Photo by Tallahassee Trails

Yeah dang! This race was back on Oct 21st I think. I have brain lag.

Of course I wanted the W at the hometown race but you can’t always get what you want. I’ve kept illness away all year but unfortunately if finally caught up to me the week before this race.

I believe it set in on me the Sunday before after my typical hard ride. I was in denial Monday and Tuesday and just stuck with my routine. Wednesday when I went out for an abbreviated taper week interval session it became apparent that the illness had set into the muscles. I cut the workout short and headed home. Felt bad Thursday and Friday but rested and remained optimistic. Saturday felt alright so I went out to preride the course. Felt good for about 30 minutes then felt very tired. Decided not to race.

I woke up Sunday at 8 and felt ok. I couldn’t bare not to do the hometown race so I got out of bed and went out to prep the bike, eat breakfast and get my stuff together. I double checked my stuff and was out the door at 5 til 9. Get on T-ville Rd and went through my bag again…. DANG! no helmet! Turn around go get it, leave the house at 5 after 9.

Looks like no warm-up on a 40 degree morning. Screw it. Luckily Terry B knows me and allows me to just sign the waiver and hand her my money saving time. I got a 5 minute warm-up and toed the line.

Go. Ah yeah, 2nd into the woods. Up the multi-use hill. Ohh. Hmmmm. Dadgum this hurts. Get passed by a few. Ooooo. Ohhhhh! Clipped a root and have a minor get-off coming back on Caddy. That’s just enough to lose concentration on the race and start thinking about all the negative. This hurts! I’m recovering from illness! I didn’t get a warm-up! Ahhhh shut up and turn the pedals over.

So I stay cool and and decide to finish out the lap. If I don’t feel better by the end it’s DNF time. I figure I’ve got a DNF credit in the DNF bank so I’m ok with it. I can’t remember the last time I DNF’d, no big deal. I come around to finish the lap and I start hearing folks cheering me. Hmmmm, this makes the decision a little more difficult. I start running it through my head, “what happened to ric? Oh, he QUIT!”. I get to the start/finish and there’s the crew banging on boards and screaming. I just can’t do it. So I continue.

2nd lap. Pain. Negative thoughts but no thoughts of quitting anymore.

3rd lap. Oh snap! I’m starting to feel kinda good. Oh… hey… there’s that guy from my class. Oh dang…. there’s another one. I must be in 4th right now?

4th lap. I’m feeling good. Maybe I can catch some more? Man, this is funny…. I voted for 4 laps but right now it sure would be better for me if we were doing 5. Come out to start the BMX and there’s the leaders on the track. Dadgum! Nice to finish feeling good though.

Result 3rd. Moral of the story. Get a good warmup. Especially when it’s cold.

The dang and dadgums are in tribute to Bobby Bowden. Dadgum!

After trying out the 40 tooth big ring for a while I needed to investigate the 38. The only time I spun out the 40-11 was on long road downhills so I it seemed like I could go even lower and stay in the dog full time. I also wanted to try running only 2 rings using the granny and middle positions. I went with a 26/38 and kept the 11-34 on the back. I only lose a tiny bit on the ends of the gear range and with the 38 in the middle position I have a really good chainline with easy gear access from the 34 all the way down to the 11.

I’ve been riding it for a couple of weeks now and even when doing hard intervals up and down the hills out at phipps I haven’t spun it out yet. For most of the courses I race I think it could be the perfect setup. My only concern are the steep hills at the Thunderbolt course. I was in the granny for several of those. I think the 26 will be low enough though.

One thing is for sure though, after riding it at Tom Brown/Cadillac I know it will be perfect.

This bike came to me from Jimbo. I was over at his house picking up stakes to use at the Red Bug Challenge and he said he wanted to get the bike out of his garage. He suggested we raffle the bike at the race. Sounded good so I took it.

A couple days before the race the numbers looked like they would be low and bad weather was on the way. It seemed like a waste to raffle the bike for $10 so I decided I’d just hang on to it until next year.

