Let the Wild Rumpus Start...

Big Ring Rumpus: 6/06/10

Hard to pass up a chance to ride my cross bike even in the summer. The Ronde, and the Gravel Grinder were both fun, but I didn't pin a number on for either of those so this is something different altogether. After reading the name of the race I couldn't pass it up.

What went right:

The weather held out. After some overnight and early showers, there was a break in the rain long enough to ride around on some fire roads for an hour.

I actually felt good on the bike. I wasn't sure how this was going to go. I haven't raced off the road since the second day of NBX in December, but I didn't totally forget how to drive my bike. Lined up in the second row and wasn't sure how it would go. I looked around and everybody seemed pretty calm, but i was totally a ball of nerves. i was really worried that I was going to do something stupid like crash and take out the whole field. Thankfully the body remembers how this racing thing goes.

Starter says "GO" and my heart rate almost immediately is pegged and I'm sitting third wheel. I stay third wheel through the first corner, and the first "selection" is made. A group of six hammers right off the front; eventual winner Eric Marro (BOB-Goodale's), Carl Ring (NHCC - Seven Cycles), Justin Ziemba (HUP), Chip baker(HUP), David King(CCB) and myself. It looks like Eric is turning over a 50t at about 78rpm, and I'm thinking that I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I'm spinning like a madman shifting through gears trying to find one that my legs like with little success.

A couple of turns in Justin and David pass on the left, and the front four start to gap me. I turn myself inside out trying to hold on, but there is no way that I can sustain the pace, and I start to drift. A quick look over my shoulder as I pass the lap point and I see no one behind. The next 2 laps are ridden by myself praying to god that I'm not falling back, and never seeing the leaders. On the fourth lap I start to lap some of the sport riders that are on mountain bikes.

Final lap and there are lots of lapped riders on the course. I move left to pass a couple of them and hear the awful dull ping of rim hitting rock, only slightly muffled by tube and tire. Crap. Cross fingers and hope it's the rear, if its the rear I'll just ride it out. Start to turn left and it's definitely the front tire. I packed a couple of co2s and tubers into my jersey thinking that I might run into this problem. I pull off the quickest tire change that I've ever done, and manage only to lose one place as Mr. Baker rolls by while I'm putting my wheel back on.

What went wrong:

The aforementioned flat.

What did I learn:

Run tubeless or tubulars for cross, or don't ride into rocks.
Result:

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