the de butte

This past weekend was my debut as an officially official ProBikes rider.

From Drop Box

It went ok.

On Saturday, the Tour de Stongland was packed with fast guys. I had originally thought that I had a good chance of pulling down a high place since I knew the course, but I didn't take into account that I did not know the course at race speed. I need to start training faster.

Halfway through the second lap I flatted. I futzed around with the tire and by the time I got the Stan's to seal it I had been passed three times, so I just decided to take the rest of the lap easy and save my legs for the Bob Evans race on Sunday. I finished at the bottom of the top third (10th out of 35ish I think.) There were only two single speeds at the race, and no SS class.

On Sunday I headed out to the Farmhand XC race with Don. It was indeed on a farm, and the people running it looked like they needed a hand. (hehe. I'm so lame.)

Anyway, registration took a long time, and putting the results up on pieces of duct tape took longer. But I did get a free sausage after the race, and the course was super fun.

Only one other single speeder showed up, and of course, he beat me. So I got series points for a second, but I came in last. The course was totally different from the big rock gardens that I'm comfortable racing on. It was perfectly smooth, bone dry, and very tight and twisty. Needless to say, I was having trouble. I held off the other SS for the first lap and most of the way into the second, but on one particularly sharp climbing switchback, I ate it.

After that crash, I'm not sure if he sped up or I slowed down, but he put 4 minutes on me in the space of 7 miles. Meh.

But I did beat Don in a sprint to the finish. That always feels good.

I'll be going into the Championship race at Coopers Rocks next Sunday tied for 5th place. Fortunately, I've heard that Coopers is very similar to Big Bear, which is very similar to Laural Mountain. Large embedded rocks and long climbs abound. (I hope)

So I'm going to head up to the mountain right now and practice my rock riding. I'll put more detailed race reports up tomorrow.

And I did win my imaginary dirty little two-stage stage race. Oh yes sweet Victory! Since the organizer of the dirty little stage race had no prizes, I'm asking my readers to send me presents as a consolation. Wool socks are always appreciated. I'll expect them by Friday.