Then I rode it down to the bus stop….. and fell in love. Her swept back handlebars, her wide seat with big springs, her fat tires, her coaster brake. I could go on and on.

So I’m going to ride her until the next race and if the numbers are right I’ll raffle her but she’s worth more than $10. She’s high class.

Got a crappy start. 8th into the woods. Thought I was 5th but it turns out 3 dudes quickly got 20 seconds off the front. I worked up into 4th. Getting by the Alex Bikes guys was nice and friendly, they were all gentlemen. Got to the road section and buried it but I don’t think I made up any time on the 3 big guys working together.

2nd lap is a repeat. I would get pretty close by the end of the trail then they would pull it out on the road.

I was starting to worry about cooking myself on the road cause I was putting in big efforts to minimize the gap. The 3rd lap I decided I would stop chasing so hard on the road and save it for a big push in the singletrack on the last lap. I really didn’t think I had any chance of catching the three. I was frustrated. The thought that kept passing through my head was, “that ship has sailed”.

4th lap I start digging deep on the trail and suddenly about half way through the lap I am on their wheel. The lead rider is going slooooooooow. I’m wondering why the other two aren’t going around him. I sit and sit and sit. Then figure all three must be cooked. When we get to the double wide sandy little hill that has become a hike-a-bike they all go single file up the left side and I start running up the right side. Out of nowhere the third rider pushes his bike over into me and almost pushes me off the side of the hill. Then he cusses me out for trying to pass. I mean it was the most hostility I’ve ever felt in a race. I’m remain chill and am trying to calm him down cause honestly he’s a lot bigger than me and he was really going off. In a nutshell he tells me there’s no passing on the trail.

That guy crashes and I move into 3rd. “I’m glad I got by that guy… whew”. So we come to a little up with an inside and outside line. We’re still going slow as molasses so I go for a pass on the outside line. Oops… got put into the woods again. He says I can’t pass there either.

I can’t understand why these three aren’t racing each other. Why are they letting this guy go so slow. They’re letting him dictate the race. He obviously wants it to come down to the road.

So we come out on the road. At this point the race is a joke to me. I roll up and say, “so here we are. guess I’ll lead it out”. Cause “f&#k it” is what I’m thinking and I have no patience for this cat-and-mouse-look-at-each-other bullsh#$t. This is a mtb race for chissakes. These big roadies are gonna take me behind the wood shed on this road sprint. I’m gonna get a bad case of the red ass getting spanked all the way down that road. Anyway, I go for a dig around a corner just to see if any of their legs don’t have the spunk. They all do. They attack. I jump on last wheel. We come around the corner and OH SNAP a beginner class is coming around the corner behind the motorbike and we’re in full on sprint mode. Cars line the road. There is nowhere to go. Dude in front of me locks up the rear wheel and somehow saves it. Right then I think, this s#$t is not worth it. Roll in 4th.

My passes were clean. Plenty of room. Mr Pace even has video of the same dudes going two wide up the very same sandy hike-a-bike that they told me wasn’t ok to pass. I don’t mind legitimately being beaten to the corner going for a pass but getting put in the woods is a little much. We all have our limits though. I thought Bob was joking on the start line talking about “watch out for these guys” pointing to half the guys in my class. Then one of them said, “You should be racing with them”. I laughed because I thought it was just friendly poking but I guess this bike racing is serious business…. to some people.

Dang, now I know how Andy Johnston feels…. except he’s faster than me. He’d probably get shanked if he raced in Florida.

I quickly built it up when it arrived but only got two rides on it before I needed to scavenge some parts from it. So it hung in the garage until this week.

On Sunday I’m racing in Fernandina Beach on a course that is flat, smooth and has over a mile of pavement per 7 mile lap. Everyone said it’s a hardtail course so I built up the carbon hardtail again. It’s kind of rough since it’s mostly garage bin parts but I’ve been riding it all week and it’s holding up ok.

