Iceman Cometh Challenge News

The Great Two Wheeled Escape

Have you ever done an escape room? They’re actually quite fun! I tend to be a high anxiety person so I 100% thought I would HATE partaking in an escape room. To my surprise, it was quite the opposite! The cool thing about escape rooms is that there is a clear cut way to success – you do all the right things, you get the result you want – you escape. Some pretty good news, even if you don’t succeed, is that odds are pretty high there’s a bar in the same building as your escape room ready to serve you a cold one while you laugh off the failure. Time is up and the game keeper kindly just comes over the intercom to say you’re done and graciously comes to let you out of the little room you couldn’t figure out.

Wouldn’t it be cool if life were like an escape room? Think about it! There is one, YES ONLY ONE, correct path and you follow that to a T and guess what happens? You succeed!! And hey, maybe you don’t succeed; maybe you had a bad day at work or didn’t meet your monthly quota? Good news, your boss comes over the intercom to tell you time is up and graciously leads you down the hall where you’re served a cold one to laugh it off!

Unfortunately, life is not black and white, it is not cut and dry. There is more often many roads to success and also many ways to fail. The cool thing about life is that we are blessed with many ways to mend our tribulations, many ways to find our own little escape. Mine you ask? Biking of course! I think I love biking so much because it is a relatively controllable sport. Yeah, yeah I know you can’t control the weather or if your kids kept you up all night, but in general, you’re in control of your path to success. You control how often you saddle up, the meals you fuel your body with, the self-talk while climbing icebreaker hill – the controllables help ease my high anxiety mind. Just like that escape room, you are in control. So, take it.

Me at my first race back at 3 months postpartum: Barry Roubaix

Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Allyson Klug @allysonklug

Gear Acquisition Syndrome: Why You Shouldn’t Stress About Having the Latest Cycling Gadgets

Look, we all get GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). You’d be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t. We see a new bike and wish we could afford it. We eye a new drivetrain and dream of how much better it would make our ride. The truth is, most of us aren’t pros. Will it help us in some way? Maybe. But do we really need it? Probably not.

What I’ve found over the years with any hobby is that there will always be new gear we want. And that’s okay. What you need to keep in mind is why you want it. Will it really make a difference? It depends.

When it comes down to it, you really need to understand and know what you’re riding, inside and out. You’d be amazed at how much more that makes a difference than adding some new part.

In the world of cycling, we are bombarded with marketing left and right. It’s designed to make us want the next best thing. We have to stop and remember this. Just like when listening to your body while fueling, you need to listen and feel your bike and components. Understand what they are doing and whether you’re pushing them to their limits.

We all feel the peer pressure when people say, “Wow, I wouldn’t do it on that bike,” or “XYZ groupset is better for your bike.” We have to remember that these people are not us. They don’t ride like you do, and they don’t know your setup like you do. Just shake it off and know that until you break something or really notice that it’s not giving you the feedback you’re expecting, then maybe it might be worth getting something new or different.

So again, we all get GAS, but we have to not let it control us. Use it as a guide, not a rule. Happy riding!

Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Gerald Gaecke @g_dub83_

Taking time to slow down and relax

During the summer many riders can get caught up in their freetime and only want to bike, which isn’t a bad thing, but taking time to relax and enjoy your summer is also important.

Being outside and letting your legs relax is a good thing to do over the summer. Even if you are going on slower rides or not riding at all, taking a break is good for us! As someone who bikes 24/7 and doesn’t catch a break I look forward to the summer, because that is when I can just go out and mess around with my friends, maybe even find new trails.

Also being able to take a break from biking all the time, or getting ready for a race can open up new opportunities for other hobbies. Finding other things to do outside of biking can be very healthy for our minds. Opening up your horizons to new locations, activities, or groups builds a healthy mindset.

Not many people realize that you can still bike places and not drive, and yes it can take longer, but being able to slow down and soak up the sun around you! Riding places can help you to calm down and not worry about pace or anything!

Also taking a free ride once a week, no strava, no garmin/wahoo, no recording the ride. Doing this can help to free your mind from getting caught up in the KOM’s and local legends.

Personally, I take the summer to relax and just train for fun! So, spend your summer relaxing and enjoying yourself. Always have fun and don’t overdo it during the offseason!!!

Thank you to our 2024 Junior Iceman Ambassador Piper Shumar @pipershumar

Get Your Steed Dialed for Iceman!

