixer (Frostbike) for all the friends and relatives and colleagues and various political leaders (awesome dealers and LBS’s). Of course they want us there. What kind of proud parent wouldn’t want their greasy teenager at their party?

To that end, it’s always fun for the greasy teenager (us) to get up and dance infront of mom and pop’s closest friends and business associates, so dance we will. But not in a literal get up and dance sort of way (though who knows how much booze we can sneak while the grown-ups have their backs turned) but we shall dance in a “here’s something new and cool that we’ve been working on” sort of way. Follow me?  No? Really? Dammit!

I’ll try this.

At Frostbike, folks will get an in person look at a couple of new products that we’re going to be releasing soon (trickling in over the next few weeks, and into the year beyond that too.)  The first is:

Moonlander Special Ops.

This Moonlnader comes with SRAM 1x11 (X1) drivetrain, guide brakes, Surly OD crank, and  the next new thing we’ve got to show off at the party:

Our officially (X-Sync) licensed, narrow-wide stainless chainring (and a new chain-guard to boot). The ring on this rig is a 28t 58mm BCD, with a 94mm BCD guard.

The complete Moonies will be available by Frostbike (unless the dock workers strike continues forever) for purchase, though with less than 150 coming domestically, get them while they’re hot.  There are also a small number that are available right now internationally. Check with your local dealers and have them connect with their Surly distributor to find availability near you.

The chainrings will be available aftermarket by the end of this calendar year.  It could take a while, we had a small batch rushed to get them on these bikes, and the rest will (as new product is sometimes likely to do) take the time they take. Once we have them in stock we will update you, and for those dealers out there with “item watch” on qbp.com the rings and guards should be live now (the bikes too).

Here is the video that inspired the whole thing!

Tires are a big deal.  You can have a totally dialed bike with all the fanciest parts under the sun but if your tires aren’t firing on all cylinders, the whole ride can be turned into a serious bummer, nay, an early funeral if things go real bad.  After all, tires are your bicycle's interface with whatever surface you chose to ride and different surfaces require different tread patterns, pressures and widths.  If one of those things is off, things could get a bit loose.  Sometimes that’s a lot of fun. Other times, it hurts a lot.  It’s good to take the time out to think about how you want your bike to interface with the ground.  What sort of tread do you need?  What sort of tire pressure will work the best?  Are you going to be sinking into the soft stuff, or saddling yourself with the unnecessary burden of tires that are too wide?  Can a tire actually be too wide?

One of the questions that frequently echoes through the halls of the Surly Mothership is; “will such and such tire fit in such and such frame?”  The answer to that question is generally along the lines of, if it is a Surly frame and you’re using the wheel size it was designed around, there’s an excellent chance the tire you’re talking about will fit.  If you’re using a wheel size that the frame wasn’t designed for like, say, a 650b wheel on a LHT frame, there’s a chance but there’s no way for us to know because we didn’t design the bike for that wheel size.  Maybe?  Give it a try, you seem like a smart cookie.

Tire fit on Surly frames isn’t usually an issue because tire clearance is one of the five pillars of the Surly Design Philosophy, but anyone who has ever messed around with a good sample of tires from different manufacturers knows that, just because it has a number on the side doesn’t mean it’s going measure out the same as another brand.  Tire manufacturers will use different points on the tire to  take their measurements so there can be confusion if you’re trying to fit tires into frames that, unlike us, don’t put such a high importance on having a lot of tire clearance.  And we all know, bicycle tires can get pretty damn expensive so when you buy them you want to know that they will fit in your frame.

That covers tire size, but how exactly do we figure out frame clearance?  That’s a little easier.  When we design a frame we go into it not just with the nebulous declaration that it must be able to fit humungous tires, we have an idea of what size wheel and tire this frame will work best with and that’s all part of our design process.  We put a lot of thought into tire size and the effect it will have on the handling of any bike.  Many of our fat bikes and trail bikes are great examples of this concept because tire size plays such an important role in how you perceive the handling of your bike.  This is clearly the reason we didn’t put 650Ax23mm tires on the Instigator 2.0, but instead developed our own tire size, 26+ (a 26 x 2.75” tire on a 50mm rim).

Many an armchair engineer and late-night garage tinkerer have discovered that, because we’re such fans of big tires, many of our frames will not only fit huge tires, but slightly narrower tires of larger wheel diameters, or yet fatter tires of smaller wheel diameters.  Let’s look at the venerable 1x1 for this example.  On our website, we list the tire clearance for the 1x1 frame and fork as 26 x 2.75.”  So what does this really mean?  Does it mean that you could probably throw a 27.5 x 2.1” wheel/tire combo in your 1x1?  I dunno (shrug).  We designed it for 26” wheels so that’s what we’re sticking with.  Yeah, 27.5” wheels are all the rage now, but we made that bike to be ridden with 26” wheels so if you want to get into the double black diamond, completely out of bounds, at your own risk behavior of installing different wheel sizes on your bike, hey man, that’s your thing.  All I’m gonna say is that it’s gonna mess with your bottom bracket height and the center of gravity of your bike and it might handle kinda stupid. 

With bikes, frame sets and forks, we list the “least common max tire clearance of any particular component”, that is, whichever component has the least “max tire clearance” is what is listed as the “max tire clearance”. Additionally, we only list the max tire width of the tire “type” it was designed to work with.

For example, on the 1x1 frameset we list 26 x 2.75” as max tire size. That is what fits in both the frame and the fork, even though the fork will fit up to a 26 x 3”. Now tinkerers, magicians, and engineers (amateur or professional) also know (or could deduce) that the 1x1 will fit many 650b knobby tires, and even some 29”er mountain tires, but we do not list those max tires clearances, because the 1x1 is designed for 26” treads.

