MTB Worlds and pay-to-play trail riding

While the UCI MTB Worlds raged on just north of Quebec City this past weekend, I opted to stay south and experience some riding of my own in both Vermont and Quebec at managed trail systems. The laptop stayed at home, as did the mobile phone and (regrettably) the camera. Thankfully plenty of other people captured the weekend in stills, which - of course - are worth more than 1k words apiece.

Millstone Trails
"East Coast - where there's single-track for real men"
A year ago I relocated to Granada, Spain, since that seemed a suitable place where a couple cyclists could avoid New England winters. Granada is indescribably ideal for riding off-road, year-round. There is single-track but mostly you'll find sweeping double-track rides that can take you up into the Sierra Nevada mountains where you can find stretches of single-track descents that'll leave you grinning for the rest of the day.

However, the above quote is from an unnamed editor of a respected national mountain bike magazine who left his job in SoCal earlier this year to move back to his native Pa. to pursue other options. I happen to agree with him although I usually ride with a bunch of girls - friends of mine who have gotten freakishly talented while I've been away.

I'm back the States for 10 days to retrieve a longed-for visa from the Spanish Consulate here in Boston. High on the priority list was to cram in as much off-road riding possible - and preferably the highest quality riding around, which seems to be on managed trail systems. These little gems usually offer miles of lovingly maintained single-track that you can ride for $10 or less per day. Why should you pay to ride? It's not for this trip, or even the next one, but for five years from now, when you can still ride trails that have been improved, redesigned or rerouted to give you the maximum best experience. Take Jaw trail at the Kingdom Trails, a year ago it was often a swampy mess in one dramatic dip that could be difficult to accelerate out of on the other side. Now there's a bridge spanning the gap that - while rideable - is a bit spookier given its height, distance, and width. Ride it and you get cred plus bragging rights, which are worth way more than $10 any day.


Network:
Millstone Trails - Barre, Vt. - More than 50 miles of challenging single-track around Vermont's historic quarry lands
Kingdom Trails - East Burke, Vt. - award-winning trail network that's a go-to place for anyone who calls him/herself a mountain biker
Coaticook Gorge - Coaticook, Quebec - 17 kilometers of tough, demanding single-track that's just a few miles over the border into Canada.

Hardware:
- Two 29ers, one fully-rigid single-speed, one hard-tail
- Four dual-suspension rides, including a Lefty and a Brain
- Three pairs of Crank Bros., two pairs of Time pedals and one (?)
- Ergon grips
- Garmin GPS

Software:
- Gel gloves, full-fingered gloves and everything in between
- One Pace hat, one SF Giants cycling hat (!?)
- shorts by Pearl Izumi, Shebeest, Sugoi, Giordana and others
- jerseys by Sugoi, LUNA sport, Twin Six, Pactimo and others

Coaticook Gorge

SRAM 2x10 Arrives!

Complete SRAM 2x10 groups are in the building now and being receiving into inventory.


As if that didn't make for a perfect enough Friday, Tallboy frames arrived today!

MTB Worlds Weaponry: Minnaar's V-10, Atherton's DH Supreme

At 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time this Sunday, a season's worth of world-class downhill racing will enter its final showdown at the 2010 Mountain Bike World Championships at Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec. Two former world champions, Greg Minnaar (2003) and Gee Atherton (2008), want to repeat the past and have so far commanded the podium's top spot at five of six World Cup races this season.

First it was Minnar who won at Maribor; then it was Atherton who snatched victory at Fort William (a race Minnaar wanted badly to win a third time); then back to Minnar for Leogang; Atherton took the win in Champéry; and neither racer claimed victory at Val di Sole, which went instead to Great Britain's Marc Beaumont. Last weekend's win at Windham went to Atherton, which sealed the series' title for him as well. Minnaar finished second in both the race and the series.

The racers have already headed north to Canada in search of world domination. If you're one of the lucky ones going to Worlds, take a stroll through the pits for a full dose of live bike porn in the form of the pros' bikes, which will be painstakingly attended to throughout the weekend by an army of loyal mechanics.

If you are unable to make it to Worlds, here's a little of what you would find underneath the respective "big tops" of the Santa Cruz Syndicate and Animal Commencal.


