HuRaCaN: The Return

Fresh off the heels of a surprisingly good showing at the CFITT, I traveled back to Ocala, Fl at the end of January for another go at the HuRaCaN. This year, Karlos bumped up the timing of the race to the end of January instead of the middle of March. I think this suited everyone (at least me) well since 90+ degree days last year were just about my undoing. This year I was prepared. I had dialed my kit in and would be traveling fairly light. Continue reading HuRaCaN: The Return

The Cross Florida Individual Time Trial

If you’re bummed because you think that the bikepacking season ends once the leaves have fallen and are also looking for a way to burn off some of that turkey-day-weight, look no further than SingletrackSamurai’s very own Cross Florida Individual Time Trial (CFITT). Here you will find 250 miles of mixed terrain and unique hidden gems as you traverse the peninsula from Atlantic to the Gulf.

The race starts with a ceremonial dip of your rear tire in the Atlantic Ocean and follows a very meandering route to cross the state, ending with the corresponding dip of your front tire in the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the route is familiar to Huracan-ers as it takes Florida Trail through Ocala National Forest and the Santos trails which were two of the highlights of the other route. Some other highlights are a hidden abandoned (never completed) monorail line, a stop in at a Roadhouse style bar in the middle of the forest, and a ferry ride across a river (sorry, this one is not fordable, even using a fatbike as a flotation device). Continue reading The Cross Florida Individual Time Trial

TNGA [Redo]

In April I made an attempt at riding the TransNorthGeorgia mountain bike route. The ride was cut short on the second day after only covering about a third of the distance. The big take-away at the time was the the route was extremely vertical and required excellent physical shape and proper gear tuning/fitting to complete.

I made the decision shortly after coming back from the bailout that I would sign up for the official race, nearly four months away at that point, and complete the ride from the start.

The [not] Prep

I felt good after that first attempt, probably because I was coming off some good fitness from riding a lot earlier in the season, so even though I had experienced what the route could dish out, I took a rather lackadaisical approach to training any further… that is to say, I didn’t. Continue reading TNGA [Redo]