We have also included in this dissertation, the max chain stay width at the tire in both millimeters and inches, for all of our frames.  If you still have questions on tire clearance or how we measure our tires you can use this handy link to see every dimension of each of our tires here: http://surlybikes.com//uploads/downloads/SURLY_Tire_Geometries.pdf

You can also find this whole thing as a Surly Spew here: http://surlybikes.com/info_hole/spew/tire_clearance_and_your_surly_frame

I love the word "dump".

I really do.

The other day, I took my Instigator out of it's winter hibernation. I basically looked at it, petted it a little, then put it back. Spring's right around the corner, dontcha know? It seemed necessary to think about my favorite bike to ride in the summer because several of us are about to go freeze our asses off for the Arrow Head 135 that starts today (assuming it's Jan. 26th, 2015). We've usually had some presence there one way or another because it's a really great example of how cool bike events (or running or skiing if that's more your speed) can be. But this year, we're sending a crack team of people too dumb to feel cold up there to work the event and generally run amok in the forests of Northern, MN. It's gonna be a 'bottle rockets' of a good time. We packed the tipi and the stove and I'm gonna derby Dave when he pulls into our checkpoint.

So, moral of the story is; get stoked.

Perhaps it’s cuz I’m finally tired of ranting here on the old Surly blog. Perhaps it’s because as the weather stays cool and uninviting I know that Valentines day is approaching and it gets me all warm and cuddly and makes we want to snuggle till I’m all snuggled out.

By snuggle, I mean get drunk and wake up wondering where I am.  It’s something I do pretty well.  And while that doesn’t make me Surly to do such a thing, thinking about “such a thing” reminds me of the people that have been next to me when I woke up.  And some of those folks are the Surliest people I know.

We here at Surly often find ourselves having to live vicariously through people out there who are really experiencing the life on the road.  We spend a lot of times behind desks pulling our hair out wishing we were out there, riding along, maybe even having a beer with the folks out there who really do more for Surly than any of us could ever hope for.

Most people like that don’t work for us, and are otherwise unconnected (aside from the fact that they use our bikes)

Those people ride for their own reasons, and they are often quite personal. Surly doesn’t have a lot of record chasing glory-hounds in our camp (there are a couple, to be sure), our riders tend to be a little more quiet about why they ride and a little louder about everything else. Especially when you don’t ask for their opinions.

These folks ride our bikes across great mountain ranges, around the world, to the corner store, to work and for play.

Explorers

Commuters

Tourers

Trail riders

Cross racers

Errand runners

And the list goes on.

The thing that this seemly disparate group of people has in common is that they use a Surly. (I very intentionally wrote “use” instead of “ride” because in my experience that is one of the things that really separates them from the rest of the pack.

The types of things our riders “use” our bikes for is only eclipsed by the kind of people they are.

Hunters

Taco Stand Owners (on the back of a Bill trailer)

Environmentalists

Survivalists

Traveling Puppet Shows

Doctors

Activists

Lawyers

Preachers

Vegans

Carnivores

Liberal Hippy Scum

Conservative Capitalist Scum

(All kinds of scum really)

Gun Collectors/Enthusiasts

Gun Control Advocates

Artists

Accountants

College Professors

Humble Bike Mechanics

Other Bike Mechanics

Marketing Executives

This list goes on too. On and on.

Diversity in reason, background and thought.

Pretty damn cool if you ask me.

Now here’s one of the Surliest people I know.

Here we are again.

You and I.

Here, looking into one and other's eyes.

A wink.

A smile.

Some dumpage...

Those were pictures from our image dump. Do you have a cool picture of your customized Surly? Or a picture of your bike in a cool place you rode it to? Or just a picture of your stock bike in your living room? Send them over here: http://surlybikes.com/gallery

So this year, it would seem, is the year of Fatbikes. We’ve got a new one out (Ice Cream Truck) and so does just about everybody else in the world. Everyone wants to know what we think of all these new bikes and all the hoopla as it were.

I can’t really speak for everyone in the group, but I can tell you what I think.

Fatbikes kick ass. I think they're here to stay, but really I've been saying that for a while now. Everyone at Surly has. Just when we think we've found everything they’re good for, we find something else. Haters can and will still hate (I give you my permission) but we don't think they're going anywhere. I hate to put it like this, but when the behemoths in the industry are making and selling them, that's kind of a sign, that this category, and the bikes in it are changing the way people think about bikes.

But which one to ride? If I had a stable full of them, which one would I grab time and time again.  It’s a question that can only really be answered if you are lucky enough to spend a lot of time on multiple bikes. I have, a perk we have here at Surly. We’ve got all kinds of them floating around here (Not just at Surly, but mom and dad (QBP) have a bunch around for us to play on too), so I kind of have my pick.

Now it goes without saying and without much surprise that I wouldn’t be the marketing buffoon here at Surly, if I didn’t ride their bikes. They’re the bikes I have  chosen to ride since I found the brand (long before I worked here), and I hope they will continue to speak to me after I have gone. I've said it time and time again that I don't ride a Surly because I work for Surly. I work for Surly because I ride one.

So we know I'll pick a Surly, but after that...well, this is the part that surprises me. I don’t always grab the new bike. I actually always grab the oldest one.

The Pugsley.

I rode the crap out of my Ice Cream Truck, and I know there's lots of folks around here who like how rad they can get on that bike. But my radness is pretty much tapped out on 3spd townie.

