2014 Epic Racing Cycling Team Charity Updates

2014 Epic Racing Cycling Team Charity Updates

 Epic Racing with the continued generous support of Afford-A-Vet Animal Clinic debut the New Crush Kids Cancer pop up canopy at the BuDu Lord Hill Race. 

Alex Weinert (the main force behind crushkidscancer.org) was scheduled to swing by and meet more of the team and take that canopy home.  This canopy will be used by the Crush Kids’ Cancer Cycling Team (the roadies).  Alex got held up and could not attend but has promised to attend and compete at the next race at 360 Park.

Speaking of Crush Kids Cancer, our team fund raising efforts so far in 2014 have totaled $411.03.  If you have not heard what they are working towards and what our contributions have done please read this short article https://giveto.seattlechildrens.org/impact/turning-the-tables-on-cancer?srctid=1&erid=232821&trid=70f87b2c-915a-42ed-b955-bda7486ede18

We have taken 5% of the 2014 team kit sales, accepted donations, and been selling Slop Shields (fork mounted front fenders) at each of the BuDu races.  Hopefully if the race day weather begins to improve we can organize bake sales, beverage and snack sales, ect… to raise additional money.  The team donation to Seattle Children’s Hospital to fund pediatric cancer research and treatment trials will correspond with the Crush Kids Cancer Cycling Team annual Seattle to Portland bike ride.  I know a lot of us will be racing on that weekend but if you are riding the STP get on board with these folks.  You will get access to private catered lunches, massages, and other perks along your journey while you raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer treatment.

Other charity work we have done as a team for our fellow teammates has been happening as well.   

We have provided a kind of scholarship opportunity to some of the kids on the team to enable them to participate in the BuDu races.  We, as a team, have covered entry fees, provided jerseys, assisted with bike purchases, maintenance, and upgrades to keep these young legs spinning pedals and producing smiles. 

We have another annual Epic Racing Tradition coming up soon and need a lot of volunteers to pull off. 

The annual Kids Ride out at Henry’s Ridge in Maple Valley is planned for Sunday June 15^th (Fathers Day).  The purpose of this event is to make a fun mountain bike day for the young ones on the team and in the surrounding neighborhoods that embrace the booming Mountain Bike culture that exists in the King County Open Space lands surrounding their communities.  In our 1^st year we have 4 kids attend and they had a lot of fun.  Last year we had somewhere around 30 kids and again everyone had a great time.  At the conclusion of the event we held a raffle that consisted of a bunch of team member donated bike swag and Afford-A-Vet donated pet items.  The grand prize was the Specialized Hard Rock bike generously donated by our Sponsors Center Cycle and Afford-A-Vet Animal Clinic.

This year we expect the number of kids to continue to increase and we will need more volunteers and more donations to be given away as prizes to the kids.  Also, this year will hold the 1^st Strider Bike World Championship XC race for the wee kids.  Contact Shannon Sutherland who is coordinating this event.  To see more photos of last years event click on this link  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.350615268394840.1073741843.260091464113888&type=3

BuDu XC Race #4 King County Soaring Eagle Trails

Although the weather up until race time looked threatening, the end of the day saw blue skies for the final Cat 2 races.  Trails were still muddy from the recent rains but overall much more passable that the last race at Port Gamble.  From my perspective it was just muddy enough to provide a good challenge while not being a complete slog-fest.  At least that's how it felt by the time Cat 2 races rolled around - the Cat 3 and Cat 1 races probably plowed the mud out of the way for us!

Thanks once again to all of our sponsors including Chainbrew, Wildwater River Guides, Wolf Tooth Components, Center Cycle, Pearson Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, Schwalbe Tires, Bicycle Centre, Crank Brothers, CrapPhotos, Fanatik Bike Company, Lezyne, Mazama, and Boundary Bay Brewing Company.

Cat 2 Start (photo by Jason Balajadia)

Haden Mills on the way to his first place finish (photo by Full Suspension Studios) 

Thomas Farmer getting a little air on his 29er (photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Cat 2 40-49 Podium Finishers (photo by Marc Steingrebe)

Cat 3 19-34 Podium Finishers (photo by Marc Garoutte)

Here's our team results for the day -- congrats to our 6 podium finishers and to Mark Garoutte for edging out teammate and "youngster" Josh Viborel-Baker by a spot in the Singlespeed category!

