Reportage

The short, punchy version:

Men's B race: crappy. Singlespeed A race: happy.

Gory details:

Got one practice lap in for the CCCX #6 Men's B race at the Fort Ord day camp, then off we went at 10am. I found myself mixing it up with Dave P. and others like last week, a good sign. However, I found some aggro passing maneouvres from the 35+B leaders coming up from behind a tad offputting and I got gapped from my group, and then the real fun started when my chain started sucking and wedging into the spaces between my frame, crank, and chainrings, causing major delay. A soft slideout on a sharp right turn and a stupid encounter with a pole that resulted in complete dismount didn't help either. I ended up softpedaling through my sporadic and persistent mechanical difficulties, having dark thoughts of "If I can't enjoy this, does that mean I never have any fun?", and got lapped by the end. Bah, humbug! In after-race cleanup this evening, I found that a couple of links in my chain are now twisted--that takes some serious torque. I hope there's a new chain in my Xmas stocking this year...

It sucked, but I had plenty left in my legs and decided to stay for the singlespeed race. The in-between time was good, with a couple sandwiches for refueling, chatting with the friendly folks and their friendly dogs, and good racing to watch in the master A's and women's races.

With spirits restored, I took off with the men's A and singlespeed A fields for a shot at redemption. The course featured an infamous, nagging climb to start that would sap strength on every lap, leaving my legs wobbly for the barriers at the top. Some downhill singletrack followed for recovery, which got more and more fun as I figured out lines around the washboard. It bottomed out at a sharp gully followed by a single barrier that many could bunnyhop, but us earthbound-types had to run it for 20 yards or so. Twistys through the woods followed, interspersed with a long, paved out-and-back and three logs to cross (hoppable for the able, more forced dismounts for we, the unable). Grassy lumps and a final set of barriers led back to the start line. My major concern wasn't the course so much as my hands: after democratically crashing on both sides in the B race and cooling down, my bruised palms made it painful to hold onto the handlebars.

After the first lap, I found myself in pitched battle with Geoff W., also racing singlespeed as a second race. I had the gearing and go to get up the hill; he had mad bunnyhopping skills. Seriously, I was wondering if he had hydraulics tucked into his frame somewhere. I'd be running past the single barrier, hear a slight thud of wheels landing behind me, and then whoosh there would go his damn green skinsuit ahead of me as I was fumbling with remounting. Damn him! It was then half a lap of grunting to keep up before reaching the hill again and pulling ahead for the descent, only to get passed again at the barrier...

For once, though, I had the last laugh. After 4-5 laps, I reached the top ahead of him, descended, dismounted and ran, and entirely expected to have him pass me again...but no! A look behind showed naught but an empty trail! As Geoff put it afterwards, he experienced "vapor lock" after going hard for 1.5 races. Now, Geoff's a good guy with a wife and kid and all, but it does feel sorta good to have put that kind of hurt on someone else.

Cruising along, I wasn't noticing any hand pain (mmm, adrenaline), and I managed to catch Gianni C. later on. Ron escaped my clutches--I had inklings that I was catching up, but he was taking it easy before dropping the hammer for the last couple laps and he beat me by a comfy margin. Finish: 5th, out of a dozen or so, and I see no shame in having Cesar C., Scott C., and Tim C. ahead of me (note to self: must get last name starting with C). Speaking of dropping the hammer, the report from the A race is that Aaron Odell was ahead for most of the men's race before putting in some serious time and distance into the rest of the field over the last couple of laps--and he blessedly lapped me to end the pain. 2nd place in the A's went to a young fellow, Eric E., who looks to be an ass-kicking mountain bike rider.

In review: in the end, I had fun. I find it ironic that the last time I raced the singlespeed, it was having mechanical issues (I tore the brake lever loose mid-race), making the geared bike feel like a rock of dependability. The chain going to crap probably has root in me not cleaning it last week: leftover goo led to the chainsuck, chainsuck led to wedging 'twixt chainring and crank, and a little torque and mashing led to twisted metal. And I don't think my derailleurs are the happiest of mechanical beasts right now. I'll try to be a good boy and fix it all...

And to put things in perspective, I had a heck of a better day than the defending US Men's cyclocross champion, who got coldcocked in a bizzare accident in the championship race today...

OK, time to finish the frickin' Christmas cards, ho ho ho...