Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Chillin Out
Get out and ride you bike!
Monday, February 18, 2008
CCCX part 2
Friday, February 15, 2008
Got your 411 right here....
23.5 lbs. -- very nice setup....
I have a few things left to do but out of the box this is a fantastic bike. It handles better than the last two 29er SS's I have had (a 2006 Rig and a Bianchi Rita). I guess the geomerty has been changed for 2008, it works.... well! The addation of a switch from a Rock Shox Reba to a Fox F29 fork also was a huge improvement. Not that any of the other bikes were "bad" it's just that this one is really so much improved. I am very impressed.
As for the race it I feel it went well. We started at the back with the Expert 19-34 age group instead of dead last which was good. It was a pavement start and once onto the dirt I was in a good position somewhere in the top 20 in our combined field. Before crossing the finsih line where the 5 lap countdown would start we had to ascend what I would say was the main climb. Once on the climb I drilled it and passed quite a few guys including all the SS. So first time across the finish line I was 1st SS. I stayed ahead for a while but as soon as I need a short break to recover Ceasar and Miles caught me right at worst time. They got a gap on me and I kept them in sight for 2+ laps but could not close. with 1st/ 2nd out of sight and 2 lpas to go I focused on keeping the speed up and peadling everwhere. On the last half of the 4th lap I started to catch Miles but Ceasar was nowhere in to be seen. I finally made it up to Miles and passed him going across the finish line, now on the penutamte lap. I stepped it up and drilled it through the tight singletrack hoping to get a gap I could hold till the fast downhill. It worked for a while but just when it really mattered, on the 2nd to last tough climb, Miles caught me and attacked. I tried to respond but the legs were starting to cramp and there was still one more big climb to go. I dug deep and gambled I might catch him on the final climb and outrun him to the finish.
NOPE....
Miles rode strong and the gap was close... 8 sec close but with only one gear you end up waiting for someone to make a mistake and he did well not to. I was happy with 3rd and my cardo fitness was really good (avg 182) and a max of 196 (haven't seen that in a while). With some time on the bike and more hill repeats I am confindent a win is within my grasp sometime this season.
Sunset driving home after the race up Hwy 1
This Sunday is CCCX #2 again @ Ft. Ord. I have had some good training this week, dispite school kicking my ass, so we'll see how it goes. A strong motivator for me is the fact that if you compare times to the Pro/ Semi-Pro times, I would have been in 6th.
O.F.G.