Hi there folks, how are you all?
I've been trying to stay off this social media thing, as I feel like it's slowly rotting our brains, but that's a topic for another day.
I figured I'd jump back here for a minute and say a couple words about Doom since it was such a fun experience.
Andrew, you've created such a great event. I still remember crossing creeks in my truck and driving down that steep chunky road to a little town in the middle of nowhere Arkansas, where 25 other hooligans were eating pasta out of a pot... and look at us now. But I gotta say, even with ten times the participants and some extra bells and whistles, it still preserves that grass roots feel which we all love.
And speaking of that field... Boy, it was stacked! I'm so impressed by what everyone was able to achieve. Not just the front of the pack, which was absolutely mind blowing, but literally everyone that ventured out into those woods at night, armed with nothing but some gummy worms, a few ding dongs, a janky water filter and whatever the hell else you were carrying.
That course was friggin' awesome. Beautiful and treacherous. And certainty consequential at times. The womble at night... Andrew, you sick bastard! I thought for sure someone was gonna die, and sure enough, that someone was almost me when my front wheel slid off the edge of that 6 inch patch of leaf covered dirt they call trail, and almost flipped over into the abyss. Luckily the gremlins provided a tiny little tree for me to hang on to and saved my life.
And then there was the OT... We loved it, we hated it, mostly the latter. A slow death march where time is warped, and the end is just an abstract concept.
I was so glad to find Kai at the trailer when I got out of the forest. Seriously, Kai is one of those people that will instantly put in a better mood no matter what kind of shit day you've had. Probably the best human being you'll ever meet. Ok, maybe second only to my own mother.
And on the topic of good people, I was really happy to see all your faces at some point before, during or after the race. I only missed a few ones and I'm sorry.
(continued in the comments)
Hello digital content consumer. It has been brought to my attention that there's not enough crap on the Internet, so here's some more useless information:
A breakdown of my @bearclawbicycleco thunderhawk that I will be riding at @arhighcountryrace race.
I'm very much of a gear nerd and a self proclaimed hacker (with a negative connotation) so I will be highlighting all the custom bits and pieces
One of a kind half frame bag (more like 3/4) by @dispersed.bikepacking . Andrew and Katie are two badass bikepackers that make some badass bags out there in Utah, or maybe on planet Mars (same thing right?). Made with space-age materials.
Crank tank 3 by @cranktank4_cranktank3 . This is one of my favorite pieces of gear. I added my little touch by marking water levels, as it can be tricky to gauge due to its wedge shape.
The only con of the CT is that sometimes when I go past road bikers they think it's an e-bike battery.
Also custom cat sticker has real cat hair inside for good juju.
11 speed di2 with some funky custom wiring I won't get into and a 10-50 Garbaruk cassette with
special cage paired to a 34t chainring. You don't need fast gears for bikepacking.
@tailfincycling rack with custom extended top stay for better trunk/seat clearance. Tailfin actually makes a long version of it, but I still wanted an extra bit. And I'm a hacker. Totally not worth the time I spent making it, so go buy the actual piece from them if you need it. And sorry tailfin for butchering your beautiful rack.
Added bonus is the $5 amazon cargo net. The tailfin trunk cinching straps are nice for securing clothes you want easy access to and/or to dry, but this adds the extra confidence that they won't fall off since it's double walled (like a pouch).
Custom aero bar bag by @class4designs named the barf box. Specced out to my liking. Aaron was awesome to work with and did a great job on it.
Also notice the last bit of hydration hose is on a quick release connector, see next...
This is to dump a 3 liter Hydrapack bladder directly into the cranktank, without the need to remove it and with no spilling. I have a regular cap for potable water and a katadyn befree in case I need to filter.
Leopardus Pardalis, aka the Ocelot. "It is thought that the word Ocelot comes from the Aztec word "Tlalocelot" which means "field tiger." The Aztecs, along with many other indigenous cultures of the region, honored this wild cat and revered it for its hunting prowess and beauty."
I got inspired to draw this amazing creature after watching the documentary movie "Wildcat" (recommended if you like a tear jerker).
