VooDoo Cycles Blog

I have decided that my 29er will be the perfect bike for my next race. Thanks to Bednar and the Willes for their amazing contributions, I am fortunate enough to race in the first ever American MountainClassic Four Day MTB Stage Race in Brian Head, UT! This race consists of 4 stages, 4 days, 170 miles, and climbs over 14,000 feet. Epic. I think this one is going to hurt. See you there Angela…

It may not be Europe (see Tim’s exciting blog and racing pics below) but here’s my race report about a fun and exciting race you can do closer to home (for me, anyway).

It is before dawn somewhere deep in the Oregon Cascades. I am at my first mountain race since I wrecked my shoulder a year ago, and somehow before the day is out I will have ridden a 100 miles of brutal trail. Somehow.

Billed as “America’s Toughest 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race”, the Cascade Cream Puff held the last week in June tests riders with a course made up of 50% singletrack miles through pine and old growth forest and 18,000 feet of elevation gain.

Nearly 200 racers—I among them—have gathered for the annual rite of spinning wheels that will take them all day long. We set off for the first few paved miles in a mighty peloton, led out by a motor vehicle-assist. Three short paved miles give way to an 8-mile fire road climb up to the Alpine and Tire Mountain Trails. The pack begins to spread out, separating into smaller, more intimate groups for the time being. I maintain a steady, up-tempo pace and reach the singletrack amid a pack of riders. We enter a jungle of towering trees and green ferns, lush from snowmelt, and disappear into the depths of the forest. Slower descenders conscientiously pull aside in the switchbacks as the faster riders take the head of the train, but we all concentrate on keeping a good line on the sometimes tight-rope-walking singletrack. I try not to look down when the trail breaks out into an exposed, rocky section, where one careless glance or misaligned wheel could send me cart-wheeling fifty feet or more down the steep, treacherous slope. Gulp.

Despite being out of the racing scene for an extended period of time, I feel strong for the first half of the race and solid for another 20 miles after that. Over the course of the race I would go by Aid stations nine times, passing on some but thankfully accepting from others GU, water, GU2O, or bananas from the ubiquitous and encouraging volunteers. As I drop down the Alpine Trail for the last time I am positioned in 4th or 5th place in the women’s category, holding steady as I race toward Aid Station 1 and the 80-mile mark. I feel a little fatigued, but I’m not overly worried about it. Then I start having a few mechanical difficulties. Shifting problems and chain suck may be par for the course when you ride hard for nearly half a day straight, but I am horrified when I hear the sound of metal pinging metal, over and over again.

I stop my bike at a switchback and jump off, just as another woman racer whizzes by me. I look at my rear wheel, and my heart sinks. A broken spoke that’s been hitting my brake—and it’s a broken CrossMax spoke at that. I must have kicked up a rock somehow… a big rock. Now what?

I begin loping down the singletrack, which is certainly not as much fun as riding it. Eventually I stumble to an Aid station. Once there, the race official presumes I am out of the race. “So you’re done, then?” No. Please, no. Committed to finishing my first race in a year, I ask if I have any other options. He consults with others and a small crowd gathers. One guy determines that the wheel is rideable, if considerably out-of-true. Unable to get the broken spoke free without damaging the hub, we wind it around the hub and zip-tie it. I’m back up and riding…

…and hurting. The long time spent off the bike allows my body to realize what I was putting it through. The last 20 miles are grueling. At one point I just want to finish. At the top of the final 8-mile fire road climb I pass by the last Aid station before the final descent. As I ride on, an official tells me to take care on the descent—it was getting dark, and racers were bonking. “Be sure to stop for a ‘wit check’ now and then.” Wise advice—even if the course isn’t very technical, apart from the narrow singletrack and sharp switchbacks. Perhaps this is a good thing in an ultra-marathon race. (It takes the winner of the race, pro-roadie Kevin Rowe, over 9 ½ hours to finish, as it is.) If it were a more technical course, we racers might be finishing in the dark.