• Cat 1
• Thomas Farmer 1st 34 & Under (currently 1st in series)
• Cat 2
• Amy Josefczyk 3rd 40-49  (currently 1st in series)
• Anthony Barlow 8th 40-49
• Matt Levin 10th 50+
• Matt Houchens 4th Clydesdale
• Mark Thomas 5th Clydesdale
• Marc Garoutte 7th Singlespeed
• Josh Viborel-Baker 8th Singlespeed
• Cat 3 
• Megan Koziolek 3rd 13-18
• Janna Houchens 2nd 19-34
• Alicia Taggatz 3rd 19-34
• Shannon Sutherland 6th  50+
• Haden Mills 1st 13-18
• Dan Wheeler 9th 19-34
• Jon Nelson 7th 50+

Laura Ogden and Liv/Giant present: The 3F's: Fit, Form, Function

Ladies, come Join EPIC Racing Cycling Team Pro Enduro Racer Laura Ogden for some basics and to see what Liv/giant USA has to offer. There will be more events centered around riding and skills development too.  Join our Facebook event!

Laura also has more events throughout the spring and summer -- if you want to learn more about bike maintenance or try out a group ride check these out!

2014 Echo Red 2 Red- Chilly! MARCH 1st, 2014- Lee Bauck and me (Leslie Copper) watched the weather all week waiting and hoping for 60 degrees and sun! When we arrived on Friday for the pre-ride it was 50 degrees and felt a little warm.  Would it last? The forecast was for a cold front to move in and drop the temperature in to the 20's for race day. The pre-ride was uneventful with the exception of seeing about 6 people on the sides of the trail with flat tires- one person reported this was her 3rd flat in less than 2 miles. The goat heads were really bad this year. I pulled 3 goat heads out of my tires at the end of the day and let the Stan's goo in the tires do it's job! Plugged the holes right up. We added some extra Stan's that night!  Race day brought the predicted cold temperature of 28 degrees with threats of snow and about 1/2 of the riders stayed home- wimps! The trick was staying warm while waiting for the race to start. Once racing it was actually not too bad.  Lee started his first CAT 1 race- 32 miles with a time of 2:41. He placed 19th out of 31 riders.  The old ladies wimped out and only 3 of the 6 registered riders showed up.  Leslie placed second with a time of 2:31 for 26.5 miles.  Lee at the start of Echo Red 2 Red Lee at finish of race! Might be Leslie in turquoise in middle of picture???? 2nd place cowbell and a beer for Leslie!

BuDu XC Race #3 Port Gamble Trails

Epic Racing ventured out to the Kitsap Peninsula for the latest BuDu series round at the Port Gamble Trails.  Rainy weather made for some extremely muddy conditions which challenged all of the racers but nevertheless provided for a good time and extra stories after the race.  Sandra Barlow provided a St. Paddy's day themed Irish Stew and to-die-for chocolate cupcakes that were the hit of the entire race!

 (photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Cat 3 racers started off the day with Shannon Sutherland racing on a feather light single speed anniversary gift from her hubby! Here she is powering through the speed-sucking mud at the finish.  The course ended in a field that provided a long muddy section that destroyed your momentum just before the finish.  Dan Wheeler, Jon Nelson, and Justin Hamilton also braved the mud for Epic Racing in Cat 3 as well.

Janna Houchens was excited to podium with 3rd place in Cat 3 19-34, contributing to a family podium sweep as her husband Matt also placed in Cat 2.

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Haden Mills also proudly finished 2nd in Cat 3 13-18!  Great job Haden!

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

The Cat 1 classes started next, with Chip Richardson, Jason Konieczka, Thomas Farmer, and Doug DeMars all competing in their various divisions.  Chip Richardson capitalized on the fact that the experts made two passes through the event venue by requesting bratwurst and cupcake hand ups at each lap.

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Last up were the Cat 2 riders with Anthony Barlow, Matt Houchens, Matt Levin, Dave Pringle, Scott Wipperman, Marc Garoutte, and Amy Josefczyk getting a little break from the rain but not the mud as the course was pretty well churned up by that time.

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Anthony Barlow provided some St. Patrick's Day spirit and hoped for the luck of the Irish on his laps.

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

 Mark Garoutte here looks pretty clean on his lap through the venue.  He currently sits at fifth place in the Cat 2 single speed category standings.

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Matt Houchens here is celebrating 3rd in Cat 2 Clydesdales and the second half of his family podium sweep -- great job Houchens!  Congrats also to Matt Levin who finished 11th after upgrading from Cat 3 to a very competitive Cat2 50+ category.

(photo by Janna Houchens)

Here's a list of our finishers for the day. Congrats to our 4 podium finishers, and let me know in the comments if I missed anyone!