I don't get rad, I get home...and for that the Pugsley is the "just right" amount of bike for me. There are folks around here who push that bike to it's limits and it's cool to see for sure. It can do way more than I can do. Which means it can do everything I can

I love that bike, and whenever I can’t decide what bike to ride (whether for commuting, road, or dirt) I always grab my Pug. It's the go to. For everything.

I love the elegance of the offset rear and fork (which I have never once felt pull me in any direction) as an answer to the question: How can we make this bike with common parts that are readily available? I don't need new proprietary doo-dads (I know there are folks out there who do need those things, and that's okay too) I just need a bikes that rides well.

I love that I have three wheels and can swap them around (at the moment I have been rocking it SS all winter, last year it was geared and the year before fixed). Three bikes in three years and all of that with whatever my second choice for drivetrain in front of me on the fork.

Most of all though, I love the way that bike rides. Anywhere and everywhere.  It has that versatility that I love. It’s a bike in the middle. It’s about ride quality and feel. Which to me are all that a bike should ever be about. No matter what fatbike (or trail bike really) I ride, the Pugsley is the one that I just can’t let go of.

I know there's lots of folks out there who say, "if you're going to go fat, you might as well go as fat as you can." I'm not saying their wrong; I'm just saying it's not for me. 4” tires are plenty. Maybe I'm fat enough to make up the difference, who knows.

I guess what I'm saying is that there are lots of folks out there who seem to have written this bike off.

The bike that started it all.

They’re calling it the "Model T" of bikes, calling it a dinosaur. I believe a more apt description would be a "Swiss Army Knife". Function that doesn't go away. That's how I see my Pugsley.

You call it a dinosaur, I call it a T-Rex with axes for arms!

Here’s a not-so-brief synopsis of my race/ride through Minnesota’s northern wilderness on the Arrowhead Trail, a 135-mile section of snowmobile trail that runs from International Falls, MN to Tower, MN. This was my 10th Arrowhead 135 Race, and, like the other nine AH135 romps, it had its own special flavor.   

Gear prep usually begins weeks before the race, but I always seem to be wrenching on my bike, sewing clothing, and fine-tuning my systems up until the last minute.  And my home shop inevitably turns into a pig sty...well, an even bigger pig sty than usual.  

Without a bunch of gear hanging on it, my ICT is a relatively lightweight rig.  

My dad, Jerry, picked me and my son, Noah, up early Sunday morning, and we made our way north to International Falls, from Minneapolis.  We missed the freeway exit to our usual breakfast stop in Hinckley and, instead, ate at the Family Tradition restaurant in Cloquet.  I think we’ll stop there again, next year.  Good food, big portions, reasonable prices, great service.  One of the successes, of any road-trip, is finding a good place to stop and grab some grub.  We were off to a good start.  

We arrived in I-Falls around 1:00pm and made our way to the community center for the mandatory gear check-in.  Don Clark, The Gear Nazi, is the only person who has been part of all eleven AH135 races. Don was running the show, here...making sure everybody has the appropriate gear to get them out of trouble, if they know how to use it.  Don's son, Joe, was there helping him...and, later, racing the event on his Pug.

If nothing else, I have the gear-check procedure down to a science.  One Rubbermaid storage bin contains all of my mandatory gear, except for my sleeping bag.  One must finish the race with all of the items listed on the mandatory gear list or face a time penalty or possible disquilification.  And, for the first time in AH135 history, they checked our gear after we reached the finish line.  Bravo.  I truly appreciate that.  

Here’s the qualifying mandatory gear that I carried this year:

• Princeton Tec Apex Pro headlamp with lithium CR123 batteries

• Plastic whistle on a string (to be worn around the neck during the race)

• 1-pint titanium cook pot (and lid)

• Titanium folding Esbit stove

• 12-pack of Esbit fuel cubes 

• (2) Cateye 3-LED red flashers

• (2) reflective triangles

• Equinox bivy

• 2/3-length Thermorest Ridgerest pad

• Sierra Designs -20F down sleeping bag

• (2) Isotherm insulated 2-liter water bottles

• UST floating, refillable butane lighter

• Small jar of peanut butter (3200 calories)

Gear-check took 15-20 minutes.  Then we made our way to the hotel.  Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived. So we passed the time chatting with fellow racers and their families and friends.  

After checking into our room, I started getting my bike prepped for the big ride.  It didn’t get much done before we had to head back to the community center for the mandatory pre-race meeting at 4:00.  

The meeting is a great place of talk to old friends and see some new faces in the crowd.  I look forward to it every year.  Ken Krueger, the race director, did an awesome job of explaining the rules and answering questions.  Then he gave away loads of product in the prize drawing.  Surly donated an ICT frameset and a pair of Bud and Lou tires for the drawing.  

After dinner at the Chocolate Moose, we headed back to the hotel.  When we got there, Noah immediately bolted to the arcade, Dad made his way to the sauna, and I continued to pack, organize, second-guess, and otherwise ready my gear for the race.  Chuck Lindner, who has done the race 8 times, stopped by to chat about gear and about life, in general.  Chuck is the proud owner of an ECR, and I enjoy hearing about the places his Surly takes him.  

Dad hit the pillow around 10:00, while I refined my systems, did some last-minute sewing, and staged my clothing.  Noah fell asleep around 11:00.  I didn’t shut off the lights until 1:30.  Next year, I hope to get a full night’s sleep before the race.  One can dream…

The alarm went off at 5:00.  Dad got up and took a shower.  I snoozed for another 15 minutes before surrendering to the fact that I needed to get ready for the long day in the saddle.  Dad headed off to McDonald’s to pick up breakfast.  The last couple of years, we made breakfast in the room.  But it was mediocre, at best.  So McDonald’s oatmeal, hashbrowns, and OJ were chosen for this year’s pre-race calorie intake. Honestly, it wasn’t bad.  I think we made the right choice. 