Gee Atherton's Commencal Supreme DH
Bottom-bracket - Shimano Saint M810 83mm
Brakes - Shimano Saint M810 (203mm Disc)
Cassette - Shimano Ultegra 9spd 11-21
Crankset - Shimano Saint M810, Shimano Saint Chainring
Frame - Commencal Supreme DH (Custom)
Front Derailleur - N/A (Chain Device: E Thirteen LG1
Headset - Chris King
Pedals - Shimano SPD
Rear Derailleur - Shimano Saint M810 Shadow Short Cage
Saddle - Pro Atherton Star Series
Seatpost - Pro Atherton Star Series
Shifters - Shimano XTR M970 9spd
Skewers - N/A
Stem - Pro Atherton Star Series Direct Mount
Tires - Continental Kaisers
Wheelset - Shimano Saint M810 Wheelset


Greg Minnaar's Santa Cruz V10 carbon
Bottom Bracket - SRAM Stylo
Brakes - Avid Code
Cassette - SRAM XX 10-speed 11/26
Crankset - SRAM Black Box Proto 165mm
Frame - Santa Cruz V10 Custom Minnaar 10"travel -w- (9.5 shock eye to eye)
No Front Derailleur - Gamut Chain Guide
Headset - Chris King 1.5
Pedals - Crank Brothers Mallet
Rear Derailleur - SRAM Black Box XO Proto 10 speed
Saddle - WTB Shadow
Seatpost - TruVativ Team 30.9
Shifter - SRAM Black Box XO Proto 10 speed
Skewers - 20mm Front BoXXer Axle / 12mm rear axle
Stem - TruVativ Direct Mount 60mm
Tires - Maxxis High Roller
Wheelset - Edge Carbon

2010 Breck Epic

Sleep isn't cutting it right now. I wish I could melt into a couch cushion and cease to use any energy.

After 23 hours of driving in an un-air conditioned and radio-less jeep, I'm back in PA. The Breck Epic was an awesome race.

The 240 miles and 37,000 feet of climbing took me 22:45 hours to finish. I had one second-place, two thirds, and three weak finishes. For my first time in Colo., and for how fast the singlespeed field was, I'm stoked with my results.

Every stage of Breck would have been a hard endurance race by itself. Putting six of them back-to-back made it nutty (for lack of an adequately descriptive word). Some of the trails were buff with loose kitty litter gravel. Others were covered in big, rolling baseball-sized rocks, and the rest had huge embedded stones that were as technical as anything on the East Coast.

Elevation wasn't an issue for me, but even by the end of the week, the length of the climbs in Breckenridge shocked me. After climbing for 45 minutes, I would come to a corner and think "Hells yeah! End of the hill."

Then I would round the corner, the trail would pitch up more steeply, and I'd have to climb for another 45 minutes. I usually got off my bike and walked. That's not something I do very often back east. Climbs became hiking races as all of the singlespeeders tired to walk faster than each other.

I tried gearing down to a 38x25, then a 38x23, but it didn't matter. The mountains were so hard to ride up that anything short of a 1x1 ratio wasn't working. I put my normal 38x20 back on for stages 5 and 6, and had my best results of the week. The higher gear let me ride faster when I was on my bike, then I speed stumbled the rest of the time.

The mountains in Colo. are no joke. Stage 3 started with sun and 60-degree temperatures. As we climbed up to 12,200', the clouds moved in. The temperature dropped 20 degrees, and it started to rain. While we were exposed above the tree line, the wind whipped water through my thin jersey. I was totally unprepared for the sudden weather change.

My jersey and bib shorts did nothing to keep me warm. Fortunately, I found a clean beach towel on the top of the mountain. I wrapped it around myself like a cape.

photo by Sarai Snyder

When I told  the promoter, Mike McCormak (who looks a little bit like a hobbit in his cuffed pants), about freezing, he responded "That's why it's called the 'Breck Epic' and not the 'Breck just ok.'" I feel like "Breck Epic" also sounds catchier, but he was right. It was epic.

I didn't leave the staging area without knee warmers, arm warmers, and a vest after that day. But for the rest of the week, I didn't need them. It was blue skies, sun, and 70-degree temperatures. Perfect weather for riding. But I still don't trust Colorado.

As much as the climbs hurt me, the descents more than made up for it. Whether they had tight switchbacks, loose dirt, or big rocks, they were all high-speed and at least 20- or 30-minutes long. The singletrack downhill off of Wheeler was so steep that anytime I let off my brakes I immediately accelerated to 30mph, despite the huge rocks bouncing me all over the trail.

The finishes in the single speed field were tight everyday. Since I wasn't making time on the uphills, I had to rip the downhill sections. With fewer obstacles on the trail in Colo., I could go as fast as I had the balls to go.

