Indy Rootstock :: Greg Grossart

Greg Grossart

Personal Summary

Work hard, play harder

Integrity can only be measured by how we act when no one is looking.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 22:37-39)

Married to my best friend & fellow adventurer since 1997

Professional Experience

14+ years of actuarial/retirement benefits consulting for a global HR consulting firm Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude), Mathematics, Valparaiso University Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude), Physics, Valparaiso University

Athletic Summary

Amateur athlete with over 20 years of competitive athletic experience
Adventure Racing

2010 – Rivers & Spires Urban Quest - Clarksville, TN (1st overall)
2010 – LBL Challenge - Land Between the Lakes, KY
2009 – Rivers & Spires Urban Quest - Clarksville, TN (3rd overall)
2009 – LBL Challenge - Land Between the Lakes, KY (5th co-ed)
2008 – Planet Adventure 24-Hour Challenge – Story, IN
2008 – Checkpoint Zero AR – Hiawassee, GA
2007 – Planet Adventure Urban – Indianapolis, IN (1st overall)
2006 – Planet Adventure Urban Sprint – Indianapolis, IN (1st co-ed 3, 2nd overall)
2006 – Planet Adventure 24-Hour Challenge – Leavenworth, IN (9th overall)
2005 – Planet Adventure Urban Sprint – Indianapolis, IN (1st co-ed/1st overall)
2005 – Indianapolis AR Long Course – Indianapolis, IN (Course Tester)
2004 – Circle City Sprint AR – Indianapolis, IN (2nd co-ed/5th overall)
2004 – Indianapolis AR Long Course - Indianapolis, IN (Course Tester)
2003 – Indianapolis AR Long Course - Indianapolis, IN (Course Tester)
2003 – Mid-America Extreme Max AR – Plymouth, WI (8th overall)
2003 – Planet Adventure 30-Hour Challenge - Bloomington, IN
2002 – Indianapolis AR Long Course - Indianapolis, IN (5th overall)
2002 – Wild Onion Urban AR – Indianapolis, IN (17th overall)
2001 – Appalachian “Not-So” Extreme – Fontana, NC (19th overall)
2001 – NOC/Subaru 30-Hour AR – Bryson City, NC
1999 – Pathfinder Transplant Challenge AR – Skokie, IL (3rd overall)

Running & Other Athletic Interests

2010-2007 3 State 3 Mountain Century – Chattanooga, TN (6:05 PR)
2009 Cherohala Challenge 115 Mile Ride - Tellico Plains, TN (7:06 PR)
2009-2008 Clarksville Sunrise Century - Clarksville, TN (4:35:39 PR)
2009-2007 3 State 3 Mountain Century – Chattanooga, TN (6:18 PR)
2009-2001 Hilly Hundred – Ellettsville, IN
2006-1998 Indianapolis Mini (half) Marathon - Indianapolis, IN (1:25:10 PR)
2000-1995 Mrs. T’s Chicago Triathlon - Chicago, IL (2:19:53 PR)
2000-1997 Eagle Creek Mideast Regional Triathlon Championship - Indianapolis, IN (2:12:16 PR)
1996 Lake Geneva Triathlon - Lake Geneva, WI (2:15:23 PR)
1996-1991 Professional In-Line Speedskating
2010-1997 Multiple orienteering events
2000-1997 competitive softball league play
Snowboarding, hiking, cycling, whitewater rafting

Plans for 2010

Race PA24, Defend title at PAU, possibly a multiday expedition length race
Volunteer at PAS, NSAAR, Help Indianapolis AR with course design, testing, and race day support
Train with the team whether in Indiana or Tennessee (Train fast enough and it hurts like racing, but it’s free!)
Train for the 2010 B2B (Bar to Bar Expedition)

Memberships

Messiah Lutheran Church at Eagle Creek
2007-1998 Senior High Youth Ministry
2007 Camp Restore Mission Team - New Orleans, LA
2006-2001 Governing Council/Ministry Resources Team Leader
2004 Loma de Luz Mission Team - La Ceiba, Honduras
2002 Mercies Unlimited Mission Team - Lake Yojoa, Honduras
2010-2001 Cobblestone II HOA
2010-2007 Clarksville Cycling Club (Vice-President)
2010-1997 Center for a New American Dream

Greg Grossart

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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Vertebrae Ceramic Cable Housing

As a part of a recent update on my road bike, I installed a set of ceramic shift and brake lines from Vertebrae (http://www.vertebr.ae/about/). The housing is very flexible, allowing for tighter and shorter (lighter) cable runs. However, the primary advantage is that they are "compressionless". So instead of the cables first deforming the cable housing when you shift or brake, when using the Vertebrae housing, the movement on the shoft/brake lever is directly transmitted to the brake/derailleur. This translates into easier/lighter shifting and more powerful braking with better modulation. Here are some pictures of the installed lines:

My upgrade included SRAM Red/EE Brakes/Vertebrae brake lines (from the Shimano Dura-Ace 7800/Zero Gravity Brakes/Standard Shimano Housing combo I have been running the last 3 years). I have been testing the new setup since May and have put them through their paces on regular training rides and in the TN/NC mountains during the Cherohala Challenge.

So, while I can't explicitly isolate the impact of the brake lines directly (because I did the entire upgrade all at once), I can say that the new setup is a huge improvement. My braking on fast mountain decents was incredible and the shifting is flawless. Besides the fact that they just plain work, as an added bonus, I think they look really trick to boot! The Vertebrae brake lines certainly aren't cheap, but they should last forever and I would argue that having superior braking when it matters most is downright priceless.