The temperature was 26F, according to Dad.  I dressed accordingly and quickly headed out the door at 6:40…before I had the opportunity to start sweating in my riding attire.  This year’s race-start clothing choices:

• WSI Heatr liner socks, vapor barriers (Cub Foods plastic grocery bags), generic mid-weight wool socks, Empire Wool and Canvas True North boots (with Vibram soles)

• Ibex wool windfront briefs, Janeware Polartec fleece tights, RaceFace knickers

• Ibex short-sleeve base layer, Ibex long-sleeve base layer, Surly short-sleeve wool jersey, Empire Wool and Canvas full-zip Grey Fox wool coat

• Pearl Izumi headband, Walz wool cycling cap

• Defeet Duraglove wool gloves

Other clothing, carried on the bike:

• Golite vapor barrier socks

• Surly long-sleeve full-zip wool jersey, Montane Pertex smock

• WSI Flippy hat, Surly wool scarf, Wool Buff

• Outdoor Research mitten shells, ragg wool mittens, Stephenson Warmlite vapor barrier gloves, Ibex wool glove liners

I couldn’t ride the Ice Cream Truck last year, because we hadn’t unveiled it. And I'd been looking forward to giving it a proper Arrowhead workout. It’s always fun to try new gear on this trail.  The terrain varies from dead-flat to horribly-hilly.  So, for me, a wide gear range is a necessity.  I pulled the SRAM 1x11 bits off my Moonlander and installed them on the Ice Cream Truck.  Coupled with a 24t Surly stainless chainring on the O.D. crank, I had all the range I needed to move the loaded fatty toward the finish line.  

My Ice Cream Truck spec:

• ICT frame with ICT thru-axle fork

• DT Swiss BR2250 wheelset.  I’ve always ridden DT hubs in this race.  DT 240 and 350 rear hubs will always be my first choice.  I simply love the quality and dependability they provide.  DT hasn’t delivered production 190/197 hubs, yet.  They are coming soon.  But I was offered a loaner pre-production wheelset for the race.  

• Hope rear QR skewer

• O.D. crankset w/24t Surly stainless chainring, Surly press-fit bottom bracket, SRAM X0 chain, SRAM X1 rear derailleur, prototype Microshift XX1 thumbshifter 

• 120 tpi Bud tires (front and rear), Surly light (.8mm thick) tubes

• Cane Creek 40 headset

• Surly Moloko handlebar (prototype), Ritchey stem, Truvative seatpost, WTB Pure V saddle

• Avid BB7 rear brake, Shimano Deore lever

• Odyssey Triple Trap pedals

Stuff to carry stuff:

• Revelate Designs: Handlebar harness, harness bag, framebag, Gas Tank, Jerry Can, Viscacha seatbag 

• Salsa Anything cages (aluminum version)

• Pacific Outdoor Equipment 5-liter drybags

The ride to the Kerry Arena, the race check-in and starting point, was short and sweet.  My drivetrain was working flawlessly, and I was confident that I’d made the right choices, in regards to gearing and components.  

I checked in around 6:52am and ran into Thor and Ben.  Thor was kind enough to deliver the one thing I forgot to bring: SRAM Powerlinks for my 11-speed chain. With those in-hand, I was at peace. Ben and Thor were there to watch the race start. Then, along with other Surly volunteers, they’d later be setting up and manning Checkpoint 3, called Ski Pulk, located at mile 110 of the race.  I was looking forward to seeing them - and some of my other Surly homies - at a later time.  

I made my way to the starting line and inserted myself into the biker pack about halfway back, right behind Chuck.  Don, The Gear Nazi, was there to shake our hands and wish us well as we prepared to head off down the dark trail toward the finish line, located at the Fortune Bay Casino in Tower…135 miles away, via the Arrowhead snowmobile trail.  

Fast guys ready to race...

The gun went off promptly at 7:00.  As I rolled out, I waved to my dad and settled in for the long churn.  We collectively arranged ourselves into single-file formation.  Passing was somewhat arduous, due to the accumulation of fresh snow…2-3 inches, in my estimation…that had fallen earlier that morning.  And the pack soon spread out into multiple strings of closely-spaced riders.  I was positioned near the tail end of the second string.  I was in good company in that group.  Charlie Farrow, Lindsay Gauld, Dave Pramann…all veterans of the AH135…were settling in at the same pace. 

It didn’t take long for the first-stringers…the big guns…the racing machines…to pull ahead and move out of sight.  I can’t/won’t try to hang with that crew…especially, when temps are mild and average speeds are high.  It’s imperative for me to ride at my own speed and not get sucked into a pace that will certainly spell out my eventual doom on the course.  

When we got to the road crossing, at Highway 53, I stopped for a drink of water, a packet of Honey Stinger chews, and a couple photos.  With a hundred-plus miles left in the race, I wasn’t worried about losing positions in the peloton as riders passed.  Noah had already been busy collecting railroad spikes from the nearby line.  The little due likes steel. Smart kid.  

I rode on, passing a few riders along the way, before arriving at the Gateway store checkpoint turn-off at mile 42.  The short spur, leading to the store from the main trail, is the only out-and-back section of trail.  

I arrived at the store feeling pretty good.  So I didn’t stay long…just long enough to fill my water bottles, pose for a couple pics, chat briefly with my dad and Noah, drink a 12oz. Redbull, and force down a partially-frozen Smurf-sized sausage and cheese sandwich that I’d prepared that morning.    