• Cat 1
• Thomas Farmer 4th 34 & Under
• Jason Konieczka 5th 35-49
• Chip Richardson 10th 35-49
• Cat 2
• Amy Josefczyk 3rd 40-49
• Anthony Barlow 7th 40-49
• Dave Pringle 8th 40-49
• Matt Levin 11th 50+
• Matt Houchens 3rd Clydesdales
• Marc Garoutte 8th SS
• Cat 3
• Shannon Southerland 4th 50+
• Janna Houchens 3rd 19-34
• Justin Hamilton 9th 12&under
• Haden Mills 2nd 13-18
• Dan Wheeler 6th 19-34
• Jon Nelson 6th 50+

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Thanks to all of our sponsors for a great day of racing, including Chainbrew, Wildwater River Guides, Wolf Tooth Components, Center Cycle, Pearson Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, Schwalbe Tires, Bicycle Center, Crank Brothers, CrapPhotos, Fanatik Bike Company, Lezyne, Mazama, and Boundary Bay Brewing Company.

A final shot out to Afford-A-Vet Animal Clinic who provides our cozy tent!

(photo by Full Suspension Studios)

Mazama Design Dualocity Hydration Pack Reservoir Review

Mazama Design is a small outdoor-products development company out of Bend Oregon that has a small line of unique hydration systems for runners and cyclists.

http://mazamadesigns.com/index.html

Epic Racing received 2 Dualocity hydration reservoirs for testing and evaluation in December 2013.

Description

Empty reservoir with two large bottles of
 pre mixed electrolyte drink and liquid fuel

This unique reservoir retails for $39.99 and features two side-by-side .9 liter (30 oz) chambers each with its own drink tube set. This design allows the rider to carry two different fluid types by using the sealing clip to separate the chambers or release the clip and use it as a single 1.8 liter (60 oz) bladder for single fluid use.  

The Dualocity is made from anti-bacterial materials including premium US-made film that contains no BPA or PVC. 






The Dualicity reservoir includes left and right 39 inch drink tubes, left and right MagmaFlow bite valves, magnetic strap retainers that fit 3/4 and 1 inch wide pack straps, 2 in-line MagmaFlow quick connects for easy removal of reservoir from pack, and a sealing clip that allows use as dual or single fluid reservoir(s).

Reservoir with each chamber filled with a
large waterbottle of different drink mixes

The MagmaFlow bite valve is a 360 degree bite valve with a claimed one-handed push button shut-off and features a magnetic tethering system with included magnet base for keeping drink tubes in place. These are available as a separate accessory to add to any hydration reservoir drink tube.

MagmaFlow Quick-Disconnects allow easier hydration bladder filling by allowing you to remove your bladder from your pack without the trouble of taking your drink tube off the pack's shoulder strap.  The disconnect feature one-handed operation, automatic shut-off when disconnected, and fit the standard drink tube 1/4" ID size.  These are available as a separate accessory to add to any hydration reservoir drink tube.

Warranty

Time will be the only way to see if the generous warranty will be needed.  I like that the warranty includes a crash replacement clause (for a minimal fee).

“Mazama Designs products are covered by a Lifetime Warranty against material and workmanship defects. If a product fails due to a manufacturing or material flaw it will be repaired or replaced free of charge. Products failing due to normal wear, accidents, negligence, or the natural breakdown of materials over extended use and time will be repaired for a minimal fee.”

Contact

Mazama Designs, LLC
70 SW Century Drive, #100-284
Bend, OR 97702

Email: matt@mazamadesigns.com

Phone: 541-480-7555

Pack Fit

Full reservoir fit well inside pack

The reservoir weight is 12 oz (340 gram) and size is 16" high x 8" wide.  According to the manufacturer it was designed to fit in Osprey Hydraulics hydration packs using the Hydraulics™ 2 Liter Reservoir & Hydraulics™ 3 Liter Reservoir .  I personally tested it in my Camelbak Charge 450 pack that uses a 3 liter reservoir that is 17.5” high x 8” wide.  The Dualocity reservoir fit fine in my pack but with a reduced overall fluid capacity of 1.2 liters (40 oz).  This reduced fluid capacity is not an issue for me as I rarely fill my reservoir with more than 2 liters.  

Drink tubes routed out of pack

Performance

In use, the only negative aspects was that the 39 inch long drink tubes* flopped around and interfered with riding on really steep and rugged DH/Enduro courses.  The magnetic tethering system was overwhelmed by the weight of the bite valve and long drink tubes given the amount of g-forces generated on these rugged courses. 

*The included 39 inch long drinking tubes were way too long for me so I cut 5” off with a pair of scissors to get the perfect length for drinking in the riding position.  When I contacted the owner of Mazama designs he said he would add to the instructions included with each reservoir how to custom cut the tubes for a proper fit.  I actually like the fact the tubes are too long (for me) because it insures they will not be too short for anyone else.