On Stage 2, I was following Niner rider, Dejay Birtch, on a long switchbacked downhill. We were going all out. On one corner, he hit a rut and exploded into a ball of dust at about 27mph. I passed him as he lay tangled in his Carbon Air9. Five minutes later, I tried to swerve around a little rock, my Mountain King finally broke free on the dusty hardpack, and I launched over the bars and into a pine tree. Both of us managed to remain injury free, and we raced another hard 20 miles.

I made a lot of friends over the week. Hanging out with everybody and camping was as cool as the race itself. The singlespeed field was especially vulgar and fun. I won't repeat the things that were said on this fine blog.

photo by Yuki Saito

Mike and the crew did an excellent job putting together six awesome courses. There was a good mix of fun and soul-crushing sections in every one of them. If you have some good legs and a free week at the end of August, do the race. It's an incredible experience.

I had a swell time rolling around Colorado and racing for the month. I need to find a way to do it full time. Anybody want to make a donation?

Pivot Cycles - Mach 4 & Mach 5 Sale


The Pivot Mach Madness Sale just become a little bit madder with limited quantities of 2010 Mach 4 and 2010 Mach 5 frames now $500.00 off and 2010.5 Mach 4 and 2010.5 Mach 5 frames now $400.00 off while supplies last!
We also have a very limited number of 2010 Mach 429 frames in select colors and sizes that are now $350.00 off.
Hurry before they're all gone!

August Dies Hard

Late August is time to ride every chance you get, and desperation to pack on the miles leads to some interesting developments. My tally for the past weekend includes one carbon clincher that melted descending the wicked steep Chestnut Ridge West slope on my way to a family get together (still got there), and an ankle sprain on Lower Wolf's Rocks Trail that put me in that dark, "Oh, I think I'm supposed to vomit now" place. Haven't been there for a while, luckily, but it's just as I left it. Hiker sharing the trail had just asked me, "So is it any easier to ride on this stuff than to walk it?" and I said, "For me, the bike's easier, but I have really bad ankles." Not five minutes later, I'm on the ground, giggling at the irony between waves of cheek-puffing unpleasantness. So it goes.

Gee Atherton Wins at Windham, Scores Series Title

Minnaar Unable to Unseat Atherton


WINDHAM, NY Gee Atherton (Animal Commencal) punctuated a thrilling season by besting chief rival, Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), at the final round of the 2010 UCI World Cup Mountain Bike Series this past weekend in New York. Atherton, who had the slower qualifying time, went first in the final round and succeeded in ejecting Samuel Blenkinsop from the hotseat. Next up was Minnaar, who Atherton would be watching intensely from his hard-earned perch since Minnaar's final run of the World Cup season would either make - or break - Atherton's campaign for the series' title. Minnaar failed to outpunch Atherton's time, which delivered a double win to Atherton, both for the series' title and for the final round at Windham.

The "frenemies" will make their way north to Canada this week for the ultimate showdown on Sunday at the Downhill World Championships at Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec.

Stay tuned to the Speedgoat blog for "MTB Worlds Weaponry: Minnaar's Santa Cruz V-10 Carbon and Atherton's Commencal DH Supreme," which will appear later this week.

BH Bikes Seeks Win at Wide-open Vuelta a España

Xacobeo Galicia's Ezequiel Mosquera intends to climb higher than ever: first mountains, then podium

SEVILLE, Spain (August 27, 2010) If a Spaniard wins this year's Vuelta a España, which begins tomorrow night in Seville, the victory will top off what has so far been a brilliant year in sports for Spain. The race is still the pride of the nation, probably because a Spanish racer can still win it (unlike the Tour, which hasn't seen a French victor since 1985) and the winner is still measured not only by his racing prowess but by the sum of his parts, especially if they are Spanish parts. BH bikes would like this year's winner to be one of the nine racers - most likely Ezequiel Mosquera - from its Xacobeo Galicia Continental team.


BH bikes was founded in Spain's rugged Basque Country by the Beistegui brothers (BH stands for Beistegui Hermanos, or Beistegui brothers) and has a history of winning the Vuelta, starting with the first one in 1935. Xacobeo Galicia's current director sportif, Álvaro Pino, won the Vuelta in 1986 atop a BH.

Mosquera, 35, has finished just off the podium in each of the past three Vueltas but now, with so many race favorites denied entry, and with a race practically custom-tailored to the lithe climber, Mosquera's chances of stepping up to the podium have increased dramatically.

