Chris King Maintenance

thought you mike like this Jay.

make it nice,

Ari

Some things that are done so far

My ever messy workbench

1) Finally gotten my legs to where I wanted them to be.
2) Dinotte Lights are going to Iowa with me. (made in U.S.A.)
3) Epic Research feedbag for food, gu bottle and batterie pack (made in U.S.A.)
4) lower gearing 45x34x11x34 more spinning less Hulking.
5) Carbo Rocket individual packets. Less mess, less cramps, (Made in U.S.A.)
6) Ibex Knickers. Wool, fantastic Chamooah (Made in U.S.A.)
7) Noxzema, Vaseline, Bag Balm (Chamooah lubrication)
8) Look Quartz pedals, light, floaty and with lots of mud clearance. (Made in La France)
9) King Hubs, Headset, BottomBracket (Made in U.S.A.)
10) More Salty foods to keep cramps away.
11) Thinner layers to adjust body temps. No thick layers this year.
12) Schwalbe Marathon Extremes. Folding, grippy, No tools to mount, Puncture protection
13) Better tactics, better time management, less time off the bike.

These are things that I have been working on lately. Now we can start to taper off and try to losen out those knots. Make some maintenance on our tired ponies, get things dialed in and soon it will be all over.

best,
Ari

Slender Fungus lays an Easter Egg

Heading back home through Fermi Lab

31st. in Oakbrook. Heading west, towards corn country

5:00 a.m. at the starbucks in Elmhurst

Trail riding through the night

Salsa La Cruz taking a bathroom break.

I know that we are supposed to taper off for the ride but we still had some through the nigth issues to work out. We wanted to make sure not to fall asleep around the dreaded 3:00>>>6:00 am period. I loaded my bag with food, gels and two cans of Starbucks Double Shot. It seemed to work like a champ. I also consumed some Jameson Irish Whiskey at that time. I was frozen, since I only had leg warmers and no booties. The Jameson sent a warm streak all through my body.
We started the ride at Midnight Saturday and had planned to be back around 10:00a.m. so as to not disturb any Easter festivities with family. We rode east, got into St. Charles before 2:00a.m. then hit the Prairie Path , other Great Western trail all the way to Elmhurst. We rode steady and well. On the way back we had a nice tail wind and the sun warmed us up nice. I think we could have used more real food, as in salty and more liquids. We both had some crampys wanting to show up but we shot them down. I estimate we rode over 70 miles off road, with closer to 80. We totalled 115 miles and I entered the house at exactly 10:05 a.m.
I did not nap at all and I have been a zombie all day. I will go to bed early and have an easy day tomorrow. Maybe I will consider that word Taper.
Things are starting to take shape and there is just a couple of details that I have to work on. I am still searching for a tough camera to take with. I could not stand not taking photographs.
I hope everyone had a great Easter Holiday.


best,

Ari

Slender Fungus Cycling Association

Gumby and I terrorizing the Coyotes.

Click, enlarge and check out the owl. I wished for my canon G11

Too bad nobody else showed up except the Gumbalaya and meself for the wednesday ride. We couldn't figure it out. There were mild temps, slight winds, no ice, no snow. Anyway. We had a fantastic ride. Gumbalaya showed up on his Orbea and I was on the newly positioned La Cruz. We took Old State road, The GWT , then ended up the I.C. Trail rd to empire to swanberg to Silver Glen to Burr rd. headed south to Dean St took the GWT home. It was a great ride with 45 miles covered at a brisk pace. It was the first ride the Slender Fungus did not experience frozen feet. The first time since november that i rode without gloves and without my balaclava. The La Cruz was on fire and worked flawless. The legs are feeling really good as we speak. Still working on some position issues. I tried to ride more upright with an shorter stem and more rise and all it did was give my plumbing area bad pain. So I installed my 130mm ritchey stem and stuck to my snoby road position that I have had for the past 20 odd years. As C.P. says "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".

I also had the luck to photograph an owl sitting on a branch, in the wild. I really love owls.

best,

Ari

Trans Iowa is just around the corner.

Went for a good spin last night. Left the house around 10 pm and rode for 2 hours. I went and did Aldrich hill 5 times and then headed back to Sycamore. The legs are feeling good and the hills are becoming easier. I have managed to do all the training this year and so far, knock on wood, I have stayed healthy. The wife has fed me lots of vegetarian foods, lots of green smoothies. I have stayed away from beer for 4 months, have had ice cream a couple times and have eliminated junk food from my diet.
I will also be attending T.I. 30 lbs lighter than last year. To be exact I was almost 260 lbs last year and now weighing in at 230. Still 3 weeks to go so I will drop so more baggage until then .
I am working on bike issues, postion and I truly regret that my 20 year old Selle San Marco Rolls broke a rail. I bought the same exact saddle but have not succeeded in breaking it in. Luckily I have another old one I will use for the race.
I will be racing on Schwalbe Extreme tires in a 37-622 format. They are folding, grippy, flashy and pricey. They are worth the money and they will work just fine.
Lights will be offered by Dinotte lighting. Made in U.S.A. One headlamp on bars one on helmet, all powered by powerex rechargeables.
One small red blinker. Maybe something sexy from Knog.
Waterbottles will be Zefal magnums which hold 32oz. Almost like the fashionable Nalgene bottles, pre BPA.
Gearing will by 45x34x11x34. Low gears, spinning, spinning .
Hydration will be Carbo-rocket, perpetuem for food, and heed, for a change.
April 1st I will be kicking it into hight gear and then tapering the week before.

Wednesday Night ride
8:30 p.m.
Great Western Trail head
corner of old state rd and airport rd.
Come by if you like.


best to all,

thanks for reading my boring posts

Ari

Had a busy Sunday ahead of me and I tossed around the idea of riding all day on Saturday in my head. I just could not come up with a good idea. Hellmut was nursing a cold, I needed a hard ride in, my wife had tons of school projects to do on Sunday, my daughter needed quality time with dad. So at 10:30pm on Saturday night I figured out that that best thing would be to get ready and ride through the night into Sunday morning. I hurried and got dressed and loaded everything up on the bike. I looked at the wind, it was coming out of the N.E. and that is the general direction I took. I ended up in St. Charles and then headed north to do a loop of the Al Capones route. I then headed back south to St.Charles and took rte 64 home. Got pulled over by a cop around 3:30 am "just to check me out", continued, albeit a bit annoyed, arrived home with 6 hours of riding time. Went straight to bed after a glass of water and a cheese sandwich. Got up at 10 am and continued on with my day like nothing had happened. Got tired around 4:30 a.m., had a headache that I cured with sport beans and nathan electrolyte drink. Wished for a doubleshot can of starbucks and a couple advils at that time. Listened to music, slept on the bike, saw tons of coyotes, got chased in the woods by a lost chihuahua. Got freaked out a couple times. 3 men having breakfast at the parkway at 5:08 a.m. sunday morning. Ellesons's bakery open by 5:13 a.m.
Arrived home, a bit tired, sore neck, frozen feet, frozen face.

best,
Ari

Some secrets leaked

German Made Coils tuned for gravel riding

Upright riding position to keep an eye out for the competition

Dual wheel with Mercedes Benz made transmission

Flatbed for Food, endless watersupply and carrying exhausted team mates

Hellmut knowing he now has an edge.

Hellmut has been nursing a cold and I have been taking forced days off the bike. We are ready and those long, cold rides in the middle of the winter are over with.

Best,
Ari