The latest update (not including 2010)

So, here's what I got so far:

Nick Wethington; 18 full, 12 Metric
Tim Riekena, 12 Metric
Dave Giegerich, 48 Metric, 6 full
Joe Meiser, 23 full
Matt Maxwell, 10 full
Drew Wilson, 12 metric
Steve Fuller, 6 full
Dave Mable, 0. Zip. Nada. None. Nuthin.
Ben Shockey 14 metric 4 full.

If ya want on the board, you have till 1/29 - then I'm ordering the Cups!

I'll be presenting the 2009 Cups and remaining 2008 Cups at CIRREM (2/27) Ya hear that Grelk? :)

Thanks for playing - and thanks to those sending some cash-ola! I totally appreciate it!! I'll be posting the 2010 chasers here: http://thecupodirt.blogspot.com/

Peace - Dave

Drew Wilson's 1/2 Liter O' Dirt!

Last year I went on an early season, April, training ride with a large group in which I logged about 65 miles. It took virtually all day because of stops and "no-drop". That ride started in Cannon Falls and swooped over to the Red Wing area and back.

I rode the Almanzoo (104 miles)

I rode back and forth to my parent's place (they live in Red Wing and I'm in Rochester) 3 round trips in April and May as well (approximately 68 miles on 90% gravel). One of those weekends I also got in a 70 mile, mostly gravel, ride that took me into the hilly part of Wisconsin just across the river. That part of Wisconsin is some of the best gravel I've had a chance to ride... All together that is 7 more metric centuries (3 of them back to back to back)

I took a long time off from the distance riding and focused on my xc racing in late spring/early summer.

I raced in the Salsa 2-4 in the 8 hr class. Made 10 laps and had a total mileage for the day of 68 brutal miles.

I rode down from my house to the start of the Almanzo Gentleman's ride and then to the 62 mile checkpoint before getting a ride home (had other responsibilities). Total mileage there was about 70 miles, again with plenty of it on gravel.

I rode the Heck of the North. What a fun race! and a milestone in my training. At that point I was very proud of staying with the lead group! 100+ more miles of gravel.

I got 3 more metric centuries in during the late fall on rides where I went out backwards on the Almanzo course and other gravel behind my house.

I guess that's 13 metrics and 2 full centuries (would have been a lot more if I hadn't put in so many lonely days on real roads prior to selling my road bike in August)

As I already emailed- I have two metrics on snow already in this year as are detailed in my blog. I intend to try for the full Almanzo course this Saturday. My goal for the year is to be 30 metrics and 14 fulls. I wasn't aware of the "cup" until just recently, but it's already helped me to push myself just a little bit further on a couple of brutal winter rides. Thanks for doing this, hope I can inspire others-- keep in mind that I couldn't ride 30 miles on pavement on a road bike 18 months ago.

thanks

-Drew

Cup O' The Day, Matt Maxwell

Dave,
If it isn't too late here are the dirty century rides I got in this year. I don't remember dates, but I do have vague memories of each of them.

1 To Eldora & Back
2 Des Moines River with Wade
3 To Cedar Rapids (135)
4 Dirty Kansa (140)
5 Crash on Y Camp
6 On the Pugsley
7 GRAID
8 GRAID (245 in 23 hours)
9 Ames to Cedar Falls
10 Cedar Falls to Ames

I'm pretty sure I did about six metrics as well, but who's counting...

Matt Maxwell

Cups O' The Day - Joe Meiser

This is a pic of Matt Gersib - who blogged about Joe once and rides a bike. Plus, he's sportin' a sweet pair of Oakleys.

Dirty ol' Joe - what's this I hear of you nailing the Cup O' Dirt in 21 days, 10 hours and 34 minutes? Oh, not just the Cup O' Dirt, but the Cup O' Mississippi Mud as well, as you've finished the 2300 mile Tour Divide Race on your #1 rated Salsa Fargo? Impressive! And for that, you've earned yourself a Cup O' Dirt! Congrats and thanks for playing! - Dave

"The GDMBR is the world's longest off-pavement cycling route. It's highlighted by long dirt roads and jeep trails that wend their way through forgotten passes of the Continental Divide. The Route travels through Canadian Provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and the United States of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. By Route's end a thru-rider will climb nearly 200,000 feet of vertical (equivalent to summiting Mount Everest from sea-level 7 times)." Visithttp://tourdivide.org/ if you're so inclined.