Thanks to MacGyver who inspired me to use two rubberbands, a zip tie and a piece of an old grip to hold the cpu to the stem.

It’s been a while since I raced a hardtail. I rode a steel hardtail all winter but come March I went to the race bike. The ride isn’t near as jarring as I was expecting and of course it accelerates super fast. Feels good. I used the 40t chainring off the fully so I shouldn’t need to shift at all up front. The old R7 fork is a little rough but still does the job.

Without any hills or technical stuff to make gaps I’m expecting this race to be tactical. Should be fun.

I got some valuable course info from Graham and David. That along with Tim’s knowledge of the course helped get my mind right. Tim and I pre-rode the first section which was steep and slick. We found a good line on the first little up but it was still a struggle to get up. The rest seemed faster to run. So I ride that first section through the ups and rocks 3 times and get it pretty good but I know I don’t want a bunch of other dudes scratchin’ and clawin’ at me so my plan is to get to the first up first and ride it or if I’m not leading dismount and run so I don’t lose momentum.

I get to the first drop riding 3rd wheel. Pass the holeshot wonder up the little climb so I’m coming into the first greasy up in 2nd. Let momentum carry me halfway up jump off run it up passing 1st then I nailed it to get a gap. Didn’t even try to ride the next 2 greasy ups just dismounted and ran trying to keep it smooth. I could hear carnage behind me. Dudes were getting frustrated. Kept it clean through the rocks then hit the first straight away and nailed it again.

Seemed like I had a pretty good gap so just went into flow mode trying to keep it smooth. I had a few close calls in the high speed greasy corners but kept it upright. Some roots were shined up pretty good and super slick. There was one long hike-a-bike up a steep rooty hill that caught me by surprise. I was counting that one down every lap cause it hurt bad.

Conditions were tough but I was having a good time. The steep ups got more ridable every lap. The stuff at the beginning of the lap was getting full sun so was ridable when I came back around on the 2nd lap. By the 3rd lap pretty much everything was ridable but the long steep rooty up. It was nice that the ups had traction but the downside was everything else got real spongy and felt like riding on deep carpet. The tricky thing was that every lap it seemed like new roots were getting shined up and emerging from the mud. A couple times I had close calls when I let my attention wander. The course changed a little every lap. I saw Cox laying on the side of the trail at the top of the tough hike-a-bike on the last lap. Tim gave him some water. I’m sure the conditions caused a lot of meltdowns.

I was wishing for less, bigger and more spread out knobbies on the front but my tire choice was decent enough. I ran lower than normal pressure considering the traction issue and low speeds. 20 front and 23 rear. I started out with the shock floodgate on because of the climbs out of the quarry but they were so bumpy I opened the shock up to smooth it out and ended up just leaving it open cause it was helping me on the rooty ups too. It was so hot hydration was key and Kent/Nancy made sure I got my bottles. That was real nice. It can be a little stressful trying to feed yourself.

1st in class, 3rd on the day 3 minutes behind Woodall and close to McCarty. That’s a real good day for me. Though I hate bike clean up the conditions made a normally ho-hum course fun.

The new wheels weight 1390! I knew they would accelerate quick and all but dadgum it’s like having a jet pack on. Something I didn’t expect is that the front wheel would turn easier. The first little tech downhill I did I got squirrely and about ate poo. Everything is easier with lighter wheels. Takes a lot less body english to wheely the roots and hop the logs. If I ever nut up and run some lightweight standard tires it’ll knock off another 200 grams easy.

I guess I’m ready to race FSC #1 Sunday. I’m thinking the competition is gonna be tough. With Shawn Smith and former Semi-Pros Bounds and Andy Mills it’s gonna be fast. I’ve been trying to remember the course but it’s been about 10 years I think, so memory is hazy. Some steep ups, ride around some fields and a climb out of a quarry is what I’m planning on.