Off again.  The trail seemed to be getting softer.  I let some air out of my tires.  I‘d started off, that morning, with 11 PSI in the front and 13 PSI in the rear.  

Again, I passed riders.  And I got passed by riders…sometimes, by the ones I’d overtaken earlier.  It didn’t matter.  I continued to ride at a pace I was comfortable with.  

Chris Gibbs was waiting, camera in-hand, at Sheep Ranch Road, when I got there.  I stopped, breifly, to chat with him and my familial support team.  It turns out that Chris worked with Surly's own John Fleck, many moons ago.  Small world.  

Food wasn’t going down the gullet without a fight.  I struggled with the same issues, last year.  Unfortunately, I’m a slow learner, and I relied on many of the same items that have worked well for me prior to last year’s race.  In this year’s food bag:  

• Snickers bars

• Honey Stinger chews...orange and lemonade

• Crushed potato chips

• Crushed Fritos

• Little cheese and sausage sandwiches made with King’s Hawaiian Bread.  

• Slim Jims

• Various gels

• Dried cherries and cranberries

• Sour Patch Kids

• Smoked almonds

Ultimately, many of these choices didn’t work very well for me, this year.  I guess it’s time to change things up a bit.  I have some experimenting to do.  

The trail wasn’t super-fast (for me), but it was far from being the worst I’ve experienced during a decade of Arrowhead rides.  I made decent progress, despite my lack of calorie intake.  And I arrived at the midway (mile 72) checkpoint, a sweet cabin at Melgeorge’s Elephant Lake Resort, in the daylight…around  3:45.

Chuck and Jeff were at the table, resting and refueling, when I arrived. Charlie was heading out to tackle the second – and arguably more difficult – portion of the race.  One racer…I didn’t try to get his name, because he looked so miserable…was fighting off puking as he tried to warm himself by the stove.  Other racers were in various stage of coming and going. My dad and Noah were there, too, for a while…until the cabin got crowded.  It’s well-choreographed chaos, most of the time.  And I truly appreciate the way that the volunteers manage to get us fed, hydrated, and dry…while keeping track of check-in and check-out times.

Before I had my boots off, a hot grilled-cheese sandwich and a bowl of wild rice soup were placed before me at the table.  Then a Coke.  Knowing that my food choices may not agree with me down the trail, I crammed in as many calories as I could while my body would accept them.  Another grilled cheese sandwich and another bowl of soup went down the hatch without too much resistance.  Then another Coke. And, finally, a 12oz. Redbull.  

While I ate, my clothes were drying in the industrial dryer.  I knew they wouldn’t be completely dry by the time I headed back out on the trail, but any reduction in moisture is a good thing when setting off into the cold night.  

Lindsay came and went while I was in the cabin.  Lindsay is 66 years old, but you’d never know it by his level of strength and endurance.  He’s an inspiration to us “young” guys.  I hope to be as fit as he is in 21 years.  

Chuck was readying his gear, and I thought it might be nice to ride with him until our paces no longer lined up.  So I filled my water bottles, donned my clothing, took some photos, readied my bike, and rolled out with him.  I’d been at the checkpoint an hour, which meant that I’d start out with a little bit of daylight left.  More often than not, I begin this part of the ride in darkness. 

It’s just acknowledged that a person has to ride at his own pace, if he is going to finish the race.  So there are no hard feelings, if somebody pulls away from you on the trail.  It is a race, after all.  But it was apparent that Chuck and I were moving at a similar speed.  He’d typically climb faster than me on his titanium Lynskey with carbon Whisky rims, but I was usually able to go faster on the downhills…probably due to the comparatively-more-aggressive tread of my Bud 4.8 tires.  On the flats, we tended to ride at the same pace.  So, we rode together for the remainder of the race.  Jeff Pokorney was usually with us, too.  He’d fall back a little bit, but would eventually catch up to us when we’d break for water and food…about every 30 minutes.  I haven’t ridden that distance, during this race, with anybody since 2007, when Joel Cahalan and I broke trail together from Melgeorge’s to the finish line at Bayview Lodge.  It was nice to commiserate with Chuck and Jeff as we tackled some of long, steep hills that make up this portion of the course. 

The fresh snow - and the resulting ruts from bike riders and snowmobilers who’d been on the trail before us - made the trail sketchy on the big downhills.  The ruts wanted to catch us and throw us down hard, at speed.  Chuck and Jeff biffed once or twice.  Amazingly, I was able to stay upright through it all.  I’d already high-sided, earlier in the day, on a fast downhill section.  So I was dragging my brake, more than usual, to scrub off speed and keep the back end of the bike behind me.  Even riding with an increased level of caution, I did a lot of surfing at the fringes of control.  The downhills were only slightly less exhausting than the climbs in many cases.   

Surly-logo’d signs began to show up at the side of the trail.  Then Deer Boy appeared.  I knew we had to be close to Ski Pulk.  

We pulled into the 3rd - and final checkpoint before the finish line - at 1:00am…8 hours and 15 minutes after leaving the resort…to an off-note horn-like serenade, familiar voices, the welcoming glow of the outdoor fire, and the promise of warmth inside the candlelit 16-man Kifaru tipi puffing white smoke out of its chimney.  It felt really good to hit another milestone on the trail, especially after tackling what I perceive as the hardest part of the race. 