Cup O' The Day: David Giegerich

Hi Dave,
Hmmm How would I summarize the year? Let's see. "Lots and lots of bicycling and enjoyed every minute of it."

I have to blame some my craziness on Dave Mable. Yeap. Fall of 2007 I stumbled on the Cup O'Dirt blog. Spring of 2008 arrived and I modified my old road bike to ride dirt trails. After 12 metrics and realizing my addiction I purchased a Trek XO2, and banged out another 6 for 2008. After some snow riding I was chomping at the bit in 09to get started again. So 48 metric centuries and 6 full ones later, I wrap up 2009. I love it.

So now I ride year round, bought a Trek 6700 with Nokian studs, and as a matter of fact I rode 40 miles today (12/30/09)on snow mobile trails and I am entered in Triple D. Good grief.

It's been a good and/or crazy year. Maybe next year I can get one in once a month too. The snow is a killa.

March 22nd 1st Metric Century
March 30th 2nd Metric Century
April 3rd 3rd Metric Century
April 8th 4th Metric Century
April 11th 5th Metric Century
April 16th 6th Metric Century
April 22nd 7th Metric Century
April 29th 8th Metric Century
May 3rd 9th Metric Century
May 8th 10th Metric Century
May 10th 11th Metric Century
May 14th 12th Metric Century
May 28th 1st 100 Miler
May 31st 13th Metric Century
June 3rd 14th Metric Century
June 11th 2nd 100 Miler
Knee goes out one me
July 5th 15th Metric Century
July 11th 16th Metric Century
July 12th 17th Metric Century
July 14th 18th Metric Century
July 18th 3rd 100 Miler
July 24th 19th Metric Century
July 26th 20th Metric Century
July 31st 21st Metric Century
Aug 2nd 2nd Metric Century
Aug 6th 23rd Metric Century
Aug 9th 24th Metric Century
Aug 12th 25th Metric Century
Aug 23rd 4th 100 Miler
Aug 30th 26th Metric Century
Sept 2nd 5th 100 Miler
Sept 23rd 6th 100 Miler
Sept 6th 27th Metric Century
Sept 13th 28th Metric Century
Sept 19th 29th Metric Century
Sept 30th 30th Metric Century
APPENDECOMY
Oct 19th 31st Metric Century
Oct 20th 32nd Metric Century
Oct 21st 33rd Metric Century
Oct 31st 34th Metric Century
Nov 1st 35th Metric Century
Nov 7th 36th Metric Century
Nov 8th 37th Metric Century
Nov 14th 38th Metric Century
Nov 15th 39th Metric Century
Nov 16th 40th Metric Century
Nov 21st 41st Metric Century
Nov 22nd 42nd Metric Century
Nov 27th 43rd Metric Century
Nov 28th 44th Metric Century
Nov 29th 45th Metric Century
Dec 2nd 46th Metric Century
Dec 5th 47th Metric Century
Dec 26th 48th Metric Century


Way to go Dave! You've come a long way in a short time - You are motivation for the rest of us! Keep ridin'!

Cup O' The Day - Tim Riekena's Chase

Dave,

While my North Missouri riding weather is usually milder than Iowa's (and I should know since I grew up in Iowa Indianola HS-1977), getting in all 12 metrics has been a journey in itself. I have a lot of respect for you guys/gals up north.

From icy gravel to eating hot July dust, this challenge has been a blast. It's taken me all over North Missouri, and then some.

I never got in a true century which was disappointing, but I guess that's why we make goals.

Last July, I got in two metrics, which ended up being a good thing. During my cross
country season (I coach) I was diagnosed with a hernia. The doctor said he would do the procedure after the season was over. So, in November, two days after I rode my 12th metric, I had the procedure. Recovery was stupid slow, still is. I had my 12 metrics, but I was hoping to get in one every month (December). Time was running out.

