SC VELO INCYCLE Challenge

[1x1clyde]

Originally Posted by CeeDubb

I'll be there in racing beginners 30-39... Come say "Hey!" if you see me and I'll be sure to tackle you if I recognize your faces...

If you are racing Beginner, that is not nice...Beginners don't "race" top of the line bicycles or wear lycra...I thought you were the anti-sandbagger Chris??
can I race Beginner too?
Justin, feel free to give him a little "Breaking Away" Sunday

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by 1x1clyde

If you are racing Beginner, that is not nice...Beginners don't "race" top of the line bicycles or wear lycra...I thought you were the anti-sandbagger Chris??
can I race Beginner too?
Justin, feel free to give him a little "Breaking Away" Sunday

i beg to differ
im racing for my first time and im sporting OCR colors on their lycra
=P
not to mention my bike weighs in about 35 pound giant ac
so well see how it goes

[mtnbikerdude87]

Should be a good race tomorrow! See everyone there. Look for a guy in a UC irvine jersey. ZOT ZOT!

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by mechmann

great race boys and girls!

i say jfromlv deserves the "Best Line of the Day" award!!!!!!!!!

i say STR gets the best results award.
we had a few podiums

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by mechmann

i just didn't have what it took to get close to the podium. them boys be FAST!!! i was happy with my lap times, although i need to work on pacing the first lap a bit better. i think i wouldn't have faded as much if i had not done that 28min lap...

i had the fastest lap in my class... 30 minutes 28 seconds. the next was 30 minutes 38 seconds
i would have had fist if those problems wouldnt have occured

[Pho'dUp]

Originally Posted by mechmann

i just didn't have what it took to get close to the podium. them boys be FAST!!! i was happy with my lap times, although i need to work on pacing the first lap a bit better. i think i wouldn't have faded as much if i had not done that 28min lap...

No doubt, Pacing is huge. I did a 29:46 but my second lap was over 31min...

But it's a little harder on a singlespeed.

Hey it was nice chatting with you all. Thanks to Sharky, Roger, Denmother, Anne , DBR@OCR for coming out and cheering on. That was big time cool.

Good job out there. BFlo, big props for still making the podium despite the flat and the 35lb. AM rig. Justin 28min and change was fast lap.

Allison, Yo 1st and 2nd place is overrated anyways right?

[Sharky]

Here are a few pics. Had a great time and fun meeting new STR folks (missed out finding DavidB, Sean and Trung??) Of course I planted myself in the "vultures" section for photo op. Had a total of 15 crashes atleast on my camera. OUCH!! Cactus hurt bigtime!! You all did so great!!
1:Brandon (BFloFoxRider) with Ceedubb on his tail, 2:Allison, 3: Jason (JfromLV) avoiding some carnage, 4: Jason, 5: Chris (CeeDubb)

[allison]

We pulled up around 8, after picking up Luke (another racer who we'd met the day before locally training) and Melissa, our resident photographer and cheerleader. Nancy and Roger were so hardcore they were there at like 7:15!!

We got our # plates on and went back to the truck for final preparations.

"Where's the cooler?"

"What cooler? Didn't you put it in the truck?"

"No! I left it right by the gear bags! OMG! What are we going to drink?!"

THANKS to DenMother/Roger for their 2 MotorTabs bottles for me and a small Camelbak for Justin. Phew...

We went for a short warmup, before I turned around for some Chammy Butt'r. Up to the start line.

Justin and J pre-race



Luke moving through the staging area to the start line



Justin and J



And, THEY'RE OFF!



There's nothing quite like the start of an XC race. Everyone is off at 110% right away. I know I can't hang with that, but I tried. The one other sport female was next to me in the lineup, but I couldn't hold her pace. Basically everyone passed me. Including someone's grandma (just kidding). We got to the first little u-dip and everyone was stopping. The chick couldn't hold the climb, she was offer her bike. I stayed on mine, made up to the fire road.

She passed me again.

Then another sport female passed me. I continued on. Eventually about a mile later I noticed another Sport female right behind me. She eventually got me on another climb, and I practically killed myself to keep her in view.