Chuck, Jeff, and I took very little time to gather what we needed from our bikes and situate ourselves in chairs inside the tipi.  It felt so good to sit down on something other than a bike saddle.  I didn’t know if I could ever leave.  I’d like to say that I clearly remember all of the conversations that happened in the tipi…with my dad, Noah, my Surly peeps, and my riding partners, but some are vague.  I was a little fried.  Not as fried as Chuck appeared, however.  He admitted to hitting a pedaling comatose state a few miles back.  And he sat there, head in hands, for a long time.  I was slightly worried that we wouldn’t get him moving again.  But I also suspected that a little bit of rest could bring him back to life.   

The Four Dog DX Camp Stove was doing its thing, and the shelter was warm and dry.  I’d procured the stove, for Surly, a couple weeks prior to the event.  And I’d camped in the tipi, with the stove, along with Ben, Thor, and Steve a week before the race.  So I knew what it was capable of.  But it shined even brighter under the circumstances.  I’d like to extend our thanks to Don Kevilus for building us a stove in time for the race.  They weren’t in stock when I initially inquired.  Don also set us up with Kifaru-appropriate stack system and offered a lot of helpful advice when I talked to him on the phone.  It was a pleasure doing business with him, and the products speak for themselves.  I did a lot of stove research before deciding on the Four Dog.  It was the clear winner, in terms of features and value.  And it’s always nice to do business locally – and directly - with somebody who is passionate about his craft.  

After about an hour of lounging, hydrating, and drying our clothes, we heard Mark and Lindsay pull up.  Mark stopped to rest in the tipi, but, amazingly, Lindsay proceeded down the trail.  Jeff, Chuck, and I collectively decided that we should probably move down the trail, too.  So we filled our water containers, dressed for success, and gathered our belongings in preparation for the final push toward the ashtray-scented shelter of the big casino. 

Chuck and I each consumed a couple of Aleve to stave off the shoulder, knee, and ass pain that inevitably results from so many hours pedaling and pushing heavy bikes over the hills and through the woods.  I don’t regularly use pain killers, but I won’t shy away from a little bit of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen, during an event like this. 

We bid farewell to our gracious hosts and pointed toward our goal, 25 miles away.  Fireworks lit up the trail as we exited Ski Pulk.  Sweet send-off. 

A series of gradual climbs and descents eventually led us to Wakemup hill, the last monster hill of the race.  That climb sucks…I’ve never been able to pedal up it.  I don’t know if anybody has.  And the descent is increasingly steep and sketchy.  I did my best to control my speed on the way down.  Historically, there have been some monster braking bumps, from snowmobiles, at the bottom, and I didn’t want to hit them at speed. Years ago, I wiped out there.  And I learned my lesson.  

We all made it to the bottom in one piece and proceeded to the road crossing before regrouping.  Chuck was looking much better and Jeff was spinning strong.  The trail was firming up, too.  We knew that the last 22 miles were going to be flat and boring, but, at least, the trail had potential to be relatively fast.  

We’d pedal for a while, then stop, drink, eat, and chat…well, I’d stop and chat.  I wasn’t able to eat or drink without making my stomach do summersaults, so I abstained from intake and hoped that I had enough in me to finish without bonking.  I did the same thing, last year, and lived to tell about it.  It was 40-50 degrees colder then, so I figured I’d be able to tough it out this year, too.  

Mark caught us and passed us at one of our rest stops.  That was fine. We weren’t in any particular hurry to try to catch him.  At that point, the goal was to finish the race and stop the pain…not to gain a position on the race results sheet.  But when we rode, we rode pretty fast.  And, eventually, we caught up to him and passed him.  

We caught up to Lindsay, too.  We could tell he was hurting, but he was making steady forward progress.  He was definitely going to finish.  So we pushed ahead again.  I set a fast pace, and Chuck stayed right on my tail.  Jeff was starting to fade, and he told us to go on ahead.  He was going to throttle back a bit.  We were pretty close to the finish, and we knew he’d be ok.  So, I amped up the speed a little more. Again, Chuck stayed right with me.  

We pushed hard to the finish and crossed the finish line at the same time…both finishing 29th/30th after 22 hours and 43 minutes from the time we started.  

After our gear check, Chuck and I made our way to the Arrowhead hospitality room in the casino, where we sipped a cold Coke and embraced the thought of not having to pedal or push our bikes for a while.  We recalled some of the highlights of the race, and we agreed that the decision to ride together made this Arrowhead 135 race memorable in its own way.   

My 10th stab at the Arrowhead 135 didn’t result in my fastest finish or my best placement.  In fact, it was my worst placement in 9 finishes.  But it was one of the most enjoyable (least sucky) AH135 rides, in regards to keeping good company, enjoying mild temps, and having a consistently-reliable and -capable bike throughout the race.  Sure, I made mistakes…again, but there’s a slight chance that I’ll learn from some of them.  So, I have that going for me.  

The Ice Cream Truck worked well.  In hindsight, I could have use a slightly-longer stem. Otherwise, the fit and function were great. The majority of improvements need to be done to my nutritional systems and my fitness levels...not to the bike.  

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank the race directors, Ken and Jackie Krueger, and all of the race volunteers…including the Surly droogs: Amy, Christina, Bob, Ben, Thor, Jeff, and Steve...for keeping us alive, well, and accounted-for out there; my dad and Noah for the moral support; Chris Gibbs (C5 Photography) for lending a few photos for this blog; Kevin Kinney (Empire Wool and Canvas) for building me a new pair of True North boots in time for the race; DT Swiss for the sweet wheel loan; and Surly…for giving me another opportunity to willingly torture myself on the company dime.    

People always ask me what our best selling bikes are. Take a long look at the image dump and you'll find that Long Haul Truckers, Cross Checks, and Pugsleys are way way way in the lead.  Week after week, those pages always grow.  Here's some we got last week (plus other bikes too, cuz bikes are neat).

