2006 Derailers Race #4 Falling Creek

Jerry, Videoman Mark and I set out to leave at 8:00 from my house but our usual 5 trips to the car with junk we really don't need and at least one more for glasses, car keys and bathroom visits we finally hit the road at 8:20 for the drive to Beford. Arriving right on time with about an hour to prepare, we parked center stage in the lot and got right work getting the bikes out and greeting friends and competitors in what is for me the best time of these events(unless I pull off a rare podium finish of course) I got registered and remembered to sign one for Jerry and went back to the van to finish my coffee and of course spill it on my new shirt. After suiting up and pinning numbers on, we went for a little preride to see what the changes looked like. I still didn't feel comfortable with my bike after that crash despite having a whole race under me. I broke a cardinal rule of racing and decided to adjust my seat which has slipped on occasion and required resetting. Bingo! The seat was too far forward. The bike handled much better now and I had a stronger spin without hip movement...Ready to go. I did a fast lap around the field to rehearse the start and to get the blood flowing so my legs would hopefully not pack up in that first fast climb off the start. I lined up next to Todd Gilley since he's been doing well I planned to try to pace with him as much as possible. I mentioned the sign post right in front of us to him and asked him not to run me into it...ehem...After I avoided the sign :P, I fell in behind him and took the first turn with (I think)Chris on my left and a crowd on my heels. At the first grassy climb while still in the field I realized that the gang was pacing the sport leaders and backed off a bit and let some folks go by me. When we hit that first singletrack I wussed at the switchback that Kenny panned it on last year and went wide but everyone else seemed to have similar respect for that nasty turn. There was a pileup and some hikeabiking going on at the top of that short steep section so I had to join the walkers for a bit. When Chris got back on his bike I took three more steps to clear the top for the next guy and mounted on the downslope and gave chase. I watch Chris miss the first turn in the woods completely go racing across a grassy section. He actually made a little time on me since he kind of straightened things out but from the noise he was making I doubt it was intentional :P I was just settling in when I stood up to keep my speed over a small knoll and BAM! My @#^% chain broke and I wasn't carrying the repair tool I needed to fix it. Afterholding my thumb out for a while(an eternity) in hopes of finding a chain tool, a novice rider and my hero for the day stopped and dug one out of his pack. A REAL park CT-5 just like the one in my shop! I repaired the now shorter chain and took off to try to catch the rest of my class. I did the rest of that lap like it was the only one I had to do and started into my second(of 4). At that pace I flamed out pretty quick and Jerry lapped me about halfway into the second lap. All hopes of catching my guys faded as the technical trail sapped my energy much faster than I had imagined. I was crossing a myriad of small logs when I saw jerry stopped with a flat. Since I know he sucks at flat fixing in the shop I knew he would be there a while and I figured if either of us could place today it was him. We have fairly close setups on our bikes now(his is a bit smaller and lighter sprung than mine), I stopped and gave him my bike and after snagging my bottles from the cages he took off to try to salvage the day for at least one of us. I then proceeded to finish repairing his flat and took off on his bike. After I rode his bike (the one with a golf ball for a saddle, a thud buster that was severely undersprung for my girth, and no rear suspension) for or about an hour, or something like an eternity, I was quite bonked and really wanted my bike back. I was pushing up a climb I usually ride when he lapped me again! I said "Can I have my bike back now" and he rolled up and said, "Can I have my bike back now? Yours is a cow". I replied that his was a crate with wheels and we swapped back. I still had 2 and a half more laps to grind out.

(Jerry had other better descriptions for my bike after the race, my favorite was "the semi")
At the beginining of my 4th lap, there was this East coasters bottle laying on the side of the trail. Since most folks had already finished I figured it must be lost...orphaned even. Being out of water with a whole lap ahead of me, The mush that was where my brain used to be decided that it MUST be one of my bottles. I have one exactly like that in my box-o-bottles so maybe jerry dropped it. Even though Jerry was wearing a pack...even though I usually nab that bottle for myself...so I snatched it up wiped the mud off a bit and and took a big drink from it. I've tasted that before...old HEED! blech! someone didn't rinse...sputtering and choking, I dropped the bottle right back where it was in case the real owner actually wanted it back and resumed my death march. When I finally finished the Marshall said he'd been waiting for me and asked if I had seen a fellow in a t-shirt? I saw him several times during the day and he said he was a lap down. I hope they found him ok.
Jerry finished just seconds out of third place and I was the second to the last rider off the course. I got my legs washed via garden sprayer and looked around for my chain tool hero so I could give it back to him. I searched high and low. I think he had already headed out when I came in off the course.
If anybody knows who that was could you have him email me? I thought it was Chuck at the time but I may have been wrong. I hope he shows up at Poor mountain next week so I can give it back. It really bothers me that I couldn't find him.
I did something really crazy after the race. I'll save that for the next post.
Oh yeah...Somebody asked about getting or even buying video from the races. I can't promise yet but I'll try to either get clips posted or a dvd made. It won't happen before Sunday though, I barely have time to train now. Feel free to let me know by comment or email if you're interested. It might put a burr under my saddle to actually edit the stuff.

That's all for now!

Ray

They reversed the course at danville this year which made those huge whoops show up at the end of the lap instead of the beginning! I think that's Keith approaching escape velocity. I was sitting just about in the race line to take these and had to duck a few times. Another cool first for me. I'm used being the guy causing the dodging spectators rather than being one of them.

Team taco!

Scott!

Due to my injury, the start line is about as far as I got in the actual race. This gave me a chance to observe what goes on while we race for a change. Many thanks to the race crew and helpers that made it a great event.

The front line right before the start. These guys look like they could go fast or something.

Here's the Clydesdale crew at the Danville race.

Here's the new crankset. It came with a new external type bearing set that I suspect will last about 3 months of my girthy abuse before it starts to beg for mercy. I attached a big ring protector to the outside at a cost of nearly a pound of added weight but considering that my recent injury wasn't the first time I've been bitten, I decided it was a good idea. I'll just put back that third beer and call it even. 

Jerry made it accross the river during the Waid park race this time.