I apologize for my lack of commitment in keeping up with posts on Trimble Racing; however, I look forward in sharing with you photo’s from this past summer.

The fast paced movement of my summer began as soon as I marked the final question of my physics exam and bolted down the hall, out the door, and back to my house across from campus where I found my friend Ben Hulse (aka Benji) already packing up his car.  Bikes, tools, clothes, and basically everything I owned was sprawled out across the lawn mingling with Benji’s belongings and awaiting to be carefully packed into his car.  To the passer by it must have seemed like an impossible task, but thanks to Benji’s meticulous packing job, we somehow managed to make it work.

All of this fit inside of Benji’s car!

Benji and I moved from college directly to a campground a couple miles away from Diablo Freeride park in Vernon, New Jersey; the mountain that hosted the US Open of Mountain Biking.  Despite my first two years of breaking into the gravity scene to be dominated by disappointing injuries; I was determined to give downhill one more shot in 2009.  The US Open, where I broke my neck the previous year, would be our second race of the season.

Benji on the pro jump at the end of the US Open course

My friend Stephanie and I…she is fast!

Benji and I

My dad and my uncles Sam and Vance came from NYC to watch me race!

There were a lot of pros racing the US Open…including the monster team with Sam Hill and Brendan Fairclough!

Pro Men’s Podium

Me racing through the Toyota rock garden

I made it through the weekend without a scratch, and finished fourth in the women’s amateur class.

My friend Johanne won the am class and a brand new bike!

After the race I packed up my bags from the campground and left New Jersey with my friend Stephanie.  She has fun, local trails near her house in Lehigh, Pennsylvania.  I spent a week with her riding and having fun.  Stephanie is a pro rider and I learned a lot riding with her even for a short amount of time.  At the end of the week she drove me to NYC where I would make my home base for the remainder of the summer.

Steph and I

We did a race at her local mountain-Blue Mountain…I didn’t have my downhill bike, so I only raced slalom.

Steph racing the DH at Blue

Ben racing the DH at Blue

Steph pushing my DH bike through NYC

My summer was just beginning when I moved into my brother in Brooklyn, NY.  During the week I would work for my uncle at his architecture firm in Manhattan and every weekend I would travel to a different race.  My summer season consisted of the Gravity East Series and a couple of the Diablo Freeride races.

PICTURES FROM MY SUMMER AND FALL

My friend PJ talking to Ben

My friend Kris and I

The Mulally’s trailer..I am very grateful for all their help at the races!

Alejandro and I at Attitash

My friend Alex Moschitti racing at Attitash Mountain

Shuttling the slalom at Plattekill Mountain, New York

Plattekill, NY

My brother Nate came to cheer and be pit crew at Plattekill!  It was freezing outside, but he warms himself up with a cup of hot chocolate.

Plattekill Mountain

My 2010 season starts in April!

Morpheus Cycles, a new bicycle company based out of the New York City area, in collaboration with Vertical Earth Gravity Park in Palmerton, Pennsylvania has combined forces to form a gravity team for the 2010 season.

The team was created from the vision and support of Neko Mulally, an extremely talented young rider from Pennslyvania.  Young riders and individuals passionate about the sport of cycling compose the team; making it unique with an inspiring presence.

I am fortunate and excited to be apart of the team for the 2010 season, along with professional riders Alejandro Ortiz and Ben Hulse.

Why is Team Morpheus/Vertical Earth Unique?

• Morpheus Cycles is a new and growing company dedicated to quality and innovation.  The team will be riding, testing, and working directly with the company in producing race bikes sensitive to the needs and talents of the riders.
• I will be working with the team and Morpheus cycles in developing the website, photography, and media promotion.  The team will have an original and personal presence as it grows with the vision of it’s riders.
• Morpheus cycles is dedicated in giving back to the community and organizes a charity for kids where team riders will be actively involved in.
• The riders on the team are good friends and raced together in the 2009 season.

