I am riding Dirty Konza in 2014. I couldn’t ride in 2013 because I was in Afghanistan and you simply can't over there. I commanded an Army EOD Battalion (Bomb Squad) and the local people don't ride bikes there; they blow them up. Frames, wheels, handlebars, seats etc., get packed or laced with explosives and fragmentation material and then are detonated near innocent people with the intent to kill or maim as many as possible. Each day, I woke up knowing that many of my Soldiers would face devices such as the bicycle improvised explosive device (IED)and place themselves at great risk as they attempted to disarm or defeat the device before it exploded. They did this to protect their fellow Soldiers and also so innocent people's lives and futures were not destroyed. Ironically, most of the local populace want the same things you or I do: safe schools, a decent place to work, and a neighborhood where you know your family can live in peace-and more so to live in a community of children riding bikes, not running away from them. From the time we grabbed the handlebars on our very first banana seat bike, we identified the bicycle by its purity and simplicity and the joy it brought to each of us- to change and alter its meaning so it becomes an instrument of death is truly brutal and difficult to comprehend.
I will also ride DK because when I turn the pedals at the start it will be to honor the two Soldiers I sent home under flag draped coffins and for the more than a dozen who will carry their wounds for the rest of their life. As they rebuild their lives and I regain mine, hopefully we both will come to understand that the turning of the pedals symbolizes the beginning of a simple evolution back to where we came from; and when I step over the bar early that morning, it will remind me that the bike is and must remain a symbol of peace and hope, of solace and of the freedom it brings to our soul---- "carpe viam" (Seize the Road)
Not sure where that feet of elevation gain number came from. I don't think we've ever had a DK200 course with less than 8,000 ft. Anyway... we still appreciate all the positive comments they had to share. It's always good to know the event is making a positive impact on the lives of our participants.
The following are some of the longer rides that I done leading up to the race.
3 hour road ride on May 28th
4 hour road ride on May 24th
3.5 hour gravel cross ride on May 19th.
4.5 hour gravel cross ride on May 13th
5 hour gravel cross ride on May 3rd
3.5 hour road ride on April 21
Some long and steady effort fat bike beach riding thrown in here and there.
Bike: Motobecane Fantom Cross Outlaw
This bike has carried me thru the following:
Almanzo 100 2011
Week long loaded touring. 2011, 2012, 2013
Iceman Cometh 2010
Barry Roubaix 2011, 2012, 2013
Dirty Kanza 200 2012
200k Michigan Mountain Mayhem 2011
Never had a flat or mechanical on this bike.
Tires: 35mm Michelin TransWorld Sprint (cheap, heavy and pretty much bullet proof)
What I carried:
Relvate tangle frame bag.
Stinger honey wafers(ate a couple, then they were not appealing to me anymore, I normally love thesewafers)
1 flattened and balled up Little Debbie Oatmeal cream pie (this never sounded appealing)
Flask of Hammer Gel Cafe Latte (only took one swig, wasn’t very appealing, normally I like this stuff)
Shot-bloks (ate 2.5 sleeves)
1/2 of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (ate half)
(1) 20 oz. water bottle with Perpetum Café Latte (never let me down, this was good throughout the race, this was my main source of fuel, drank 3 or 4 bottles)
(1) 20 oz. of lemon lime Gatorade (only flavor I can stand while riding for more than 3 hours, drank 3 bottles)
Camelbak mule with 100oz of water (refilled 3 times)
4 spare tubes
Lezyne high volume pump
Wallet
Anti-puke migraine tablets
Repair kit
Gerber multi-tool (luckily it wasn’t needed)
Food:
Made 8 of my staple half peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, only ate half of one of them.They worked great for training, but did not appeal to me at all during the event.
Order of palatability (starting with good, ending with not so goode4 ):
Sargento string cheese sticks (I always like these, I was never at a point where these didn’t seem good)
Rold Gold pretzels
Shot blocks
Stinger honey wafer (honey flavor)
Ate one apple.
Took 12 ibuprofen
Took about 10 sport leg capsules.
Critters:
Saw a flattened horny toad in the road.
Dead skunk.
Dead snake.
Box turtle.
Chimney swifts at check point 3.
Snake during the night.
Heard coyotes howling at night in the far distance.
Heard some sort of songbird singing away at night.
Conclusions/Lessons learned:
Kansas is not flat.
If the weather wasn’t perfect I would have never made it.
Finally got that double century off the bucket list.
100 oz. of water was perfect to get me to each check point.
Always bring cheese sticks to endurance events.
My ass scabs healed nicely 5 days after.
No blisters on the hands, gloves worked great.
McDonalds cheeseburgers are the best thing to eat AFTER an event like this.
question for SS riders.... anyone have previous experience with gearing that they'd like to share? i'm used to more hills, but less miles and wind... thinking of going to a harder gear, but concerned of going to strong. opinions?
first post...i signed up for the half pint. i grew up in KCMO but only really got into cycling when I moved to CA. Pretty excited. I think i'm going to run Clement MSO 40c on my CX bike.
I'm aiming for a 13.5 mph pace. If the gravel gods cooperate that will get me across the finish line just before sunset. If I piss them off somehow I hope they see it in their hearts to let me finish 10 pm. Five minute pits, recover on the bike. Time can be your friend or your enemy in this race!
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