I put my name on the Dirty Kanza start list and come hell or high water I plan on finishing it this year. I've already put in some big days this year and I feel better every ride. I really am looking at 3 races and 3 races only for 2012. DK200, Durango Dirty Century and Laramie Enduro. If I do absolutely nothing else on a bike besides finish those 3 races this year I will be ecstatic. Tall order for sure, but reasonable and I don't plan on fudging it up with little XC stuff in between. Not that I won't enter the shorter races, I just don't care how they turn out.
Second: I bought two new bikes since I updated the blog last. First was a Tarmac SL2 Ultegra build. Yes I am planning on doing some road racing this year. No I do not care how I finish. I honestly bought the bike just because I could and I'm racing road only because I own the bike. There was around a Tarmac's worth of money in my bank account at the same time I was offered the deal on the bike so I went ahead and did it. I don't have many words about the bike for a review. It's my first carbon bike, it's also my first brand new Ultegra build. I have always, always said, "if you can do it on a 16lb carbon bike than I can do it on a 19'b cyclocross bike."
And the fact of the matter is.... I can. But hell it's nice to ride a full carbon race bike. I understand why the road scene spends the money now.
Third: Also bought an Epic 29. Bottom line about that bike is that I love it. One year ago I would probably say that the big red S does nothing for me in their mountain department. But sons of guns that bike rides well. Lelan Dains took me on a 4 hour sufferfest offroad for my 25th birthday and at the end of the ride all I could think is, "damnit I should have been on that bike for the last 3 years." It's that good. I love flipping bikes and trying the latest, greatest and newest. I don't see the Epic leaving my grasp for a long time. It does everything I want better than I expect it to. Weighs exactly the same as my old X-Cal even though they put a rear shock on it and performs like a purebred.
Slater out. Drink a 40 for me. Here's to bikes and things.