Mosquera took some time off from high-altitude training in these final days before the prologue stage to state his ambitions, explain how to control surprises, and to comment on whether or not it's fair to judge a racer based on his age.

Without doubt, you have reviewed this year's Vuelta course. What's your opinion of this year's edition?

Mosquera: My intent is to finish on the podium but I am conscientious of the difficulty that it entails. I also want to win a stage - whichever one that I can but, as I am a climber, I'd like to win a stage with a mountaintop finish.

Before the 2009 edition of the Vuelta, there was a lot of emphasis on your role as a climber. This year there's one more mountain stage and one less time trial. Each year is better for you, what have you changed (if anything) in advance of this year's Vuelta?

Mosquera: More mountains are better for me, however I am one of those that think that what's most important is form (both mental and physical) and how much geography matters, but that's not all. For a stage that favors me, my plan is to attack at a point in the route that's most advantageous. But I cannot forget that there are also people like J. Rodriguez, Igor Antón, and Franck Schleck who will also benefit from course layout and terrain.


In an interview last year, the question was, "Who do you think will win the Vuelta?" and you responded that Valverde had the motivation and extra pressure from the Tour; Samuel Sánchez could also win; same for Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck. But you added that, "There are always surprises." How has Xacobeo Galicia planned to control surprises, because this year's edition is still wide open.

Mosquera: Surprises are unpredictable, that's why they are surprises (laughs). When I say "surprises," I'm referring to the fact that there is always some new racer that wasn't a sure bet but who becomes a substantial threat to the general (classification). There's also at least one of the "lords" who falls from the list of favorites - these types of things are uncontrollable but are part of the spectacle of this sport. I believe that this edition is still very open with a lot at stake.

Have you seen the controversial magazine cover of Lance Armstrong that attacked his age just prior to the Tour? Do you think that it is fair to judge a cyclist at his level like Outside has done?

Mosquera: I absolutely do not consider it fair; for me Lance is an example. In any race, whenever you don't achieve the level you'd hoped for, it begins to make your head spin and the next day it's harder to train with the necessary motivation. In these cases, I refer to a racer that's won seven Tours, that at 38 years, decided to return to racing knowing that he would experience more misery than glory. For him to give it his all to finish twentieth or thirtieth on a mountain stage helps you understand that results aren't everything and that to come to a Tour to "lose" only aggrandizes the racer.

The origin of BH was as a machine to scale the slopes of the Pyrenees. Please explain what are the essential characteristics of a bike that are the most important to you?

Mosquera: The main advantage of BH is its agility on curves and on descents; my teammates and I are of the accord that this bike descends the best. The minor disadvantage is that you can hardly take your hands off the bars but that's a lesser evil. What's really important though is the ease and confidence that you can carry through hairpin curves - that along with its lightness makes it very manageable.

How do you configure your bike?

Mosquera: stem angle = 11 degrees, 75.7 mm. seat height, seat back 7.5 degrees, 172.5 mm. cranks and the seat always soft. Otherwise I'm not very methodical with the setup.

We know that there is a minimum bike weight (UCI rule). Would there ever be any situation in which it would be good strategy to have more weight? When?

Mosquera: I don't believe so, perhaps in some descent but I'm one of those that thinks that when it's lighter, it's more manageable - especially those rigs that weigh little.

Ezequiel Mosquera's BH G5
Cranks: FSA K-Force Light, 39-53, 172.5 mm.
Headset: FSA Orbit Xtreme Pro Ceramic
Stem: FSA OS-99 CSI
Brakes: FSA SL-K
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7900, 11-23
Frame: BH G5 (complete bike listing with Dura-Ace build)
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 7900
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 7900
Pedals: Look Keo Classic
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace ST-7900
Saddle: Prologo Nago
Bars: FSA SL-K Compact Carbon
Tires: Continental
Wheels: Cole T50 Lite

Now for 'the real season'

From the editor - If you like to set yourself on "self-destruct," well then welcome to cyclocross season. 'cross is for dialing up your pain threshold, gritting your teeth, and unleashing your own Mr. Hyde on the C, B (or A, if you think you're that good) fields at races throughout the fall until the climactic end in January at the World Championships.

'cross is uniquely purpose-driven since racing is the objective. Of course you can own a 'cross bike - we'd encourage that - but training for 'cross is a different animal from its relatively lazier kin on the road or trail.

'cross, called the "working man's race," is also the only race format that can have you back from a race in time to clean up and take the kids to an afternoon matinee.

Plus, no other discipline launches wannabe and veteran racers into feverishly preparing for race season like 'cross, which has become an annual rite that usually happens just about now.