Photos of the team

me and Alejandro

Ben Hulse

Ben and Alejandro

Ben Hulse

Alejandro Ortiz

Hannah Trimble

Help support Team Morpheus/Vertical Earth and watch for race reports and photos!  Morpheus Cycles website coming soon at www.morpheususa.com or visit the temporary site for contact information at www.ridemorpheus.com

To learn more about Vertical Earth visit www.verticalearthpa.com

In a rivalry that transverses multiple genres of bicycle competition I once again found myself in waning stages of a race attacked by Cooper Ray.

Whether it be a road race, criterium, alley cat, unsanctioned fixed gear night race, and now cyclocross I am perpetually having to defend myself against this ruthless teenager.

The Race Course

Cooper and I both took our inaugural cyclocross start at the Iron Cross Light event in the Cat 4 field.  It was the traditional cross race the day before the marathon main event.   Since I can’t compare the course to any other I can only describe it.  The lap started with a gravel false flat through the woods.  The course would emerge at top speed into what felt like a stadium arena.  Lines upon lines of brightly colored ribbons  zig-zagged and spiraled across this clearing in the woods.  Initially disorienting to pick a line and figure out which way the course went, I quickly programmed into my mind the sequence of corners and obstacles.

After the gravel stretch the racing surface transitioned to slick/wet grass.  A right hand hairpin gave way to a short straight that tightly wrapped its way around a YMCA  picnic structure.  A few more quick corners came a chicane that dumped you into a rideable sand pit.  Exiting the sand the road turned gravel and climbed up towards the woods.  After a few hundred feet it made a 180 degree corner and plunged you back down into the grass arena.  This led you to a series of corners which jammed you into a sand pit that was un-rideable.  A quick dismount/remount and you were routed back up the hill before switching directions again.  Another U-turn and you were heading back uphill towards the only barrier on the course.

The barrier was mid climb which resulted in a serious loss of speed when it hurt the most.  After the barrier the only option was to run up the rest of the climb and remount on a tangled root strewn section of trail.  Immediately after remounting you would navigate another corner that would once again drop you back into the arena.

This descent was fast and featured a left hand kink that put you on the wrong side of the road for the following right hand hairpin.  The right hand corner then stretched out and twisted the road to the left.  This was the beginning of the spiral.  The spiral wound around and around, smaller and smaller until it ended with a sharp tricky corner.  The road then increased its radius spinning around the outside of the spiral.

It straightened out and crossed the finish line before turning left and winding its way through the trees, bunk houses, camping facilities.  After several stretched out corners we encountered a section of windy single track.  In the middle of the single track was a strategically placed log across the trail.  This log would interrupt your rhythm and perhaps your entire race.  After the log a slight descent led to a fast lefthander onto a long gravel section which ran parallel to a beautiful lake.  This gravel road turned 90 degrees and that was a lap.

Lap 1

I attempted to talk myself out of it but I knew that there was no other option than grabbing the hole shot.  With reflexes highly tuned for standing starts I knew that I would lead the field into the race.  Because of my cross inexperience I wanted to give myself a cushion at the beginning of the race for a few bobbles.   Adrenaline plays a large part and pushing my body from the gun is something I do well (but suffer later for).

The race started and I went fast.  The field apparently disintegrated immediately.  Within a few corners there was only five guys left in my wake.  I literally sprinted from the gun until halfway through the first lap where I eased up and let Cooper and Todd Schonei take over.  My head was pounding and my heart rate maxed out.  I accomplished my first goal but recovering from the violent initial effort was going to be crucial.

Towards the end of the spiral on lap 1 I slid back and lost contact with Cooper and Schonei falling back as far as fifth briefly before entering the single track in fourth position.  I passed the dismounting third placed rider and hopped the log  which shut the gap to Cooper who was unable to ride the log.

