Hey wheels, Go Fast!!

What a good weekend. Seph and I left Karen to finish proofing her dissertation and headed to Eau Claire. It was our first father daughter road trip so short of hitting Tijuana and the bullfights we still had fun. Sprecher Rootbeer, organic potato chips were our toxins but for the most part we stuck to the usual food.

The folks in Eau Claire stepped up the venue this year. They had a 25' movie screen and a kids obstacle course. Rick and Liz had rolled in just ahead of us so we figured out the logistics of riding, setting up tents and Sephie watching. Rick and Liz did a lap while I set up our tent. Then Rick and I did a lap while Liz hung out or watched Sephie in the kids area.

I really can't thank Liz enough for helping keep track of Seph. Seph was a real pain too. I would have taken away her bike but that would have been more harmful in the long term. So she got to do the kids race, which she did on her SS and even though it wasn't an actual "race" she was 4th. All the kids got finisher medals, but Seph didn't strut around with it afterwards. Despite her ignoring Liz and me, I'm proud of her for having her head on straight when it comes to her outlook on competition.

Anyhow, Rick and I picked our gears, 34x18 for him and 34x17 for me. I'd tried the 34x15 on the preride but I didn't think I would be able to climb fast enough to warrant any advantage on the flats. It also didn't feel fast in the singletrack. Once I saw how sandy everything was I gave up on the Tigres. Unless it rained all night they would be useless. I put the clinchers back on shod with the Mythos CX slicks. At 42mm they were fast on the flats but were shit in the singletrack and lacked volume to absorb hits from the roots. Rick had brough a pair of WTB Nano Raptors to sell me and I'm glad he did. They were perfect during the race.

Saturday evening was spent eating in Eau Claire, having Cold Stone ice cream for dessert and watching "Roam" on the big screen at the venue.

If you have to rent Roam, don't. First, it isn't a cycling movie. Don't misunderstand me, the guys in that movie can do acrobatic things much in the way a gymnast or snowboarder. But after every run they'd turn around and PUSH the bike back up the hill. A 40# 1x9 getting pushed up a hill, weak. Rent "Ride" instead.

Race day.

I warmed up and was called to the line first. Wierd. I'd feel better about being first if I hadn't had had an 18th wedged in there. When "Go!" happened I had a good start but I didn't have the revs that Rick, Stuart and Ryan had all the way to the woods. Yeah, Ryan showed. He's had "a couple two more" training rides but he sure was in prime form. I as 10th SS into the woods but passed 2 on what there was of open trail before the rock corkscrew. As I came down the short downhill where I biffed it during last years preride I rearended a bee with my left earlobe. Than to add insult to injury, as I pull the bee off my ear, a multispeed behind me had the balls to tell me "hey singlespeed, if you can't ride the up-coming rocks get out of my way." I told him if he could stay on my wheel I'd let him by after the bridge. There were two multis in front as we hit the rocks. The first one screwed up and suddenly was sprawled across the trail. #2 Multi went left and crashed into him so I could only do one of two things, crash too or bunny-hop over. As I hopped over I heard the guy behind me pile into the carnage. I got on the gas and tried to get a tempo. By the time I cleared the new "sand luge" feature I got an update from Ben Griggs who was spectating. Rick was in front and I was 15 seconds back. At the top of a short climb the trail opened really wide and I managed to pass two more SS's before passing a picnic area. The trail was littered with 40-45 yr riders and most of them were aware enough or cool enough to move aside when I asked. One guy kept pace with me in the singletrack but would pass me in the open areas. Every time I had to repass him on the singletrack. After the first lap I looked under my arm and saw him drafting me on the long into the wind section. I told him to pull thru as he had the gears but he was sort of cool about it and said "why? You'll just have to pass me on the singletrack again." I told him I'd pull on the downwind side over the "camel hump" and all the way to the single track if he pulled to the first corner. As we rounded the corner a guy on a Trek 69er passed me. He'd been drafting both of us and I got on his wheel. As we came up on a multi he pushed a pass and pissed the multi off. I told him I'd wait for a more open area if he just stayed near the 69er. He was riding over his ability as soon after he clipped a tree and took us both down. I pulled his pedal from my front wheel and did a quick spin check. It was mildly taco'd. I didn't bother to remove the wheel I just grabbed the two affected sides and put some weight on it. Good as new. I remounted and got right back on pace. I'd caught the previously mentioned multi in time to make good on my offer but the 69er was far up the trail. I could see him ahead but I knew unless he crashed or flatted I'd be finishing behind him. The rest of the race went without mishap and I felt good in my pain. Every time I looked at my heart monitor it was showing 169bpm, and no it wasn't on average or max. I out sprinted a couple of multis before the line and finished in 1.10:42ish. I was roughly a minute faster than last year but the course was vastly different. With more singletrack and less open crosscountry ski trails laps were longer and should have been slower. But I've improved on all fronts so a repeat of last year's 7th is easier to stomach.

Rick won, Ryan was second nipping a guy from Alterra Bean at the line. Ryan also narrowly avoided throwing up after the effort. Stuart, Ryan and the other guy had worked together on the flats trying to gain on Rick but to no avail. Rick is just not going peacefully. Good for him too. We'd all suffered hard and fast on a demanding course.

DJohn finished a couple of minutes behind me, 10th I think, and asked me, "do I look like I just tunneled out of prison? Because you do." We all had collected trail dust and looked as DJohn said. Josh had turned in a good showing too.

Jesse and Marko went to work today too. As I broke camp I caught glimpses of them passing on the open flats. Jesse was working over Phillips ad by the finish had easily put 15 seconds on him. Marko had a lock on 3rd which reinforces the 29er SS cred.

Thanks again Rick and Liz. While I may have needed the time to race, Karen need us both out of the house to finish her work, and she did.