Wish my bottom bracket wasn’t creaking like mad. I went to fix it and it figures Shimano created a new tool for the m970. Gonna have to wait on that.

In the words of Jules Winnfield, “well allow me to retort”.

In a nutshell I believe a series championship rewards consistency while a one day championship rewards the fastest rider. Both admirable.

The only thing I’d say Big Worm is wrong on is that a rider who consistently finishes 18th or so in the world cups could win a world championship. Nobody wins a world championship without consistently finishing top 5 or 10 and probably even winning a world cup that same year. In the case of Absalon you win 5 world cups, win the series then go on and win the world champs. No world champs for him this year though. The idea that you can’t be fast while training for a peak is wrong. You may end up a little off the pace for a race or two during the year but for the most part you’re still fast just not super unstoppable fast. Absalon, Hermida, Schurter, Vogel, etc, etc have been fast all year but last saturday Schurter rode strong and tactically smart to beat Absalon by seconds. Great race. I still say that Absalon is the best mtb racer right now but you gotta bring your A game to the world champs cause everyone else is. Schurter is only 23 so this kid could be the next Absalon. He’s got serious skills and was gapping Absalon on the descent. Anyway… that’s another story. Race replay here.

As for Florida, I think it’s a shame that the fastest guy in Florida who goes out all summer chasing the dream at the ProXCT’s can’t come home and be state champ because he’s just plain tired of traveling. I don’t think anyone would dispute that he’s the fastest in the state. I believe with a one race championship it gives him the opportunity to back up all his work and gives everyone else a shot at him. Roadies included. If he’s not the fastest then we’ll find out who is. In Florida the series format just shows who went to the most races unless it’s a competitive class where all the top riders go to all the races.

Excitement! A one day championship is more exciting. Folks get pumped. Maybe more spectators? I think so. I think if Tallahassee hosted the state champs my mom might even come out. Cause it’s a big deal. Regular folks can relate to a championship race. I’d bring my spanish-english dictionary and drive down to Miami if it was hosting the state champs. That’s saying alot.

On the other hand a series just draws it out. Everyone I know is ready for it to be done and over by the time the 8th race rolls around. Usually well before that. “Ugh, I’m going to Ft Myers to race mtb’s…”

Obviously I’d love a one race championship. I like big fields with a lot of competition. The bigger the better. I think that’s what I like most the spectacle, excitement, butterflies in the belly. Different course every year. Bring the roadies, LET’S GET IT ON!! Now I’m all fired up just thinking about it! Woooooo!

I’m gonna keep riding this chain and see if there’s some kind of break in period cause if this 5 month old XTR cassette is toast imma be irritated if not downright angry. If it doesn’t get better I’ll try my older XTR cassette that came on the Anthem.

That KMC chain that came on the bike was ok at first but it didn’t last very long and it hasn’t been shifting too good for quite a while.

I’ve got some Stan’s wheels coming in from bikechain. I’m pretty excited about that. According to Stan’s wheel weight calculator they should come in at right about 1400grams. Wooo boy. That’s 280grams less than my old Crossmax SL’s. Should be feeling that.

Man all this rain is working the ole Poprad over. That’s what I got it for but dadgum she’s taking a beating. I even had to start using the heavy wet “cross country” lube on the chain.

In-laws were in town this weekend which always means I get to ride my bike a lot. Rode down and did Chaires ride with Big Tim then did an MTB ride with Cliff on Sunday. I wasn’t feeling the Munson Hills so much on Sunday. Cliff has a new mountain bike and I can’t blame him for wanting to ride it but…. some clay roads on Sunday would have been preeeeeeeemo. I know because the parts of the ride that were offroad were so-so and the parts that were on the road were NICE and cool and breezy. Anyway… crammed in 7.5 hours of bike riding over the weekend and that feels good.

Cliff did get this cool pic though.

I need to get back in the habit of carrying the camera on rides. I’ve missed out on some good pics.