Lap 2

I ended the first lap in third place behind Schoeni and an attacking Cooper Ray.  I patiently concentrated more on recovering than chasing Cooper’s moves.  Through the power sections of the course Cooper opened up the gaps but would lose time on the obstacles.  Exiting the second sand pit Cooper’s cleat failed to engage his pedal quickly enough and we both sailed past.  He quickly chased back and retook the top spot.

I again was shot out the back from these two leaders.  Through the single track I rode the log and took the descent and found myself almost running into the back of Cooper.  He had apparently crashed.   I yelled at Cooper to quit fucking up the log crossing as we bridged up to the leader on the straightaway.

Lap 3

Cooper led us into the sand pit but had to stop and straighten his handle bars which were knocked sideways from the previous lap’s crash.  Schoeni seemed to have some highly tuned cross skills so I cruised behind him briefly as Cooper drifted backwards.  Heading up the second gravel climb I attacked and took the lead.  I ended Lap 3 on the front with Schoeni tucked into my draft.

Lap 4

I assumed the Cooper was cooked and out of the race.  Schoeni and I had a several second lead over the youngster.  I led the race but stepped down the pace a notch to recover for the battle ahead.  Through the spiral Schoeni administered a rather aggressive and seemingly pointless move as he used a liberal application of elbows to take the lead.  I didn’t contest the spot immediately waiting for the entrance of the single track to retake the lead.  I check my peripheral and Cooper was out of sight.

Lap  5 (last lap)

Schoeni stayed glued to my wheel despite the small attacks I laid down on the gravel road to test his mettle.  I cranked up the pace and cornered harder than the previous laps.  My aim was to keep the pace high to prevent any duplicate rough house passing attempts from Schoeni.

This tactic worked as Schoeni went backwards on the first gravel climb.  Cooper however had bridged up out of nowhere, shot past Schoeni announced his presence rather rudely by attacking on the next climb to gain several bike lengths over me.  Cooper’s attack was strong and completely demoralizing.  I gritted my teeth and increased the pace hitting the barriers in contact but barley hanging on.   We both remounted our machines in similar fashion and made the corner which shot us down the hill and to the final corner before the spiral.

Cooper’s clip-in was slow and I charged down the hill.  Under heavy braking for the hairpin I saw my chance and dive bombed the inside line.  Cooper attempted a block but didn’t shut the door (which would have resulted in a nasty crash).  I yelled at him and squeezed past into the lead.  The only thing left was the spiral.  I sprinted from this point on and through blind rage and extreme oxygen debt I was able to hold off for the win.  Amidst all of the excitement Schoeni crashed in the spiral butwas able to remount and take third.  Fourth, fifth and rest of the field were nowhere in site.

I was happy to win and relieved to come out ahead of Cooper in our latest battle. I know the future won’t consist of beating up the cat 4 field so I need to get my act together and train. Cooper will be back strong and once he learns how to ride his bike will probably be leaving me in the dust.

.

Tracklocross Sludgement Day Race Report

Pre Race Hype

1. As I’ve said before the only thing more fun than racing is bench racing and talking shit. The lead up to Sludgement Day had plenty of this. All it did was add fuel to the fire. Each time some internet troll claimed last year’s win was due to the mountain bike it just increased my motivation. Claiming my stake on the race win was merely a self motivation tactic that would ensure I was ready. When you act like some overconfident asshole you better have the race to back it up.

2. Equipment. Trimble bikes have a long history of being banned. They have been barred from everything from the 86 World Time Trial Championships to Sludgement Day. I guess there just isn’t something right about showing up with a piece of equipment that is far superior to your competition. Besides from having Mountain Bikes banned I wanted to prove that I could hack it off road on a brakeless track bike. I rigged up a setup about two hours before the race that I hoped would work. This included a steel mountain bike fork dug out of the trash. Lucking even without a bearing race it seemed to spin on the integrated headset of the Bianchi. I borrowed Neil’s cyclocross tires and they just barely cleared the frame. I’m sure the designer of the Pista Concept would love to see photos of the rig.