We can spend all the time in the world building up an incredibly tough and fit human engine. But if your bike isn’t equally prepped and ready to take on the rugged, rooty Iceman course, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle out there.

Having your steed perfectly dialed with a comfortable, efficient fit and fresh components can make all the difference in your performance and experience. A neglected bike will beat you up, waste your energy, and potentially leave you sidelined with mechanicals.

Have you ever had a professional bike fit? Even if you’ve been ripping trails for years, it’s a wise move to get a check in occasionally as our bodies change. Small adjustments in saddle height, fore-aft position and cleat positioning can have a big impact.

Oiled your chain and checked the stretch lately? Tune-up and maintenance should be focused on frequently but if not, it’s time to give your bike some love with a thorough tune-up. Don’t be that person scrambling to true a wheel or bleed brakes days before!

At minimum, you’ll want to check your chain, cassette, chainring(s), cables, housing, and brake pads. You should consider replacing anything that shows significant wear.vA fresh suspension service couldn’t hurt either. Support your local bike shop when you can!

You want every single component and mechanism working flawlessly without the slightest hint of hesitation, stiffness, or binding. The last thing you need is some nagging creak (these are very annoying!), missed shift, or brake rub ruining your race day flow. A dialed and quiet bike equals more energy to devote to pushing hard.

Make sure you have a comfy saddle and grips that can go the distance without causing hotspots. Inspect the seams and chamois of your riding shorts or bibs. And break in those trail kicks if you plan to rock flat pedals.

You’ll also want to dial in what kind of hydration system suits you best for rapid refueling on course without having to unhitch your pack. I prefer bottles on my frame but many use hydration packs or even bar mounted bags for fluids. Also, if you want easy access to snacks (who doesn’t like snacks!?), consider figuring out what works best for you. It could be in your back pocket or a top tube mounted bag, either way its personal preference for this.

Don’t forget to practice managing your cold weather layers. Iceman is infamous for drastic temperature swings and maybe even mud (long live Mudman of 2014 and 2019!), so you’ll need to master the art of venting or sealing off as needed to stay dry yet breathable.

With so many miles of training ahead and such a demanding course to conquer, the last thing you want is nagging discomforts or mechanicals related to your steed or kit selections. Get dialed now and focus on the miles!

About the author: Tobi is a passionate mountain biker and ultra endurance gravel cyclist who thrives on pushing his limits in the great outdoors. He has a deep appreciation for nature, savoring the scenic views and challenges of unpaved singletrack trails and long gravel routes. Tobi’s passion for adventure drives him to constantly seek out new ultra endurance gravel races and mountain bike events that take him on new dirt roads. He has participated in the Iceman Cometh Challenge for over a decade. When not hitting the trails or grinding away the miles on gravel, Tobi enjoys camping trips with his family. He is also actively involved with the West Michigan Coyotes youth mountain bike team, where he coaches and rides alongside his daughter, fostering her love for the sport. The solitude of the trails and the invigoration of conquering an ultra endurance race is what fuels his obsession with mountain biking and gravel cycling.

Embracing the Challenge of Fat Biking Year-Round

When I first started mountain biking, I wasn’t sure how often I was going to do it. As I started seeing the dividends of my health improving, I knew I had to keep this momentum. Living in Michigan where the seasons can be made up and never consistent. A traditional mountain bike just wasn’t going to cut it. My riding buddy Doug rode a fat tire and talked about the many benefits and he wasn’t the only one. After much consideration, I purchased a Salsa Mukluk and little did I know that this decision would lead me down a path of unique challenges and unparalleled enjoyment that I now can’t imagine riding without.

The Effort it Takes

Riding a fat tire bike is no easy feat. With wider tires comes greater resistance, making every pedal stroke more laborious than on a standard mountain bike. This increased effort translates to a more intense workout, burning more calories and pushing my physical limits further. (When you are limited on riding time, to me this is important.) The resistance isn’t just a winter phenomenon; riding a fat tire bike in the summer presents its own set of challenges, from tackling loose sand to navigating muddy trails. Each ride demands more from me, both physically and mentally, but it also makes every accomplishment that much sweeter.

Versatility of the Fat Tire Bike

One of the greatest advantages of a fat tire bike is its versatility. These bikes are designed to handle a wide range of conditions, from snow and ice to sand and mud. Their wide tires provide superior traction and stability, reducing the likelihood of washing out the front tire. This makes them ideal for navigating tricky corners and tackling unpredictable terrain. Whether I’m riding through a snowy forest in winter or hitting the sandy trails in the heat of summer, my fat tire bike is always up to the task.