Indeed, more than a third of the whole field won’t end up finishing the long, tough race. Despite the rebellious spoke, I do manage to finish. I come in 5th in the women’s category (according to the unofficial results), and a little worse for wear. The long periods of descending may have roughed up this hardtail rider a bit (although my Ti Voodoo D-Jab helped smooth out the jolts), and my physical therapist for my shoulder may have been horrified to learn about my 100-mile race. But I’m happy to say that my shoulder and I held up quite well for our first race together in a very long while.

Thanks so much to Voodoo and my other sponsors for their support. See you next time at the American Classic stage race in Brian Head.
–Angela

That trip was the longest I’ve ever been away from home. It feels so good to be home. Flagstaff is unbelievable right now. The monsoons are hooking up the trails in the afternoon, keeping the dust down and the corners tacky!
After Nationals I was anxious to get back on my 29er. I was whishing I had the big wheels the whole time I was in Italy and Vermont. I don’t know which ones faster, but the 29er is just more fun!
-Fun vacation, great riding, cool people, and many memories. Now it’s back to school full time and bussing tables at BRIX. I still haven’t decided which bike I’m going to race in Brian Head, UT.
Peace

Umbe and I right before the world championships…

3 days of trains and planes. With my bike in a box, a big suitcase, and my backpack. Not ideal for train hopping or getting around town to find a hotel. I left bormio on a bus, took a train towards Milan and was turned around near Tirano because of a huge land slide… Back tracked 2.5 hours and headed to Switzerland. I took a crazy 6.5 hour train ride through the Swiss Alps and spent the night in Zurich. The next morning I got on another train to Munich and arrived 5 hours later with some daylight left. I enjoyed checkin’ out Munich, good beer. I had to take another train to the airport for my flight the next day. After 18 hours in airports and planes, I made it to New Hampshire. Sunday picked me up and drove me 2 more hours to his house. Got a little sleep, then woke up and built my bike. I rode down to the bike shop and spent way too long working on my bike. I finally got it dialed and it was dinner time. I made some pasta and shrimp with Sunday and we had some wine. At least I know it’s in the tank for tomorrow. Then he took me for a sweet little spin on some of his backyard trails. Beautiful east coast single track along the Connecticut River! I am probably the least prepared for the most important race of the season. I am so incredibly exhausted from all this traveling and have no idea how I’m going to feel tomorrow. I’m going to leave it all out there on the course and hope for the best!
Peace
here are some pics for ya…

Pro…

Stelvio

Single track on the edge!

Snowboarding was awesome!

This is how I rolled…

At Sunday’s, I like New Hampshire

This place is off the chain! I decided last minute to stay in Bormio for a week before I fly back to Vermont. I took a train here on Tuesday, checked into my room, built my bike, and headed towards Livigno. Talk about a breath taking ride. 4 hours later when I returned to my hotel, The owner Erica was working in the lush garden out front. She insisted that I take a bunch of radishes, a head of lettuce, and as many tomatoes and strawberries that I pleased. She didn’t speak nor did she understand a lick of english. Delicious salad, I must say.
The following day I rode Gavia Pass, another famous climb! I cannot describe it in words… In the late afternoon when I returned, Erica called her son who is studying english in Boulder, CO and had him translate a message for her. He told me how to get to an incredible hot spring that was only a 5 minute bike ride on some bitchin’ single track. It felt good on the legs.
Today I climbed Stelvio, yet another famous climb that takes you up to a ski resort that is open year round. On the way home I ventured off on some sweet single track that made me so glad I was on my mountain bike! Plus, it’s really fun passing all the roadies that don’t have helmets on, on my mountain bike on the way up. Tomorrow I’m going snowboarding @ Stelvio Pass With Luca!
Ciao
Tim

Here are some photos of a new model we are working on. The production version will have a red VooDoo cromoly fork made for this frame rather than the Agwe fork in the photos. I put the Agwe fork on so I could run a 29″er tire up front with dirt drops and catch some dirt on the commute to our shop…