This year I traveled with the newest member of the Surly team to check out Single Speed Arizona. This was my first SS event and first time riding in Arizona. After talking with several people who had ridden out there I decided to take the Pug SS along for the ride. I brought it stock. Only changes were seat swap for my beloved Chromag saddle and slime in the tubes for things called goat heads.

I had been told many times that everything in the desert is sharp and drink lots of water. I felt like this would be a difficult ride but not something I couldn't power through. I have to say, this is really something you just can't understand until you do it yourself.

The ride began with loading up 100+ bikes into a Uhaul and the 100+ riders into leather clad buses.

At the trailhead there were 50 sets of instructions given out to share. I never saw these instructions. Not sure it would have mattered. Google has ruined me for following directions.

The start of the race was lead off by a moto that brought us out to a long sloping open dirt road. So much fun to glide down. Amy and I had situated ourselves at the back of the pack. I was determined to get DFL. There was a sweet painting by a local artist that I was coveting.

The open road launched into what looked like forested single track.

The variety of trail was mind boggling. Wooded, then desert, then wooded, then desert, then wooded desert. It switched faster than I could wrap my head around.

I was lolly gagging in a major way. Stopping to snap pictures with my phone. Slowly moving so I could look closely at what was around me without running straight into something sharp/deadly.

At some point maybe 1/8 of the way in I was told they thought I was in DFL position. This was great news! This is what I had come for. A slow, patient crawl to ensure my position as DFL and take home the prize. "In it to win it" as they say.

Being a person who ingests a gallon of water a day, I was concerned about the whole desert situation. I thought I was doing pretty good until I met up with a few guides who were waiting for me at the first river crossing. They told me that I was WAY behind the next group. I realized then I may have over shot my lolly gag. Before I carried on, one guide graciously gave me a fill up on my Camelback. I don't know if I would have made it out without this knowing what I know now. Thank you for that.

I took this picture when I stopped to enjoy the view and a red vine shortly after talking about being DFL. I was thinking to myself, this is what DFL looks like people. Yee haw! It was taken at about 11AM according to the time stamp on my phone.

These three trail images span over 1 hour of riding/hiking for any locals that can figure this out.

I carried on for awhile and hit a part of the track where I heard an animal run through the brush on my left. I yelled out not knowing what the hell it was and leaned into a cacti. That stung. As I kept pedaling I heard another animal run through brush on my right. I was wondering how many were out there and where the heck they were! It was truly freaky. Dan caught up with me shortly after that at about 12:30PM. I told him about the noises. They were probably jack rabbits. Damn rabbits. Dan showed me how to pull the barbed cacti out of my calves. This came in handy later for sure. I had no idea about the tiny hair like spines. I noticed them everywhere after he showed me and pulled a group from my leg.

Here is where things get a little fuzzier. I know there was a point where Dan came racing back because he had left his bag at the creek crossing they had met me at. He told me to let the people at the checkpoint know to call him because he went back for his bag and he might have to turn around if he couldn't find it. An undetermined amount of time later Dan came racing up to me from behind. He forgot I was suppose to tell the checkpoint to call him and worried about being left out in the desert. It actually worked out well because I never found the checkpoint.

We rode for a bit. Saw some cool saguaro forests and ruins. He asked if I was ok. I said yes. He asked if I had enough water, I thought I had until I pulled out my bladder and it was basically empty. I had a back up bottle in my frame bag but since I was only quarter of the way through that would not be enough. Dan gave me a bottle full of water to dump in my bladder and told me to ration it. He went on since his reserves were dwindling and I assured him I was good and had figured this would be an all day event for me. According to my time stamp we parted ways at about 12:45PM.

Shortly after I bonked.

I am not sure what happened or where exactly but I believe I went off the trail. Where ever I was it was not matching the description that Dan gave me for what to expect coming up. There were no pink markers and no tire tracks or broken vegetation to signify that anyone had been where I was. I stopped taking pictures at this time and turned off my phone to save it for emergency if needed. I wasn't able to get service anywhere along the way but figured a live phone was better than a dead one if I ended up out in the desert at night.

The next two and half hours were mainly climbing and hiking. Lots of pushing my bike. There was no sight of water. No shade. No pink markers. No tire tracks of people who should have been there before me. No fresh breaks in plants. Nothing. I kept pushing up and forward and hollered out every once in awhile "I don't see any pink!" and then shortened it to "Ah- oh!". My voice echoed back at me but I heard nothing in return. It was at about that time that I had to pull a strange bug off my ankle that was stinging me. It was terribly painful and my face started feeling waves of numbness from my forehead to my chin. Later I was told that it was most likely something referred to as a Cow Killer that has a certain neurotoxin in it's sting. So that's comforting.

Sometime after this I sat down for a minute and when I went to get back up I realized I had a flat front tire. I pushed on because I wanted to cover as much ground as possible to find some markers or people or water or really anything besides the dust, cacti and COW KILLERS that has been surrounding me for hours. I decided to seek shade to attempt to change the tire. That proved much harder than anticipated. There just wasn't any shade to be found. I chewed on a Twix not out of hunger but just to keep something in me to keep me going. I remembered Dave Gray talking about how he is not hungry when he is pushing himself during Arrowhead 135. He usually has to choke food down. So that is what I did too.

I gave up on finding shade and sat down to pull out my flat tire kit. Since I had slime in the tires (thank you Amy!) I decided I would try to inflate it first before popping it off and see if it would hold. the problem was that I was pretty dazed and the sun was beating down. I just wasn't functioning. I struggled with the pump and when I finally got it mounted it just wasn't working. I sat back and had a moment where I realized I may have made a fatal mistake coming out here and working so hard at DFL. I was lost. In the desert. Low on water and food. No idea if I was heading in the right direction and unable to even pump a tire.