The Speed Factor

There’s a common misconception that fat tire bikes are slow. While it’s true that they require more effort to pedal, I’ve found that riding a fat bike has made me a stronger, faster rider overall. If you can be fast on a fat bike, you can be fast on anything. The added resistance and effort required to ride a fat bike build strength and endurance that translate to improved performance on any bike. Plus, the skills and confidence gained from handling a fat tire bike in challenging conditions make riding a traditional mountain bike feel like a breeze.

A Unique Breed of Rider

The Fun Factor

Beyond the physical and technical benefits, riding a fat tire bike is just plain fun. There’s something exhilarating about the stability and control these bikes offer. I love getting “air time” with my fat bike, feeling the thrill of catching some air and landing smoothly. The sense of freedom and adventure I experience on my fat tire bike is unmatched.

My journey with fat biking has been nothing short of transformative. It started as a way to ride year-round but quickly became a passion that drives me to push my limits and embrace new challenges. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or a newcomer to mountain biking, I encourage you to give fat biking a try. You might just discover a whole new world of riding that’s as rewarding as it is demanding. FATTY NATION BABY!!!

Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Casey Smith @casey_theautoguy

Detraining to retraining

In the sport of cycling consistency is key however, we all experience periods of detraining. Sometimes it’s by choice, such as at the end of the season or after a big race, but sometimes work, illness, vacations or other responsibilities take us off the bike despite out best efforts. This spring, I experienced my longest period of unintentional detraining since I started riding bikes consistently in 2022. It began with a couple of back-to-back colds in March, followed by two GI bugs in April. During that time, my daughter also fell ill with the same GI bug resulting in dehydration. She also dealt with an ear infection and a separate episode of fever of unknown origin, which led to a trip to the ER and a pneumonia diagnosis. My husband also got hit with the dreaded stomach bug and missed Barry- Roubaix! All that to say, that for six weeks, there was very little cycling going on in the Hagerman household. Then, when everyone was finally on the mend, it was time for a planned vacation to Europe. Now, I’m not complaining about that. I’m just saying it was another two weeks off the bike. Unless you count a very wild e-bike ride through the streets of Portugal!

So, for the last four weeks I have been crawling my way out of the misery that is unintentional detraining. This is what I’ve learned:

1. Being detrained is tough. Its so demoralizing to struggle on trails, group rides or a hill climbs that you used to crush. I know it sounds lame but you have to give yourself grace. Don’t expect to be right back to where you were before detraining. It feels terrible now, but it WILL feel better; it just takes time.

2. Start small and build. For me, this looked like what I would consider moderate-length rides at slow speeds. I used this time to really focus on skills such as cornering and body bike separation. Focusing on correct body placements and mechanics gave me something else to think about other than my elevated rate of perceived exertion.

3. Ride with friends. Being able to socialize while riding made those miserable miles so much more fun. Eventually when I was ready to push the pace, I reached out to riders who I knew were faster than me and would inspire me to ride harder.

4. Mix it up! Hitting unfamiliar trails and routes allowed me to let go of those expectations I had for myself on trails I knew well. I wasn’t concerned about my PR on this hill or that trail because it was all new to me. I would just let myself think,” maybe everyone feels terrible on that climb” and let it go.

5. Celebrate the little things. It took about two weeks of consistently riding to feel that mountain bike flow again, three weeks to start doing longer rides and four weeks to feel strong on climbs again. Every time I realized I had made some improvement I made sure to recognize it and be proud of myself.

I’m still not where I would like to be this far into the season. My last two races didn’t feel the way I wanted them to, and I still have moments where I’m frustrated with myself and my progress. That being said, there are frequent moments that inspire me to keep pushing forward. Just the other day, I was riding a gravel route that I ride all the time near my house. As I pedaled slowly up a particularly steep hill two ladies on bikes came flying over the top from the other direction, huge grins on their faces as they used that momentum to bomb the rugged downhill. Like me, they had to climb a steep long hill to get to the top. Unlike me, they were crushing it and now had a ton of speed and were going to have one hell of a downhill. I couldn’t help but smile and let out a whoop. I know how hard it is to get that much speed going up that hill because that’s how I used to ride it at the end of last year. It was the look of pure joy on their faces that gave me the encouragement I needed to push up that hill and finish the ride. I know that if I can keep moving forward and keep showing up, I can get back that feeling of sailing over the hill.

Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Meg Hagerman @hagermanm