The last month has been quite an adventure here; with my business picking up, the trails drying, big races back to back, then throw in a new bike and wow, it was quite a month.
After a good finish at the Bailey Hundo I tried to back it up with a 40 miler in Crested Butte. After a not so restful week with a local series race on Wednesday, I learned a lesson. Now I know I don’t bounce back to peak intensity after only a few days of rest, at least not enough to do well.
The week after the Crested Butte race was going to be a rest week, it also so happened that my new bike was arriving and that meant a bike build. Not really the best thing for a restful week, but it was going to be exciting.
I had picked up a new sponsor (Santa Cruz) in the spring and had been waiting for their new Hardtail 29er (the Highball). I was excited about the prospect of a new bike for quite a few reasons. First, big wheels; 29ers are what everyone is talking about in the racing world and it made sense to me. Second, I was getting a bike that looked on paper to fit me better and my riding style.
The fit turned out to be much better and that has made so much difference in every aspect of my riding and especially racing. For me the 29-inch wheels just compliment my riding style. The cornering, the way the bike rolls, and the comfort are all amazing attributes. I don’t see one drawback in their climbing ability. In fact the traction is better and the big wheels track amazingly well on steep climbs. Needless to say I am hooked! I have to acknowledge that they are not for everyone and their riding styles, just so happens they are for me.
The revelation of my new 29er came just in time for the Firecracker 50. I found myself rested and with a few days on the new bike. I had found the right position on the bike and got it running smoothly. Now I was ready to race!
Right off the start of the Firecracker 50 I found myself in the second group chasing the lead group and feeling good. I soon found the only flaw in my new bike, the lower Bottom Bracket height. A little clip of a pedal and I was flying into the pines. A lesson learned with a few more rides on the new machine!
The first lap was over before I knew it and now I was heading out for the second lap. In years past I have dreaded the second lap up Boreas Pass. This 6 or so miles of paved and dirt road seems to go on forever and usually makes me wonder why I am out for a second lap. This year it was a different story! After getting a coke and some bottles from my good buddy Dax we headed up the dirt section and found another friend Dan. From there we rode together for most of lap two. On the final climb up Sally Barber I decided to push hard to the finish and I rode myself into 12th place overall in the Firecracker 50, with a time of 4:20. That turned out to be my best finish ever with longer course.
The next two weeks I was planning on getting comfortable on the new bike and resting up for the Breck 100. The Breck 100 would be a new race for me and I was hoping to do well. With all the trails in my backyard I was looking forward to some home field advantage.
The first loop of the Breck 100 had me a little worried with the talk of snowfields, but the descent on the backside of Wheeler was what I was most concerned about. This section is super steep and has a few technical sections. I just wanted to ride clean!
The snowfields turned out to be no big thing and I kept it clean on the descent. As I rolled in from the first lap I heard the announcer tell me that I was in 8th place and there was a tight race for sixth, seventh and eighth. I was feeling a little behind in my fueling, so when I got to Sally Barber I made sure to eat plenty to catch up.
The next challenging section was up Little French, which is always a grind. This section you have to just settle in and climb at a good pace. Once you get up Little French the rest is really just gravy. I can’t say I felt great on West Ridge climb, but I was just putting down a good pace and towards the top I got a glimpse of a racer. I thought about putting in an effort to catch him, but in long races sometimes it is better to fuel and catch your competition later. Sure enough after the West Ridge descent I found the racer and passed him on the way to the end of lap 2.
Lap 3 on the Breck 100 is a sleeper the descents seem faster than they actually are. Climbing up the Blue River trail I passed the rider I had caught on the end of lap 2, finally for good. Now I was headed to one of my favorite climbs in the county. I can’t tell exactly why I love this climb, maybe it’s the red dirt or maybe it’s how shaded it is, I just have always liked it. This is another climb where it is best to settle in and climb steadily to the top. As I reached the top I was right on my time goals for a 9-hour finish. Now on to the long descent!
The Gold Dust trail is a hidden gem just over Boreas Pass in Park County. The first sections are ripping fast and have some super fun flume sections. The problem is, toward the end the trail gets bumpy and has some short little climbs which hurt. The trail seems to go on forever! I always seem to forget this and my projections were going to be cutting it close.
The last section up North Tarryall Creek and then over Boreas Pass also lasts longer than you think. With the new 29er, the road climb was much more enjoyable. A half-mile or so before cresting the top of Boreas, I got a glimpse of my number six-racer. Looking at my watch I really didn’t see that I had a shot of beating nine hours, but I was going to try. I hammered down Boreas to try and get as close to the nine-hour mark as I could. As I approached the short little climb to Bakers Tank, I was surprised to see my number six-racer. I doubt either of us had seen anyone for a couple hours and he shouted out a “Yeah” as I climbed after him. On the couple of short climbs left I could see that I was spinning up the climbs better than him. I ended up passing him just before the final descent. I really couldn’t believe I actually found another rider on the way to the finish.
I was happy to finish 6th Overall, with a time of 9:10. Pretty dam close to my goal, got to be happy about that in my back yard!
Thanks to my sponsors once again, Santa Cruz Bikes, Infinit Nutrition, Kep’s Pollen Balls, Honey Stinger, Light and Motion and Stan’s NoTubes.