Down a fire road descent I saw a bike and human tumble about 25 yards in front of me. It was the other female. I slowed way down and yelled to see if she was okay. No response. I pass, turn around and yell; nothing. She was listening to an iPod.

She did eventually catch back up on a climb, and proceeded to go really slow down the singletrack descent. I was on her rear tire for half of it, then let her go on the climb. I caught back up on the next little descent and we went neck and neck for the next rolling section before the final descent.

She went through the start/finish about 3 seconds or so ahead of me. I couldn't hold her climbing pace. She would just take off, then I'd catch back up on every descent.

I was starting to hurt pretty good. I tried to keep her in my sights, though. On the second lap I passed her while on the singletrack. Called out and blasted down her right side. Passed a few others and was on my way. She caught back up on a climb again, and we went neck and neck for a bit. She pulled away. I thought maybe it was over for me, but she crashed again on the last loose descent above the finish line. I took off without looking back. She had also been having massive drivetrain issues (ghost shifting, I didn't think her r. derailleur was gonna hold up).

I didn't see her again for awhile, but knew she was back there. I kept looking back; nothing. I did see her a little less than halfway through the last lap, about 2 turns back. Phew. I turned up the heat and pedaled away. Didn't see her again the rest of the lap, but I hammered everywhere I could, and totally rocked the descents.

At one point I was meandering along a slight incline and finally went, "Why am I going so slow? THIS IS A RACE!!"

I had to yell at myself 2 climbs from the finish to keep going.

"One more climb! One more climb. one.more.climb..."

Justin had joined Nancy, Roger, Melissa, and Sharky on the hairy turn. Heard them all cheering.

Ann greeted me at the finish, along with Brandon and Kevin.

THANKS so much to everyone that cheered (whether I knew you or not). It so helps to have someone there just clapping or whistling, and especially hearing your name.

I ended up with 3rd. Nearly 20 mins behind 1st (she wasn't fast or anything). But, podium was sweet. I took home $25!!

Here's a few more photos Melissa took:



Oops



Watch out for those cacti!



Justin going through the transition



Here I come



DYING



Just a few turns from the finish!!



Phew, we're done



Bflo leaving the podium



3rd

[Sharky]

1: Brandon (BFloFoxRider) 2:Carl (Pho'd Up) 3: Justin (Mechman) 4: Justin at the top heading down

[BFloFoxRider.]

now this pic has CONCENTRATION written all over it

[Sharky]

Did I mention how bad that cactus hurts!! We were pulling needles out of a few riders at this spot. I have total 15 crash shots here at this spot atleast. Pics don't do it justice but was steep and loose. (The guy in the 1st shot came in first)

[allison]

Holy carp, Chris!! Those crash pics are insane!!

hahaha!!

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by Sharky

Did I mention how bad that cactus hurts!! We were pulling needles out of a few riders at this spot. (my pics lose clarity when I post on here not sure what I'm doing wrong...I use the stretch/skew to cut them to fit?)

that guy engulphed in dust is the guy we saw yesterday on the Sweet '07 stumpy that weighs 22 lbs
im guessing he tried to ride down it??

[davidB]

holy crap those look like it hurt

my brother crashed there too but not in the cactus, apparently he wasn't the only one. Some of those make me cringe

Finished 10th out of 15 in the beginner 19-29 and had some horrible back pain during the race. Not sure what happened. I clearly wasn't up to par today, but even par wouldn't have put me on the podium. The guys that won beginner put up some good times

Overall, good times today. Unfortunately once you hit dirt after the paved road it bunched up real bad (in beginner at least) and people had to get off their bikes and walk. That set me back faaaaaaaar.

[jfromlv]

Originally Posted by BFloFoxRider.

now this pic has CONCENTRATION written all over it

Are you sure it's not CONSTIPATION?

Originally Posted by mechmann

great race boys and girls!

i say jfromlv deserves the "Best Line of the Day" award!!!!!!!!!

I was in front of Justin for a very short time, so I made it count by giving him some entertainment. It was great not only racing today, but hanging with the peeps afterwards as well. DavidB, you should have come over to say .