To get my head together I went through my pack and took stock. I had failed to pack my pocket stove, emergency blanket or even a lighter. Whoops. I had a head lamp, some foods, a back up bottle of water, junk straps, a long sleeve shirt, a bandana, a knife, multi tool, flat tire kit, some stickers, koozies and patches (friggin SWAG). I decided I needed to do everything I could to get back to somewhere where I could hitch a ride or make a phone call before dark. I had no desire to stay in that desert at night with what I had on me.

I pushed on, not resting for more than 2-3 minutes at a time. When I would stop to rest I made sure to do a head check. I would go over how my body was feeling and how my mind was feeling. My feet were killing me. I was constantly stubbing my toes, scratching my calves on cacti and my pedals but I felt physically strong to move on.

I realized my back tire was flat now. Didn't really matter since I had not been able to stay up right on my bike for awhile. I may have felt strong but my bell was ringing. Balance had left me long ago.

Hours passed and I finally noticed a shimmering in he trees way down the mountain to my right. I yelled out to see if it was people. I figured out a way down and miraculously hooked up to a trail that lead me to the infamous Whiskey Tree. I was so freaking happy to see that god damn tree. I was back on the trail!! There was one bottle of whiskey dangling with the empties. I knew it was there for me. I felt much better laying under that tree but knew that drinking that bad boy was a horrible idea. I needed to stay straight and get my ass out of there. It was about 3:30PM at this time. I had removed my pedals and was pushing a steel fat bike with double flats. Whiskey would have to wait.

I hiked around that area for a bit looking for markers. I didn't see any so I made a guess and pushed forward leaving the tree behind me to my right. Eventually my pushing lead me to the Skull Mesa Trailhead. I stopped to gaze at the wooden map trying to remember where the heck I was suppose to go. I chose a direction and pushed on.

Eventually I made it to sloping open areas that would have been amazing to ride instead of stumble through. I considered stopping to try and fix the flats but by this time I just wanted to keep moving. The sun was dropping and I still had no idea how close I was or if there would be anyone at the end. I hadn't seen or heard anyone for at least 3 hours at this point. My journey had started at about 9AM that morning with the rest of the racers.

When I finally came upon the creek I was so happy! I had been holding my pee just in case I needed to fill my empty Camelback and take it like a champ later. Dan had warned me to only drink the creek if I absolutely needed to. He said I should get some antibiotics the next day if I had to go that route. So I filled my pack and decided to save that for tomorrow if possible. Hoping that tomorrow I would be in camp and not holding my urine for emergency use at night here in the desert. Even though I had found trail signs I still hadn't seen or heard any human beings so I was not leaving that creek without water just in case.

I trudged on and was surprised to see heads bobbing over a ridge. I put my bike down and hiked over to where they were walking along the creek. I called out and asked them where I was. I told them I had been out here since 9AM and they looked shocked. They said I was about 5 miles out from the parking area. Just follow the creek and I would make it back. This was great news.

I picked up my shuffling pace and came across more hikers. The looks on their faces told me I looked rough. My voice was almost gone. I prefer to say that I had a sexy growl but tomato, toemato. These hikers asked if I needed help and I said depends on how close I am. They said I was almost there so I pressed on.

After awhile I decided that "Almost there" is a really relative term. I laughed to myself thinking this was payback for those damn Arrowhead signs. People of AH135 - I get you.

The final leg was more hiking, more pushing, more water crossing that filled my shoes and tires with water, more sloping open areas that begged to be ridden. Then finally, I heard hollering. That had to be SSAZ! It was loud, happy and in the direction I was heading.

The welcoming committee aka my rescue group came yipping down the trail maybe a half mile from the parking lot at about quarter to 6PM I believe. I was so happy to see their shining faces! First thing I asked was if they were mad. I knew I had fucked up. I made mistakes that almost left me in the desert. I was prepared for a tongue lashing. They were not mad. They were super happy to see me. Chris thanked me for making it that far because he didn't want to ride that hill again. I was happy to have helped. Seriously. It would have really teed me off if people would have had to put themselves out and ride that damn course over and over looking for me. I was glad that I had accomplished what I had. I had made it back, come hell or high water, before dark. Booyah.

They took my bike and I hitched a ride back to the shop with Chris from Drunk Cyclist. I don't think I am suppose to tell anyone but he is a damn good guy. I removed my wet worn out shoes immediately and still haven't been able to put them back on. Stubbed toes and large blisters as well as just over all swelling stopped me from being able to, if I even wanted. I don't think I will ever wear them again. They are trashed with a capital F.

The rest of the night had me limping about, talking to lots of great folks, listening to some awesome AZ local bands and yelling at Charlie the Bike Monger for stomping on my god damn toes over and over. I made him give me his disgustingly squishy damp yet roomy shoes as protection.

Pallets were blazing at the campground and we chatted, drank and goofed off till into the AM. I wandered off to refill my cup when my camper started calling my name. I curled up with chips and guacamole and feel asleep with a smile on my face.

My time in Arizona was epic. Whether I was genuinely lost in the desert or not, I can assure you I felt lost and that is quite a wicked head whack. I learned so much. I have no hesitation about returning. The AZ SS scene was epic. Everyone I met and rode with I consider a pro. That course was wicked and they conquered it on two wheels and then partied into the night afterward. I give a big fuck yeah knuckles up to all those who were there and all who helped out.

Let's do this again.