3. Conditions. The rain was miserable. I showed up to the start line completely soaked and freezing cold. One of my main competitors Joshua Robot was already in a hypothermic state. He didn’t sound too confident. My confidence grew. I tried to stay calm and sought out warmth wherever I could. I even hung out in the stadium bathroom for twenty minutes trying to regain feeling in my hands.

4. Competition. The guys I worried about the most in order were Crihs, Austin and Joshua Robot. Crihs mainly because he knew the island from last year and had revenge on his mind. We’ve been battling it out all year and he’s proven to be extremely tough to beat. Austin likes to show up last minute and pretend to be unprepared while acting like he’s the shit and will easily win. This tactic is intimidating but fails from time to time. Joshua has been scaring me for six months as every time we speak I get a story about some epic mountain bike race. He’s fast off road and had a custom built machine with one goal in mind.

Race

Lap 1.

We received the map and I instantly knew in general where almost every check point was. The first checkpoint was going to be the trickiest as there was no way to tell which connecting paths to the hospital would be open. My tactic would be to hang with the lead pack, establish the route and then put the throttle down. Obviously the start would be important. I grabbed the hole shot and led the field around the river edged path. The pace was fast. My gear which had felt heavy was spinning freely beneath me. I turned hard onto the wood slate bridge and hit the deck hard. In an instant the lateral grip between my tires and the slick surface disappeared. Normally when you crash in a race it doesn’t hurt because you’re loose, warm, and at full adrenaline. This crash hurt. I got back on the bike but my leg wouldn’t move. My ankle and hip were burning. In the distance Austin, Crihs, and Angry Drew drove the pace hard. I struggled to regain composure. Luckily nobody knew the route to the first checkpoint. Meanwhile in another part of the island Joshua Robat and Joe Reynolds had already knocked out the first two checkpoints building up a huge lead on the wandering lost peloton.

Once the first checkpoint routing issue was resolved the pack arrived at the second checkpoint together. I remember watching Corey spin his ridiculously small gear through the mud. His bike would have been perfect if we had raced on the beach. I attacked back on the road and the field strung out. Austin was right behind and followed me through the long mud road underneath the overpass to checkpoint #3. This point of the race was confusing. There were riders going every direction across the island. I nearly had several head on collisions. How the fuck did these guys end up going the wrong way into the lead pack at this point in the race? After checkpoint #3 we made the turn and there was self proclaimed checkpoint worker Doug yelling at us to ride through these two huge puddles of water (for better pictures apparently). My wheel sunk to the hub but I stayed upright and carried on the momentum to the next checkpoint. I made it there first followed by Austin. The rest of the lead pack was sprinkling in. Confusion and panic swept over us as nobody had a signature for Checkpoint #4. I double backed to Doug. Austin tried to outsmart me and went the opposite direction thinking that the checkpoint was further up the island.

I sprinted back to Doug screaming at him to sign my manifest. He told me that the picture on his camera was the signature. I didn’t see anyone else around so I took his word and rode off towards the last checkpoint. As I hit the road section I spotted the group of Austin, Crihs, and filmmaker Lucas Brunelle. I realized they were now on their way back to checkpoint #4. I yelled at Lucas to follow me since I now had a significant advantage over that group. At the next checkpoint I passed Gabriel Allen. I couldn’t figure out how he was so far ahead of me until I heard him in full panic about not being able to find Checkpoint #5 (which was WAY back in the other direction). At this point I hadn’t seen Joshua Robot and had no idea where he was.

Upon reaching Drew I was approached from the other direction by Robot and Joe. They apparently couldn’t find that checkpoint and squandered their huge lead. When we hit the road it was clear that we were the lead trio. Nobody else we even remotely in sight.

