Gear.

All in all I have to say I was pretty happy with all my gear. That being said there is room for improvement.

• I started out with my Bellwether Coldfront jacket on. It's basically a soft shell style jacket, maybe a bit more towards the non-breathable side. From using the jacket I knew it didn't breathe the best for me but I really liked the jacket and wanted to use it, dumb. At mile 72 I put on my GoLite micro fleece jacket over a mid weight Smartwool base layer. This set up worked awesome. Breathed very well and kept me comfortable. As the temp dipped to -15 the downhills got a bit chilly, but some harp pedal strokes and I was warm again. Next time I'd like a 200 wt. basic fleece. I think that's the ticket for me.

• The use of hiking boots and platform pedals overall worked very well. My feet never got to the crazy uncomfortable stage of pain. Really only towards the end did I have to get off and run to get the blood flowing some. My only issue is my right knee, which I attribute to riding in different positions, having been so used to clipless pedals. Next time I'd really like to get clipless pedals and my Lake boots to work. I got some ideas from other riders that I plan to start experimenting with yet this season.

• As stated in the previous post, my hydration pack line froze during the first section. It wasn't a huge deal since I had two insulated bottles (Stanley thermos and a Nalgene in a O.R. insulated wrap). The use of these however required me to stop. Going by the frequency (lack there of) and the color of my pee (dark yellow) I wasn't drinking enough and was surely dehydrated. Many riders were using hydration systems and I think that is the ticket. Here too I have some ideas I want to try out. I do think if I would have taken a drink earlier on and more often the line would not have froze. I do know to blow the water back into the bladder after each use. Because I was overheating with the jacket choice I had the front unzipped pretty far, exposing the hydration line. It is insulated but I'm sure the direct contact didn't help. All things to remember for next time.

• Pogies rule, specifically my Dogwood Designs. Love 'em. Hands were great the entire time. Just awesome.

• I need to have a less abrasive base layer for the bottom. The compression tights I was using are not cycling specific and have left a couple nice crescent moons on my ass. Still a bit raw. Sorry no pictures.

• The bike as a whole worked flawlessly! No mechanicals or I wish I had... The bike as a whole, however, was heavy. Our scale at work tops out at 60 lbs and my bike didn't register. We guessed it was around 70 lbs. Having lifted a few other bikes at the Arrowhead I would guess they were about 15-20lbs lighter. So for next time I need to work on better packing and bring just the essentials. Having one Arrowhead under my belt I now have a better idea but this will most likely always be a work in progress. I could just throw down $2k for a titanium frame, but that's a bit too much right now!

So that's it for the Arrowhead 135. A great event and a great experience. I will definitely do it again.

But now I will move on...

Later.