Drink Tubes original length were too long

Drink  tubes shortened by 5"

One very nice result of using this Dualocitiy reservoir was the elimination of fluid sloshing, pack sway, and bounce as I negotiated rough technical trails.  The tall narrow chambers of the Dualocity reservoir are extremely effective at controlling fluid movement and kept the weight of the fluid dispersed along the length of the pack vs. sitting at the bottom of the pack.  With the same amount of fluid, my pack “felt” a lot lighter when riding with the Dualocity reservoir compared to the Camelbak reservoir.

The general use of the reservoir was on par with the others on the market.  But what sets it apart is the center divider and the simple but effective sealing clip that allows the user the option of one large single fluid bladder (and you can remove one of the drinking tubes via the self sealing quick disconnects) or two separate reservoirs and drinking tubes. 

The Magna-Flow Bite Valves are very ergonomic, flow a decent amount of fluid, and allowed easy breathing between drinks with valve held between teeth.  The one-handed push button shut-off was easy to close with gloves on without looking but opening it back up was not intuitive or easy while riding.  The bite valves provide a very leak free experience so the shut offs were left in the open position without issue while riding or stowing the pack in vehicle. 

Cleaning/Maintenance

First off, if you are not one for keeping your hydration reservoir clean you probably will have issues with any reservoir when used in conjunction with electrolyte or liquid energy mixtures.  These mixtures contain sugars and other food sources for bacteria and mold to grow and thrive unless a meticulous regime of post ride/race cleaning is followed.

I routinely use electrolyte and liquid fuel mixtures in my hydration reservoirs and found no extra effort is required to clean the Dualicity reservoir with one small exception.  There are two drink tubes and two bite valves that must be cleaned so it takes a little longer but such is the nature of this design.

According to the manufacturer, the MagmaFlow Quick-Disconnects allow easier hydration bladder filling allowing you to remove your bladder from your pack without the trouble of taking your drink tube off the pack's shoulder strap.  While this is a benefit for replenishing the reservoir in long endurance racing events I found they added a level of complexity when it came time to clean the reservoir.  These disconnects have an automatic shut-off feature when disconnected.  They perform their intended function wonderfully but limit your ability to power flush the system with hot water and detergent unless all the tubes are connected. 

Summary

If you understand the added cleaning vigilance required when running electrolyte or liquid fuels in a hydration bladder then you will be very pleased with the ability to have two different drinks available simultaneously when you ride, train, or race.

The quality of the materials and construction are very nice and it looks like it will hold up for a long time under the heat of competition.

For myself, I will be using the Dualicity hydration bladder filled with my favorite race fuel and hydration products during the 2014 Enduro Racing Season.  It is an easy way to simplify the gear and supplies needed to be self sufficient in these long grueling competitions.

I will update this blog as the racing season progresses.

Marc Garoutte

Epic Racing Cycling Team

The 1x11 Enduro Racing Drive Train Journey Part 4

Well it has now been 2 months of hard riding with the new Tallboy LTc and Sram 1x11 drivetrain using a 30T Wolf Tooth Components Drop Stop GPX front chain ring.

I took the MRP Chain Guide off shortly after my last post (Part 3) and have ridden DH trails at Exit 27, Enduro race course shuttle runs at Chuckanut Mt., made several trips to Duthie Hill MTB Park, completed the Trials of Tribulation course 6 times, the Tapeworm Time Trial, put in a few hundred miles of technical single track riding, and suffered a big time crash that broke my rear rotor and bent the stout Santa Cruz derailleur hanger.  But through all of that (even the major crash) I never suffered a single dropped chain!

I am thoroughly impressed so far with my 1x11 drive train performance and feel I have it all dialed in for the start of the Northwest enduro racing season.

I recently added a 30t 104 Drop Stop Chain Ring to my 2010 Stumpjumper Carbon Pro Single Speed Cross Country bike.  That's right, a 23lb 140mm full suspension single speed single track trail ripper made possible with a YESS chain tensioner http://www.yesspro.com/product/84/ .  This has done 2 things: 1) the 30t chainring gave me a low enough gear ratio to finally climb technical single track in my local riding area, and 2) the red anodizing matches the red Crank Bros Cobalt wheelset for some extra bling factor.  So far the performance has been flawless and I will begin racing XC Single Speed races in 2 1/2 weeks.  Wish me luck.

I also put a 32t 104 Drop Stop Chain Ring on my 2012 Santa Cruz Nomad and will enter my first DH race at Dry Hill in mid April.  So far the performance on this bike has been nothing short of stellar as well.

So in summary the Drop Stop Chainrings from Wolf Tooth Components are top notch performers, look great, and I am proud that my race team and I can support this fantastic "Made in America" company!

Sincerely,

Marc Garoutte
Epic Racing Cycling Team Manager.