Best Cube Ever!

In the days leading up to the Cube we watched the forecast with some anxiety. Early yesterday morning it felt like we were at a tipping point. It could turn out to be the best Cube ever or the worst. I was not optimistic, but by 8 a.m. or so, the rain began to dissipate and surfaces started to firm up. The day continued cold and windy but well within an acceptable range for fall cyclocross weather with spectacular fall colors and mostly good surfaces. That's not to say that conditions were not tough, but on balance, I feel like it was the best day ever at the Cube. 

The only negative is that the relatively inhospitable conditions and ominous forecast turned away a substantial number of same-day registrants resulting in our lowest numbers in many years. Our support was tremendous. A big thanks to everyone who worked and sacrificed to put on another successful Cube in a tradition stretching back 15 years to 2007. Congratulations to B-group winners Amber Hoover and Ryan McMinn and A-group winner Will Hatch. Someone check that guy for a motor!

Thanks, Dawn for most of these photos!

 

We Rode the Inaugural Purple Thistle Cyclocross

A big thanks to Stefan, Ryan and all the staff at Fitzgerald's for bringing cross back to Idaho Falls after a long absence as well to Brelon May for his excellent work on course design. Participant numbers were typical for a first-year event but should grow based on positive word of mouth. The course and organization were both outstanding.

The Gem Lake Recreation Area is mostly a series of abandoned gravel pits, The quality of the dirt is not great in some parts of the park, and frankly, the area is not much to look at. Conditions benefited significantly yesterday from an early morning rain shower. Even though the venue is ugly, it is home to an expanding mountain bike park and has tremendous potential. GLRA is huge with varied topograpy. The course was a well-balanced mountain bike style cyclocross race with plenty of tough technical sections as well as faster flowier sections. 

TNR Moves to 5:30 p.m. NEXT Tuesday September 27th

Final Tuesday NIght Ride of the Season will be Tuesday November 1st.

Purple Thistle Cyclocross - October 1st

We're pleased to announce the inaugural Purple Thistle Cyclocross Race at the Gem Lake Rec Area in Idaho Falls on October 1st put together by our friends at Fitzgerald's Bicycles.

We couldn't be more excited for the return of Cyclocross to Idaho Falls after the loss of the Blue Goose a few years back!

Preview: Rebecca's Private Idaho - VeloNews.com

https://www.velonews.com/news/gravel/preview-rebeccas-private-idaho/ 

Bikerumor Pic Of The Day: Lunch Peak Lookout, Idaho - Bikerumor

https://bikerumor.com/bikerumor-pic-of-the-day-lunch-peak-lookout-idaho/ 

Steve Saves the Day on Another Hot, Dry TNR

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4 Peaks Gran Fondo 2022

Tim, Dave, Jeff, and Kelly at the 4 Peaks gran Fondo

The 4 Peaks Gran Fondo is always a tough day and a lot of fun. Eighty miles (a little longer than our version of the Pocatello ride) with 7000 feet of climbing. Heat is often a factor, but mild temperatures prevailed this year. Not included in this photo are Jake Parkinson and Nephi who were also there and riding fast. We are still waiting for the 2022 results to be posted. In light of the fact that the only timed portion in the four climbs, there is a significant incentive to go easy in between, or as Jeff likes to say, there is no prize for winning the transitions.

Bike BBQ 2022

Bike BBQ Monday, Sept 12^th

 6 p.m.

Dave and Dawn Anderson home 324 S. 3^rd E.

Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert.

Invite your family. Invite your friends.

Live Music with David Peck and Thorz Hammer

Return of Jay P's Gravel Pursuit for 2022

Jay Petervary has a long history of organizing innovative bicycle events in Southeast Idaho. Jeff and I were pretty excited about the return of the Gravel Pursuit, in distances of 30, 60, and 120 miles, after an absence of several years.

 

We opted for the 60 mile option. Rounding a corner at about ten miles, I hit a rock resulting in significant damage to the sidewall of my rear tire. Things did not go well in a long improvised repair, but miraculously, it held to the finish.

 

The original Gravel Pursuit was a fairly traditional bike race on mostly good gravel roads and some pavement. The new Gravel Pursuit is significantly less conventional with Jeep roads, long steep hike-a-bike, singletrack, traverse through a marsh, and 4000 feet of climbing in the pebbly black sand that proliferates on Island Park roads late season.

 

Props to Jay P on some epic and imaginative route finding, even if you have ridden quite a bit in Island Park, significant sections of the new route will almost certainly be unfamiliar to you. The course got mixed reviews from most of the people we talked to. People liked its epic nature, but regretted their choice of bicycle. I get the idea that a good rider can ride any bike anywhere typified by the story of a road pro riding the Crusher on 23 mm road tires, but that does not change the fact that a mountain bike would have been a better match for the majority of riders in the middle part of the course.

 

As always Jay P's support was outstanding. I had a commitment in Boise afterward, so we were not able to stay for the potato bar. Jeff started the day stronger than me and that gap only widened over the course of the day. Nevertheless, he cheerfully dragged me all the way to the finish.

 

My takeaways from the new course are these. Think of it as more of an adventure ride than a gravel race. Strongly consider riding a mountain bike.

Canadian MTB pro Haley Smith crushes the Crusher in the Tushar - VeloNews.com

https://www.velonews.com/news/gravel/canadian-mtb-pro-haley-smith-crushes-the-crusher-in-the-tushar/ 

Crusher in the Tushar course preview and riders to watch - VeloNews.com

https://www.velonews.com/news/gravel/crusher-in-the-tushar-course-preview-and-riders-to-watch/