Lap 2

The lap was fast. I was flanked by Robot and Joe. We worked together on the flats. I had no idea who Joe was so I assumed that it was luck that put him into the lead group. I watched their legs spin and realized I had a much better gear for the flats. Everyone abandoned their manifests and began having body parts signed. We became very efficient at getting in and out of the checkpoints (the workers were obviously inexperienced as they would sign off and then instruct us to do something stupid like jumping jacks which we would obviously ignore). After checkpoint 2 I attacked and gained ground on the flats. Leaving checkpoint #3 we had to snake around a sketchy grass path. I was impressing myself by being able to ride it but Joe was gaining time. The rest of this lap is a blur. From what I remember Drew yelled at us about missing checkpoint 4 on the first lap. Finishing the lap Joe and I had gaped Robot ever so slightly.

Lap 3

The next lap the pace increased. I felt confident that I could put the final death stab into my two companions. I opened up a large lead on the road and held it all the way to checkpoint #6. Drew yelled at me some more and I was instructed to stop by the start finish line with some sort of stop and go penalty for the first lap infraction. Running through the lumpy brush section my rear wheel got jammed with a huge section of bush. As I stopped and struggled to free my rear wheel Joe closed the gap and sailed past into the lead gaining perhaps 200 yards. Robot also closed back to my rear wheel. For the first time in the race I was on the defensive.

Lap 4

I stayed calm and pushed my superior gear ratio to bridge back to Joe as we approached the first checkpoint. He looked behind a bit startled that I had come back to him. I took control of the front and dictated the pace on the flats and mud roads. I tried a few small attacks but they were instantly shut down. The head wind was increasing and I was on the verge of oxygen debt. Robot no longer seem to be in contact. Joe constantly displayed his cyclocross skills. He could dismount with ease and was faster running his bike and weaving through the mud. My main concern was leaving Drew’s 6th checkpoint. Joe had spring in his legs and try as I might he was much faster through the brush. He was well aware of this advantaged and attacked as we entered the homeless compound connecting section. I was dropped once again leaving the checkpoint and I started the last lap with ground to make up.

Lap 5.

My confidence for the win was shot. Joe happened to be much faster in the most critical part of the race course. Over the last two laps he had opened up a significant lead across the start/finish line. I knew that if I were to win the move would happen long before checkpoint 6. I again bridged up before the first checkpoint. We were now encountering massive amounts of lapped traffic. We both struggled to fight our way through the sporadic and unpredictable moving obstacles that threatened to affect our race. One slip on this lap and the race was over. We had to remain glued to each others wheel. Joe’s strategy must have been to keep me in close contact knowing that he would drop me leaving checkpoint 6. I was determined to prevent that scenario. I dictated the pace leading through checkpoints 2, 3, 4, and 5. This proved to be the winning strategy (and is honed with experience in alleycats). We hit checkpoint 5 together and Crazy Nick had taken control of the pen. He drunkenly signed my hand (I think he may have been writing a poem). I yelled at him to hurry. Joe waited patiently. As soon as Crazy Nick was done I attacked. Joe sat helpless as I opened the winning gap. The stretch between 5 and 6 on the last lap was the most painful of the entire race. I raced through the brush holding my lead over Joe (for the first time in the race I didn’t lose any ground on this section). Once we entered the pavement the race was mine.

Conclusion. This race is hard. You need confidence when flying through debris strewn mud roads. The first lap is hectic and while you can’t win it you can certainly lose the race here. I think it could be fun to remove the navigating aspect of the race and let everyone pre ride the course in advance. The wheel to wheel action more than makes up for the excitement of becoming lost on the island. The perfect bike for this race is a fixed gear bike with cyclocross tires. There are no hills so brakes and multiple gears will just complicate things. A big gear is needed because 75% of the race is on paved roads. Somebody better step up and organize this race next year. I would love to but I have to defend my title again.

I woke up early Friday morning on April 3rd knowing that I had a big weekend ahead of me. It was the weekend of our home race which consisted of a team time trial and individual time trail on Saturday and a road race on Sunday. On Friday morning, I boarded a school van not to go to a bike race but a track meet. My plan was to go with my team and run a 5k at Duke University at 9:30 Friday night, get dropped off Saturday afternoon directly from the meet to the ITT start, and race the road race Sunday morning. As I anticipated, it was one of the hardest weekends of my life.

