1200 Miles & a Cup O' Dirt & a little Mississippi Mud!

Take the year long challenge of completing a dozen or half a dozen dirty centuries and join the fun in December! Everybody who completes this challenge will be rewarded with a custom hand-made stoneware mug as well as be in a drawing for other prizes. Read the FAQ for details, and welcome to the fun!

I've increased the fun to give some more folks a shot at the cup - a bit 'watered down' - We'll have the 1200 Mile Cup O' Dirt and a 600 Mile Cup O' Mississippi Mud and new in 2008 is the 1/2 Liter O' Dirt - earned by completing 12 metric centuries in the year! A special award will be presented to anyone completing either a dirty century or metric century in each month of the year.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Dennis jams and Squirrel catches Big Johny!

A muddy hundy for Dennis Grelk and Squirrel give Dennis his 2nd century this year and Squirrel his first. Read about their ride here. The Chasers should start rolling in with the Trans-Iowa looming on the horizon. Anyone who completes the TI should have 1/4 of the cup under their belt, assuming they get at least one century in before the race. In an upcoming interview with the Trans-Iowa Co-Director, Jeff Kerkove, Jeff hints at a quest for the cup! Watch www.CyclingUpdate.com in the coming week for the complete interview!

Dennis submitted the grizzly.... well polar bear... details of his first century. Enjoy:

Details:
January 28th
100.31 miles around South Lee county IA
4294ft climbing
0 degrees ambient temp
15mph winds gusting to 25
10 hours 31 minutes
9.5 mph avg speed
Road conditions 70% snow/ice covered, but very well frozen.

Notes:
Water bottles freeze solid within an hour and a half in these conditions.
Camelback hoses(non-insulated) 15minutes.
Hammergel doesn't seem to be affected though.
Lake MX300 insulated boots, PI Amfib booties, and Bridgedale heavy wool socks are good for 4-5 hours before toes become painfully numb.
Snowmobile handlebar mitts are the bomb!
Smartwool is great stuff as are thermal skinsuits.
First 33 miles were on a recumbent(yes all 100.31 were on gravel)
Slowest century I have ever done, in the coldest conditions I have ever ridden in.
DG

In other Cup news, Brian Duffy, a syndicated editorial cartoonist for the Des Moines Register, has agreed to create the logo design for the Cup O' Dirt! His design will ultimately grace your Cup O' Dirt!

The cups themselves have been ordered from New Harmony Pottery - and will be hand-made, wood fired stoneware mugs, much like the ones in the photo to the left. Each one will be an original piece of art, exhuding a character all it's own. The first two cups will be presented, on August 10th, to Ken and Marilee, Race Directors of the Leadville Trail 100, which was the event that inspired the Cup O' Dirt!

Bike World has agreed to join in on the Cup O' Fun by offering swag and prizes. In a discussion at the Expo in Clive last weekend, Forrest Ridgeway, Owner of Bike World, mentioned that people who achieve the Cup exemplify what cycling is all about - a dedication to the sport, dedication for a goal and having fun on a bike! Thanks to Bike World and Forrest, for your support!