I've had a few days off during Christmas Break and started thinking about trying to get the December one in. Local riders have told nothing but horror stories about our icy gravel we currently have. One buddy actually went to the doctor concerning injuries he sustained while riding our gravel. I didn't think trying to ride 62 miles on local icy gravel was a good idea. The last thing I wanted to do was crash and re-injure the hernia thingy.

Yesterday, I loaded up the bike and drove south. I went to the KATY trail down by the Missouri River. The KATY is a flat, 220+ mile crushed limestone trail. They had less snow there, but enough to make me to pull the plug.

The first 10 miles took me well over an hour... plus a lot of effort. I couldn't believe what was happening. Where I wasn't plowing through 2 inches of crusty snow, I would be on soft sandy-type gravel. The freeze/thaw cycle had already hit the surface making it like riding through sand. There was nothing easy about it. Surface conditions, plus the fact that I hadn't ridden in 7 weeks, took its toll. I got in another 8 miles and realized I wasn't' going to make it back to the truck if I kept going.

So I turned around. I think my total was around 36 miles. I'm glad I had the 12 metrics in, but I really wanted to get in that December one.

Since I've been riding MTBs, I've had a few DNF's due to equipment failure, or not making a cutoff time, but never have I had to DNF myself. Still, it was strangely one of my best rides. I saw awesome scenery, a bunch of bald eagles, zero cars, truck or tractors, and only a handful of people. When I rode up to the truck, I was much more tired than any other metric I've done.

Like they say, even a bad day on the bike is better than not riding.

Thanks again for putting on this challenge. I hope to get up to your CIRREM event...surly my hernia thingy will be totally mended.

Tim Riekena
Chillicothe, MO


"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm."
Henry David Thoreau

Cup O'the Day - Nick Wethington's Pursuit.

Dave,

Well, I set out at the beginning of this year with a dream of finishing all three of the available cups. My first ride for the cup was a long, single-speed slog out in hills of the Des Moines River valley, and the last one was at the Tuscobia Ultra, a 75-mile haul on nice loose snowmobile trail. I rolled over that last qualifying mile in the dark somewhere near Park Falls, Wisconsin, and it was quite a moment to realize that I had just finished my dream. So, yeah, that makes 12 metrics and 18 full dirty rides!

For posterity (and to remember how many I'd done), I kept a record of all the qualifying rides and their dates. Here's that for you:

January 18th - 62 miles
February 2nd - 135 miles
February 15th - 62 miles
February 22nd - 100 miles
March 8th - 62 miles
March 15th - 100 miles
March 29th - 115 miles
May 31st - 100 miles
June 11th - 62 miles
July 9th - 65 miles
July 13th - 110 miles - 6 Full
July 20th - 105 miles
July 27th - 100 miles
August 3rd - 165 miles - 6 Metric
August 9th - 100 miles
August 16th - 115 miles
September 17th - 65 miles
September 27th - 104 miles - 12 Full!
October 4th - 62 miles
October 17th - 210 miles
October 25th - 100 miles
November 1st - 65 miles
November 14th - 103miles
November 15th - 103 miles
November 29th - 63 miles
December 6th - 100 miles - 18 full centuries!
December 12th - 65 miles
December 19th - 78 miles - 12 Metrics!

I'd really like to receive all three cups, but I know that you're doing this all out of your own pocket and the kindness of your own heart, so let me know how much those cups cost and I will gladly tip you a few bucks to cover the cost of my three.

Thanks for putting this on - it really pushed me to add a lot more miles to my rides than I would have, and travel to some places that I normally wouldn't see. Plus, it was great training for my winter bike racing season.

~Nick Wethington

Ed: ROCK IT OUT NICK! Glad you enjoyed the chase - congratulations!

3 cups will be ordered (and delivered randomly throughout the year, right Grelk? #2 is here....) - or handed out at CIRREM?!?

And to the rest of you - watch for a new Cup O' The Day daily (or mostly, I hope!)