If you're new to 'cross or if you're wondering what sort of secrets your chief rival packs in his race kit that makes him/her so damn fast, Speedgoat's own Ernesto Marenchin unzips his race kit and allows you to peek inside:

First up is Pedro's Pit Kits, of which I have been using the Super Pit Kit for the past three ‘cross seasons. I just end up swapping in newer chain lube every year and make sure I have both a dry- and wet-weather lube.


Pedro's Super Pit Kit 2.0


Pedro's Mini Pit Kit 2.0

It’s all about the start in ‘cross races - you need to be ready to put out a 150 percent effort from the start line. The more riders you get by in the first 30 seconds, the fewer riders you need to pass in the next 59 minutes. To warm up, I prefer to ride the course at least once or twice (more if it’s dry) to scope out lines and places to attack. For the rest, I sit on the wind trainer and do a few efforts of 5-10 minutes before start. I use a pretty basic trainer for this - something I can haul to and from the races without taking up a ton of space, so I opted for the Kinetic Cyclone Wind Trainer.


Kinetic Cyclone Wind Trainer

I have become somewhat of brake freak in my obsession with the perfect setup of function and lightness. Spooky Aluminum Cantilever were my first choice for a nice-and-light setup a few years back, but they are not for the "non-mechanic" rider. They don't come with pads or instructions, they offer no toe-in adjustment plus, I am not a big fan of their hanger. But after putting on some high-end cantilever brake studs with replaceable pads, a new cable hanger, and some barrel adjusters, they are great.


Spooky Aluminum Cantilever Brake Set

A few years back, TRP came out with their EuroX Adjust Cantilever Brake Set, which I immediately picked up for a training bike; now they are my favorite ‘cross brake company on the market. Everything from the straddle cable to the brake is well-thought out. Setup is a breeze and the braking power is awesome. If you want to adjust toe-in on the brake pads a little and also save on weight, you can upgrade to a higher-end brake stud put out by TRP, or go with the TRP magnesium or carbon models.


TRP EuroX Adjust Cantilever Brake Set

I admit, I hate tearing apart my ‘cross bikes every year at the beginning of the season, but it's pretty much a no-brainer to switch out your brake and shifter cables and housing every year because somehow mud and water will always creep into your cable systems. Couple that with the possibility that a lot of riders (including myself) run their old road equipment on their ‘cross bikes, and switching up to newer cables always help make shifting and braking a little crisper. I like to run the Jagwire Ripcord Derailleur and Brake cables and - for those "mid-race" adjustments - I like to run the Jagwire Rocket adjusters for the shifter cables. Another thing to possibly think about is running your rear derailleur cable the full length of the bike if you can (if your bike permits) - this way, there is very little chance (if any) for water and mud to get in the system, but on a downside, it will be heavier.


Jagwire Ripcord Derailleur Cable & Housing Kit


Jagwire Ripcord DIY Brake Kit


Jagwire Rocket II Adjusters

I love to run some of my 'cross bikes with a single ring up front, but struggled for years to find a chain keeper that worked with any consistency until I came across the Paul Chain Keeper. Last year, about three hours before my last ‘cross race of the season, I put one on in less than 10 minutes and, when I raced about four hours later, I took the win. Coincidence? Yes, more than likely but it worked. Simple design that works beautifully. (See my full write up on the Chain Keeper from last year!)


Paul Components Chain Keeper

For tires, it really depends on your budget as well as racing goals. Bottom line - in my opinion - tubular tires are the best for ‘cross because you can run really low pressure with a lower possibility of flatting. And if you do flat, you can ride back to the pits - something you cannot do with a clincher. However, the process of gluing up tires can be quite tedious and the overall cost of running tubular setups get pricey since you basically have to get more wheels if you want to run a couple different tire options.

Clinchers on the other hand are very easy to swap out should you get to a race and the conditions changed, plus clincher wheelsets are generally cheaper than tubulars.

For tires, I recommend two tire sets. Here are some good options.

My favorite 'cross tires are made by Challenge and Clement. I have run the Fango as well as the Grifo in tubular for the past couple of years, and they work awesome as an all-around tire selection. The Grifo can be found in a few options, starting at the top with the Grifo Open (super light, great tread), the Grifo 32 (little heavier and cheaper than the Open, good tread), and the Grifo XS, which is a nice second tire option since it runs a smooth file tread and is great for courses that are dry and mostly on grass.


