...A different kind of buzz...

Back in Winona last month, something in me changed.  I've loved riding my mountain bike since Jay started teaching me, but it never really clicked 100%... like there were barriers I couldn't figure out that kept me from taking my riding further.  But somewhere along the trails and bluffs of Holzinger & Cherrybomb, I think I found it.

Single Speed USA still courses through my veins and fuels my desire to hit the single track whenever we can.  The best part, though, was the amazing skills I found in myself while taking it all on.  I rode as if I never questioned myself.  I BELIEVED in myself, and that's something, admittedly, I rarely do.  I even keep a fortune cookie fortune on my bathroom mirror that says "Believe in yourself and others will believe in you too"... I'm starting to wonder if there's something to it.

To keep the flames roaring, we took that energy into 4 weeks of events, travel, racing and fun.  The week after SSUSA was my sister's wedding down in Reno, NV.  It was a whirlwind 4 days/3 nights of traveling & celebrating and everything turned out perfect, including meeting my new bro-in-law for the very first time.  I've never seen my sister so comfortable and at ease, like she truly found her other half.. I'm so happy for them and feel so blessed to have been part of the celebration!

Then, the next weekend we were off to Maplelag Resort for yet ANOTHER bitchin' year at the best Mtn bike stage race around!  I missed the racing last year due to injury, but was so happy to have some of my best finishes ever at the races - so much fun.  And, ss always, the races were awesome, the dinners were savory and every day was full of great time spent with friends... I love coming up here each year :)  And to spend our time with our THC/Girl Fiend family all weekend was perfect!  I'm so happy to have taken the leap with these teams - it's been endless fun all year.

To keep the momentum going, Hwood and I went up to Hayward, WI to watch the Cheq 40 race.  We'd both ridden it multiple times, and we discovered last year that heckling and giving soda hand-ups atop Fire Tower Hill was WAY MORE FUN than the pain of racing it.  And this year, we were extra lucky to have Teresa, Rusty, Barry, and Mitch join us for the antics!  With backpacks full of beer, scotch, lemonade, Red Bull, and dixie cups, we were prepped to cheer & support our teammates and friends as they crested the hill.

It was a friggin' blast and I think this 'bout sums it all up...

 Take a break?  Nah... This last weekend we took on the final Mtn Bike Race of the MN Series, the St. Cloud Jail Trail.  After all the fun-riding lately, the tight, twisty single-track with rocks and roots was exactly what this girl was craving.  I was so excited to see that my Girl Fiends Alye and Pip were there and we knew exactly what we needed to do - get Pip the win and fill the podium with Girl Fiends.

When the race began, we quickly took position at the front with me and Alye pulling for Pip to get her into the single track first and effortlessly.  We gapped Pip just a bit, so I pulled Alye into the single track first, jumping on her wheel as we began to weave between the trees.  Pip got back on fast, so I let her by to take a lead position.  Much to my surprise, rather than dropping me, the three of us rode together for the entire pro-lap and into Lap1.  Pip rode away from Alye and I in a rocky section of the lap, but I was able to keep on Alye into Lap2... something I've NEVER done... Alye usually puts 10-20+ min. into me during a race, but not today.

I was riding out of my mind, scrubbing speed in the corners and never thinking twice about an obstacle as I cleared it.  The light-switch was definitely on!  With half a lap to go, our competition was nowhere in sight and we were lined up to sweep the podium, Girl Fiend style!  Alye had begun to pull away from me and I was riding hard to close the gap when my left grip clipped a tree, turning my bars completely to the left, cartwheeling me over the bars and onto my back.  My feet were still clipped in as I laid upside down, trying to figure out how to get out of my pedals and back on the bike before I lost too much time.  Heck, I never even looked for injuries as I put my bike back onto the trail and hopped on.

But it was over... my crash had broken the seal on my tubeless front wheels, spilling the Stan's No Tubes all over the trail.  I tried riding it for a moment, but the protests from my brand new HED. Belgium+ were excruciating to listen to.  It's what, 3 miles to the finish?  I can do this.  I HAD to do this... last time I'd raced St Cloud, I was sitting in third when I head-butted my handlebars in the rock garden, breaking my nose and ending my race.  This was payback... I wasn't going to quit.

So, my mtn bike race turning into a duathlon.  I ran the final three miles of tight single track to the finish.. and as I did, one-by-one, my competition caught me and left me in the dust.  Third to sixth in the final miles, but I wasn't going to quit.  I had my fist raised high in the air as I ran my bike across the finish line.  Thank heavens for my Northwave Vega's - they were so comfortable to run in and the heel support kept me from rolling my ankles in the rocks & off camber sections.