I narrowly beat my best 5k time so it went pretty well, but anyone who has raced a 5k will tell you its one of the tougher races in track. Short by cycling standards but extremely intense the whole race and a good time definitely demands an all out effort. I could feel it in my legs when I got up Saturday which worried me a little because the time trial course was brutal; 6+ miles straight uphill. After watching my teammates run Saturday morning and driving three and a half hours, my track coach dropped me off at the bottom of the hill just in time to warm up.

The time trial was hard.

It was long and steep. Here is Big Nate coming around a switchback. We have a Nate vs. Nate rivalry. He has been a better road racer then me so far, but I proved to be a slightly better climber on Saturday.

Here we are trying to recuperate at the top. Eager to prove my climbing skills, I totally killed myself going up the hill. It was one of the most painful moments I have ever had on a bike. By the top, my lungs were bursting, my legs were burning, and I literally felt like I was about to cry.

Me and Kathryn totally maxed out at the top. I raced the B category which I won by two and a half minutes. My time placed me ninth overall out of the A group, and six of the eight people that beat me were on my team.

Early next morning it was time to race again. Our home race coarse was a 6-7 mile circuit with about two miles of steep climbing and descending per lap. I knew I was in for another brutal day, but I didn’t realize just how brutal it was going to be.

My race face.

The men’s A field started first and raced nine laps. Our boys did well and took several top ten spots.

Doyle.

Lobster got second just behind this guy after a nine lap battle.

Our race started shortly after. I was told before the race that I was the favorite aside from a lone Georgia Tech rider who was pretty strong. He made is presence felt early by riding a good tempo up the climb on the first lap and splitting up the field. No one wanted to work, however, and the field more or less come back together. I went over the top right behind him, but I knew that the race would be split apart again on the next climb and their was no point in trying to maintain our gap on the flats.

Coming through together on the first lap. It was the last time the race came through as a pack.

I rode a hard pace the second time up the climb, and the pack disintegrated. At the top I looked behind me and only three were left (yes one of them was Carla).

A couple laps later, one of my breakaway companions dropped. With three to go, I began really motoring up the hill in an attempt to weaken the Georgia Tech rider. He stayed right on me, but Carla finally dropped.

There are a few times in racing when you are given the pleasure (and agony) of a true man to man battle. This was one of those days. The whole race, the two of us were dictating the pace and destroying our competition. After four laps, I did my best to destroy him. I launched attack after attack on the hill but was reeled in every time. I gapped  him once on the flat but he once again proved to be too tough and fit and caught back up. Every time up the hill was a battle with me usually on the offensive. I could tell by his breathing and riding motion that he was hurting bad, but so was I and he proved tough enough to handle my attacks. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get away. By the last lap, we were both going all out up the hill side by side but neither of us could gain any ground. After carreening down the fast descent for the last time, we both sat up and waited for one of us to make a move. I attacked early out of a corner only to have my calf cramp up and be quickly reeled in. After almost two hours and twenty minutes of all out war, it was going to come down to a sprint.

He went early, and from a tactical standpoint I should have won since he basically led me out. I just didn’t have enough power left in my legs to get around him. After a long, hard race, I lost by less than a bike length in the final few hundred meters, and the rider from Georgia Tech took a well deserved victory.

WALLED OUT

It was a super hard coarse and everyone was maxed out afterward. Here are some post race shots

In the end, I survived three of the hardest all out races of my life in three days and picked up some pretty good results. Getting outsprinted at the end of the road race was frustrating, but thats how racing goes, and all in all it was a great race and a great weekend. I ended my weekend totally walled out but I am rarely satisfied if I finish my week in any other state. Big thanks to Bo for letting me race his bike.