Challenge Fango Clincher Cyclocross Tire


Challenge Grifo Open Clincher Cyclocross Tire


Challenge Grifo 32 Pro Clincher Cyclocross Tire


Challenge Grifo XS Open Clincher Tire

Clement is also putting out two nice ‘cross tires this season in both their Crusade PDX tires (available in a wire or folding bead with a very nice tread), which is a great "run-in-all-conditions" type of tire and then their LAS tire, which runs a smooth file tread.


Clement Crusade PDX Cyclocross Tire


Clement LAS Cyclocross Tire

Both Challenge and Clement ‘cross tires run really supple and soft treads, which are great for racing, but I wouldn't recommend taking them out for everyday training rides unless you plan on picking up a few sets. Also, be careful when picking tire width if you plan on doing any UCI 'cross events, as they have just banned tire widths over 34 for UCI 'cross events.

And finally, two nice options for base layers if you plan on racing in the cold - the Craft Pro WS Long and Short Sleeve crew. Very nice options when the weather turns cold and you want to wear something light. If I had to pick just one of these Wind Stopper based garments, I would probably opt for the short-sleeve, and then just layer thin arm warmers if it got colder.


Craft Pro WS Long Sleeve Crew


Craft Pro WS Short Sleeve Crew

Fool's Gold 100 Race Report

Ah, the Fool's Gold 100 - for years I have been wanting to race it and this year all the logistics of work and race schedules aligned and I made my way down with some friends.

Roughly 12 hours of drive time down, we get there, figure out our game plans, start packing up for the next day and then turned on the weather channel to see the typical weather for what's been most of the National Ultra Endurance 100-mile race series: rain.

Hmmm... Buckets of rain, miles of climbing, humidity that was screaming high. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I had an odd feeling it was going to roll my way.

Rain rolled in late during the night and I slept through it all. Silently during this time, fool’s gold (pyrite) mixed in with the mud-like little bits of invisible rocks that slowly eat away at brake pads.


The gun went off and somehow I managed to get a good start - Gerry of Salsa Cycles led us out with me directly in tow. The rest of the field strung out behind us.

Heads down and drilling it fast up the first climb, the pace got a little hot for me this early in the game and I backed off. The rain started and stopped. The lead group would stay within site for the next few miles, and then I got in with the chase group.

In this group, as the climb continued on, we were a few single-speed riders and geared riders. They were all pushing hard; I was staying within my limits.

It warmed up for awhile, and then the rain decided to come back and stay until near the end of the race.

At check point one, I picked up some bottles and my hydration pack. My little pack of riders in the chase group broke apart and I bombed the downhill, pushed hard through a couple of sections and re-caught them just as we were entering singletrack. I would catch them all, pass them, and then never see them again.

Pedaling on, I was in no-man's land. There seemed to be no riders in front, but I was seeing markers and tracks, so I continued my efforts.

Soon after check point two, riders were coming back to me as their brake pads wore down to nothing. Still having some pads left, I was catching a lot of guys. The rain and overall conditions were hellish and the miles seemed to tick by slowly.

Through check point four, somebody yelled I was in 21st place but I was only seeing about five tracks ahead of me. As with all endurance races, things don’t immediately register when your heart rate is over 160 beats-per-minute and you have about four hours left in your legs. I knew I was in roughly the top 10 riders, but was confused to see some of the 50-mile riders cutting the course and heading back home in the same way I was going.

It was around this point that it was obvious my rear pads were going so I did my best to try to stay off the back brakes. Swinging in wide and cutting in tight on the clay corners seemed to be working fine to slow me down. Doing this in one corner, the clay went from an quarter inch of thickness to over four inches in depth and sent me flying. Bike one way, me the other, glasses and two bottles in other directions - your classic yard sale crash.

Somehow, unhurt, I pedaled on. With very little front brake and no rear brake left and roughly eight miles to go on lap one, I decided to race out the lap and then pull the plug on the race. I didn't have spare pads and I was risking life and limb just to get down some of the steep sections.

Through the next few miles, I could not hear or see a sole rider and, as I got near the ranger camp, I knew I was close.


As I came up to the finish line, I was mentally preparing myself for the DNF, but was relieved to hear that the race organizer, Eddie, had called the race due to conditions and shortened the race to 50 miles. I am sure a lot racers will be debating this call for awhile, but after personally crashing my brains out and hearing about all the other riders out there crashing just as bad (if not worse) due to pad wear, it was a good call.


At the end of the day, I ended up fifth overall: my best NUE race in several years. To say the very least, it was truly epic.