It had been one of my best races and I wavered back n' forth all night between happy and pissed.  But when the dust finally settled, I was so proud of myself.  Maybe it's the new LaMere 29'er... either way, the light switch is on and I can see things in a much different light.  And I love it and now can't seem to get enough.

Maybe that's why every time I hear "Royals" by Lorde, I think of raging on my bike... it's my kind of buzz..

And we'll never be royals
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler,
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy.


Buzzin',
Kristy Kreme

Twelve Hours of WAU-Some!

Sitting here sore, bruised and exhausted, it's hard not to think about what an awesome time we had this weekend at our first Wausau 24 mountain bike race.  As enduro-virgins, Jay and I both opted to do the 2 person-12 hour races.  Thank heavens we did... the couple night laps I did were enough to show me I didn't want to go all night... on the bike, that is.

My friend and fellow Girl Fiend, Amanda "H&K", asked me to join her as a women's 2-person 12 hour team and Jay jumped in with 29nSngl dynamo Pete "Peaches" to tackle the men's 2 person 12 hr challenge on single speeds.  We were regaled with stories of camping and partyin' and ridin' for hours and just couldn't say No.

We arrived early on Friday to inspect the course and set up base camp at the park.  With the whole 29nSngl crew en route, we worked with Lindsay to find the biggest and best spot in the lot.  We circled all the wagons, parked the cars, set up our pop-up tents, tables, chairs, and fire pit and settled in for the fun and schenanigans.

With the race starting early on Saturday, we kept the party low-key on Friday night, enjoying some tasty vittles by the fire, tossing back a few beers, and spending a few minutes planning for the race in between great stories and belly laughs.  

Jay and I were both on board to kick off the first lap of each of our races, prepping for a 300 yd sprint at the start to where our bikes laid in the field in a LeMond start.  As the race began, we were immediately enveloped in a sea of racers and swinging arms.  Within the first 100 yds, my quads were screaming at me "what are you doing?!  we don't run!"  Ha!  But, I had strategically placed my new LaMere 29'er hardtail (aka the "Sparkle Pony") at the farthest point I could so, once I mounted the Sparkle Pony, I was already clear of the bikes littering the field.  

 My first lap was tough, getting caught early in a massive bottle neck as we entered the single track.  Although the slow pace early helped me recover from the run, it hindered my balance and momentum and the first 4 miles got the best of me... throwing me from my bike and onto the rocks 3 times and badly bruising my confidence and body alike.  When I returned to the transition area to switch with H&K an hour later, I was seriously questioning my ability to continue for 11 more hours.  H&K headed out and Jay and fellow Girl Fiend Janna got me to calm down and led me off to the camper to recover.  I ate, discovered zero broken bones, and tried to psych myself up for the next round.

Back in the transition area, H&K came in a few minutes faster than me and high-5'd me for good luck.  My lap was much smoother with reduced congestion on the trail and I took 3 min. off my time.  H&K went out again, throwing down awesome laps on her single speed, and returned to send me off for a 2 lap / 2 hour stint so she could eat, sleep and recover.  My laps stayed consistent, although my brain and body wondered on me occassionally.  Feeling clumsy in the challenging rock gardens, I had to remind myself that I was doing something I couldn't have remotely done a year ago.  And when my back screamed profanities at me, I used the single track to relax and focus on my technical skills, and then attacked the jeep trail as if it were a time trial.

When my 2 hour break came, I took time to get some more protein in my system and enjoyed a quick siesta in the Scamp.  As I headed back to the transition area I found out that we were sitting in a solid 2nd place, now with 8 laps done in 8 hours, and only 2 laps each left to complete.  It was all that I needed to gather up a second win and forget all the second-guessing just hours before.  It was 6:00pm and getting dark in the thick tree cover, so I had my headlamp on for the whole lap.  I played it smart in the rock gardens and was happy when I had gotten to my favorite flow section unscathed.

The trail was tight and rooted and winded around young trees and saplings.  With only a split-second's realization of what was about to happen, the right side of my bars nailed a tree and stopped me cold, throwing me hard onto the ground on the opposite side of the trail.  Pinned beneath my bike with my left foot still stuck in my pedal, I struggled to release myself and catch my breath.  It must've looked gnarly, cuz the man riding behind me gasped and stopped to ensure I was okay..  I was...  my leg warmer was torn at the knee and slowly darkening with blood and mud... it didn't want to bend when I got back on my bike, but luckily I had some time before the next climb.

I fought through the pain and the darkness for the rest of the lap and limped in a few minutes slower than my previous laps.  I must have looked rough because H&K just looked at me and said "Hard lap?" as she ventured off into the twilight.  On time as usual, she arrived to send me off for my last lap as darkness settled in for the night.  I went WAY easy in the rock gardens this time, even choosing to walk through the darkest one as my light illuminated the white painted boulders.