It just keeps getting better. Last week I was feeling a little sick and homesick, but did a ton of sweet mountain biking in the pre-alps, and now I’m feeling awesome. Maybe it’s all the gelato and pasta… or the insanely steep climbs that just never seem to end. Regardless, I am loving every minute of this vacation. Yesterday was Saturday, the day before another local race. Umbe wanted to take the day off the bike and just chill since we’ve been putting in the miles. We decided a day in Lecco would be perfect. Let me tell you, it was. We found a killer beach on Lake Como in between Bellagio and Lecco, went swimming for a bit and kicked back to catch some rays. The women don’t like tan lines I guess, so they just lay out topless.
Today we raced our mountain bikes and had a blast. The course was sick, 11k, techy climbing, fast downhill, and of course there was a little mud! I hung onto the lead group the first lap, they start soo fast. Then on the second lap I attacked on the climb. It didn’t stick. Umbe came by with his teammate Samuele and he said “no dinner for Tim, you go too fast…haha!” stronzo Americano! We did 3 laps, I hung on for third. The legs are feeling good. But I think it was the tranquillo day at the lake. Once again there were showers, refreshments, and a big pasta party after the race(free)! I paid 3 euros for the timing chip, that’s it. I checked the registration for National Championships in America, $185 for me. Why do they charge so much? $185 is absurd, National Championships are free in Italy and the U23 cash purse is 3,000 €. I don’t get it…
I will spend one more week in Italia before returning to Vermont. I’m not quite sure what I’m doing or where I’m going, so I’ll keep you posted.
Hey, get off your computer and go outside! Or check out www.WTB.com/usa !!
Ciao,
Tim

Last weekend I raced the Granfondo dei Longobardi in Cagno, Italy. It was a 55k mountain bike race that took 2:15. Although it was just a local mountain bike race for Umberto, this was bigger and better than our Norba Nationals in the US. The venue was huge with an abundance of free food and refreshments for all. Not to mention, Elites race for free. No entry fee, free food, showers, and bike wash for afterwards, and the top 10 finishers get paid. I finished 11th in the Elite category, no Euros for Tim. Gilberto Simoni won 500 Euros for first . My friend Umberto finished 4th after suffering a gnarly crash, because he is the man. What an experience to be the only Americano and mixing it up with a super stacked Italiano field. The race started with 5k of road. Talk about sketchy, tires rubbing, bumping elbows, and lots of yelling in Italian; while going 50kph. Once we hit the single track, it was ON. The WTB Vulpines were sweet for this race because there was a lot of road climbing(GPM) and fast rolling single track. It was a great event, I wish some American race promoters would do stuff like this. It was just more fun! Oh, and after you shower and wash your bike, there is a complimentary pasta party for the awards ceremony. Complete with paninis, pasta, and wine. This was also more fun because everyone sticks around to watch the awards ceremony. The next morning while sippin’ espresso, Umbe shows me the sports section in the newspaper. There was a full page article on the race and a picture of Umberto and I at the finish. Too bad I can’t understand it.
Ciao
Tim

some pictures for you… This was on the long ride before the World Championships, when I got dropped by JHK and Sam!

My Italiano friends, Umberto and Samuele! Both riders on the Italian National Team.
The Alps are larger than life!
This view was incredible and the trail was even better! It ends in a town called Canzo, just like the my Voodoo Canzo…

Salute’
Ciao,
Tim

Probably the craziest race I’ve ever done… the MTB World Championships was definitely an eye opening experience. This was my first race out of the US. International racing is way different than racing in the states. The start was so agressive. I was called up 107th(last row). When they announced 30 seconds to go, the entire field pushes forward. Try to imagine shuving your way through elbows and handlebars to fight for position. The spectators were intense to say the least! I fed off their energy and was able to work my way through 60+ U23 Pros. The course was very difficult because of the super steep climbs and the gnarly descents full of slippery roots and rocks. Luckily I had the WTB Raijin tires and they hooked up! Although I was still “off” from the jet lag and the long ride with Sam and JHK I managed to finish 41st. I was happy with my result even though 10 dudes passed me on the last climb. I need to figure out how to finish a race without bonking! Someday…
I have so many people to thank for this experience. First of all, thanks to my family for all the support! To Marc Gullickson for selecting me to represent America with the U23 National Team. To my dentist, Lee Campbell. And to all my sponsors, I couldn’t do this without you… Grazie!
Ciao,
Tim

I MISS LAUREN…