In 48 hours I start riding a 101-mile mountain bike race

On Saturday August 1st I will join about 300 other mountain bikers to embark on the Wilderness 101, a 101-mile single-day mountain bike race. We will climb over 10,000', cross several county lines, enter and exit a host of state parks and natural areas, and rock trails from the smooth and fast Lonberger Trail to the grueling rocky benchcut of Kikkapu. This is my sixth time entering and should be my fifth completion and my third time on a single speed bike. I mechanicaled out two years ago and last year I didn't enter.

I'm riding a Bianchi Sok with 29"wheels, Maxxis Ignitor tires, and 34x18 gearing (pictured here).

It's going to be a pretty long day. I've finished in as little as 8 hours 22 minutes my second year and as long as 11 hours 32 minutes. [That had some first-year struggles that included an epic bonk leading to a nap just shy of the crest of the last climb. Guys were walking by saying things like, "You know you're only five miles from the end," and "There's beer a few miles away." ] My fastest time on a single speed is 8 hours 55 minutes which got me 7th on single that year and 29th overall. I think that I can get close to that this year but there are more fast people coming every year. The podium is not so in my sights. I have thousands of miles in my legs, big single speed miles, several local short track races, and three official races which have earned me a tie for first place in a three-race series so I'm about as prepared as possible. For a guy who went from 208 lbs in April reaching 180/182 by the last week of July is pretty sweet.

Saturday will be a return of sorts I guess. After about a year and a half of basically no riding I feel almost back to my fastest form from a four and five years ago. More importantly, I think that I've been having a TON of fun and reforging friendships with people I love and admire and gotten to start riding for a new shop, Freeze Thaw. Thanks guys.

See you out there!