The silence then overwhelmed me as I realized I was all alone... in the dark woods... far from home.   As the fear of being mauled by a bear overtook me, I started singing Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz" in a breathy, slightly panicked voice as loud as I could muster as I rode solo for the next 20 minutes.  For the last 2 miles, I began seeing headlights on the trail behind me and began to relax.  Two miles to go... leave it out on the course!  I clicked it into a harder gear and forced myself to ride faster and get H&K out on the course for her last lap.

Fatigue was settling in, by H&K was in high spirits as she headed out, demanding I be "half in the bag" when she crossed the line.  I headed back to camp and got out of my chamois for the first time in 12 hours and bundled up against the cold air that surrounded us.  Just after 10pm, H&K crossed the line grinning ear to ear, sealing up our second place finish with 12 laps under our belts!

Jay crossed the finish line with lights off and his single speed held high above his head as they won the 12 hour OVERALL with 15 laps!  He was exhausted and quickly retreated to the camper to hide under the covers and rest before joining us by the fire.  With all the work over and glory to bask in, we sat by the fire and had a blast as guitars, stories, and farts filled the air and beer, moonshine, and Rumchata-cha filled our bellies.  By 3:00am I was toast, so I headed off to bed to catch some zzz's before returning to the course to cheer on the 24-hour challengers and wait for the awards ceremony.

H&K and Me taking home the glory

Looking back on it, I am more and more proud of our accomplishment.  We didn't 'train' for it, we didn't obsess over each detail, we just did it... and we ROCKED IT!  Add in camping and great friends and you have a perfect weekend!

H&K, Me, and Janna showing off our bling and banged up knees

Huge thanks to 29nSngl for inviting us along for the party - it was awesome!  Thanks to Podiumwear for making some durable cycling apparel that can withstand my multiple impacts with the earth, rocks, and trees.  Thanks to Wausau for putting on an awesome event!  Thanks to Buzzy at LaMere Cycles for letting me rip it up on the 29'er!  And more than anything and always, a huge thank you to my hubby Jay and Hollywood Cycles for getting me geared up and ready for the ride, and being there to support me as a person as I took on a big challenge.

Bruised and feeling Bad A$$, 

Kristy Kreme

Another day in Print-adise

The last couple weeks have lead me and Teri back to the workshop to prep for 2 big Girl Fiend Designs orders.  The greatest part about it was spending some quality time with our homemade screenprinting press... getting to know her a little better and figuring out what SHE wants to do.

Yep, the press is a She.  And, when we figured out that she helps us make cooler shirts when we're blasting zef beats by Die Antwoord, it was a no-brainer to name her after front woman and our fave badass chic, Yo-landi.

With many hours in the shop, doing full order runs of our Girl Fiend, Hell on Wheels, and our latest and greatest design, we started to see the subtle quirks and shifts that Yo-landi's wooden frame had.  Best of all, we figured out how to crank up the music louder and use them to our advantage.

 The result:  two awesome days of printing and a wicked awesome new design that neither of us has stopped wearing!

The Lioness of Flanders!  Girl Fiend-style.

The official Lion of Flanders is a Belgian flag with red toenails.  The more popular version has black toenails, representing the outcasts or separatists who want to emancipate the Flanders region from Belgium to preserve the Dutch language and Flemish culture in history.

As Girl Fiends, we took our love for cycling, Belgium, and the iconic Lion of Flanders and gave it a purple nurple...   Hot pink toenails stand up for bad ass chicks, the flowing mane sharpened into points to emphasize the dark and dangerous.... and the mischievous horns have replaced the softer ears.  It has quickly become both of our new favorite shirts!

And, once we showed them off to Hollywood, he placed an order on the spot to fill up his shelves with The Lioness of Flanders, Girl Fiend, and Hell on Wheels!  Now available at Hollywood Cycles!

With three more designs yet to complete for summer, we still have a lot of hours yet to put in, but I'm so excited to watch each one come to life.  As a kid, I used to cut stencils out of thin plastic, tape them down on a blank shirt, and slowly paint between the lines.  It's so cool to have now grown into bigger and better methods & designs.

Printing in Print-adise!
Kristy Kreme

Live, Sleep, Eat, Breathe, Bike

With spring FINALLY here, I feel like I've been on the go 25 hours a day!  The best part, though, is having my bikes with me for all of it...

We kicked off the first really nice day of the year by taking our retro Schwinn Hollywood & Silver King to the Bulldog in Uptown to help support Evanator's fight against cancer.  The fundraiser was a great success and it was awesome to see so many wonderful people come out to support such a wonderful young man!

Tuesday night we headed to the TNW crits at the State Fairgrounds.  It was so much fun!  I got to rock my new Podiumwear skinsuit for the first time - SO HOT!  Plus, CB, Pritz, and Alye all showed up for the race and we had an awesome time riding together.  Then, true Girl Fiend style, we had a fabulous time hanging out with some beers after the race while we cheered on the men and joked about this and that.  

