Dont ask me why I have never done it in 22 years of racing. But I have not before last weekend tried my hand of the Fort Custer Stampede. In spite of it being one of my favorite places to ride. Just never thought about it. But fueled with the confidence from words of encouragement from team Ultra Endurance Superstar Dennis Murphy I decided that this was my year. Also the team is trying to do more M.M.B.A. C.P.S. races this year!
So the race starts out in a big open field then immediately funnels into narrow single track. I got a great holeshot! Going into the narrows I was in 2nd place. After about a quarter mile, it was obvious that the guy in front had no business being out front. The pace slowed WAY down and I took an opportunity to get by.
I had a quick rush of exitement only to realize that I was now the rabbit with 19 miles to go! I held on wondering if the pace would cause me to blow up for a couple of miles. Then we were working through the wave ahead of us and we came to a switchback uphill section. Almost to the top, I was taken surprise by a left hand off camber uphill turn with roots that stopped my momentum dead! I didnt go down but the dab with enough for 2 other riders to get past. (crap)
So the 3 of us rode the rest of the lap with no changes in position, just working our way through the slower riders we were encountering on the way.
Going into the second lap I was stoked at the position that i was in and the fact that i now had a general layout of the course in my head. About a quarter of the way into lap 2 I lost my amigos in a single track section that they were able to get ahead of a slower rider that I wasnt. Never saw them again. Until about 3 miles from the end I saw one of the 2 guys off on the side of the trail(apparently having a technical). Then with daylight ahead on the last couple of gravely climbs there was a new player behind me that i hadnt seen before. The last mile or so was flat and a big ring pedal as fast as you can stretch to the finish and this guy wasn’t going to let me coast. After pushing as hard as i could to the finish, I was able to hold him off with my back reminding me that Im a A.A.R.P. qualifier!! Much to my amazement I had top honors! So the other guy that passed me either wasn’t in my class or I got past him and didn’t realize it. But i got to experience my first podium stand. It was nice!!
Other notable finishers were;
Single Speed Spin machine (Texas) Tom Stolz 3rd. Place
Jeremy (Krusher) Karel 3rd. Place
Matt (the Rocket) Remelts 5th. Place
and last but by no means least
Marnie (the talker) Tencate 4th. Place









This race for me on a tandem was just plain fun. The additional rush of speed a tandem is unmatched on the open road. The story is not the same for the two track sections. We moved along the 2 track section slowly. The thin tires and extra weight we not the top choice in the sand. However once on the open road we were able to make up some time. Putting our heads down and working hard resulted in blowing past pace line after pace line of people. After every line we passed many riders would sprint to try and hang on our draft. It felt like deer fly trailing behind you on a summer ride. This worked well for us for most of the race. The up hills were not as slow as I would have anticipated and the down hills more than made up for the grinding up hills. The down hills lefty me just shy of a rolling laugh.
and a new race season are all great reasons to be fired up about 2012 Race season. Founders Alger Racing will be attending the MMBA’s CPS (Championship Point Series) in force this year. In addition we be kicking off our season with the Barry Roubaix and ending with Iceman Cometh. Both being some of the largest and most fun race/event/party the state has to offer. New sponsor include Hyperoptik, Approved Fire Protection and Merrell. As well as Cannondale, Velocity, Atomic Object, Michigan Coast Riders, Ancor Associates Marketing, Kenda, Norman Family Dentistry, Bargain Book Stores. Com and of course Alger Bikes and Founders Brewery.
Crank brothers Egg Beater pedals have been my go to pedal for years and years. Just recently I found that Crank Bro found a way to make it better. They released a sleeve that fits over the ends and on the inside shoulder of the pedal. This is for the new pedal Egg Beaters. This sleeve provides a platform for your foot to rest on. At first it seemed like a gimmick. After logging some miles this winter I found it makes the pedal feel more solid and refined. The sleeve comes as a kit that has 3 different thicknesses of sleeves. So any shoe should be able to take advantage of this. The sleeve is a good addition to a great pedal.