It has been WAY TO LONG since I've had a handful of teammates to race with and I'm so happy to have that opportunity again.  We have such an awesome group of women on our team - I feel so blessed!

 During the rest of the week, I had fun getting out for a ride to and from work and dusting off my time trial bike for Saturday's Farm Dog.  It was a cold and extremely windy morning and I hemmed and hawed as I tried to 'warm' up on the trainer.  With a new position to try out thanks to my fit with my super coach, Hollywood, I knew I just had to try to be small and hold on for dear life.  The winds were 25-30 mph w/ 40mph gusts and the temps were maybe in the 40's (sans windchill).

The first 3 miles were straight into the head/cross wind and I kept as tucked as I could.  Luckily, there were some tailwind sections to get the speed up, helping me finish at a blazingly fast speed.  As I approached the final 100m of the race, I was doing 31mph and battling a few crosswind gusts that battled my front wheel.  I was too afraid to let go of my bars to grab onto my bullhorns, so I just leaned into the wind and held on tight.

Much to my surprise, the results were posted and I found out that I won the women's Open race!  I was 24 sec. slower than the same time last year, but that was fine with me, considering the conditions.  What blew me away even more though, was beating two of the fastest gals on TT bikes that I know, Bonnie and Julia... I think I've got to thank my fat bike for that... it truly kept my strength up over the winter.

Ridin' high after the big win, Hwood and I ate, took a quick nap, and then geared up again to hit the trails at Theodore Wirth with the Chucker.  It was nice to get out of the wind in the woods and have fun with the boys.  I'd been riding so much this week, though, that I was out of clean cycling kits so I just re-wore my kit from earlier... I love the new Girl Fiend kits so much, I wear them everywhere!  I think I'm gonna have to buy more (or do the laundry more often... whichever's easier)  :o)

And, in the middle of all that riding and racing, I took a day to print our latest t-shirt from Girl Fiend Designs with my fave Girl Fiend, Teri.  Officially available for purchase now... "The Lioness of Flanders"!

Handmade in Minneapolis, women's tees by Bella.. super soft, long torso, women's cut, with water-based inks that are soft to the touch.  On sale exclusively at Hollywood Cycles!  It's definitely my new favorite!

Now we just have to get our work done and ramp up for another handful of races on the horizon.  Hopefully we'll have sunny skies, dry trails, clear roads, safe rides, and great stories!

Lovin' life,
Kristy Kreme

Girl Fiend Designs goes live!

Only a year ago, I felt depressed and unfulfilled in my career... believing whole-heartedly that's the way it had to be.  Lucky for me, though, I found new outlets and my amazingly supportive husband stood by me 200% when I resigned from 'corporate America'.... best decision ever!

Now I get to spend my days w/ my fave hubby & puppy at the bike shop that brought us together.. what bliss.  My marriage has never been better now that we get to spend more time together and since the stress levels have magically disappeared.

To keep the fun-wagon rolling, my favorite artist/designer, Teri Harriet, and I have just recently launched our own biz focused on hand-printed women's tees, scarves & unisex hats.    Girl Fiend Designs is our way to create fun, edgy women's tees with soft fabrics and a great shape.... no more "Youth Large" - women want it to flattering!  And the fun of creating the designs and screening them in our home workshop is such an exhilarating feeling!  Each piece is special and loved in the pure joy of watching it all come to life.

 Who says work can't be fun??

Our "Naughty List" tee was a limited run since the holidays were so close - we sold out within hours!  Best of all, the list actually has our names and our friends names listed!

Our public debut was at the Winter Bike Expo on the 8th and we got great feedback and sold a bunch of fun shirts!  We sold out of our "Naughty List" design early, but still had our great "Hell on Wheels" shirt to spoil all the lady cyclists with.  

Now we've got a website: www.GirlFiendDesigns.com and an Etsy store!  Plus, Hollywood Cycles is carrying the line, too!  After the holidays, Teri and I are going to be working on adding winter hats and some soft, screen printed scarves to our product offering before going back to the drawing board for spring and summer designs.  Although Teri's not a bike racer, I'm happy that she sees the fun and the excitement that comes from those rowdy girls out there, so we'll always have cycling designs in the pipeline.

I'm just so happy to be apart of something so fun and sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.  I always thought I needed to fit some sort of mold... but it's been this adventure in finding and forming myself that's been the best thing I could have done for myself.

Huge thanks to my hubby for supporting this dream as we brain-stormed for months, and as we take our first steps forward.  Jay - you truly are my prince charming!  Teri, thanks for believing with me - this is gonna be fun!

Embarking on the next adventure,
Kristy Kreme