Did a road trip...learned a few things..some good, some not so good, some I already knew and relearned...I think there's a saying about that...moving on
So the first stop in my trip was Boise Idaho for the Twilight Criterium. Raced 35+ 3,4,5 at 5:00pm. I definitely dig the later start times as I'm not much of a morning person. Anyway, we start out and I think the temp is pushing a 100, the course was an awesome 1k loop with full barriers on each side of the course and a few thousand spectators for our race. The pace seemed pretty slow to me and it was pretty clear everyone was going to save it for a finishline sprint. One guy went off the front for a few laps and we let him fry. Nobody wanted to work, given I didn't have any teamates, I was too chicken**** to chase him down and risk blowing up in front of family and friends that never see me race
So I stayed near or at the front the entire race. Pulled more laps than I wold have liked, but kept my power output pretty low. Given there's some 3's (I'm a fairly new 4) in there I knew there were going to be some tactics and pretty decent sprinters so I tried to conserve power. Came around the last corner for a 2-3 hundred yard sprint and I get pushed wide, exit the corner in about 8th....Faaaaawwwwwwwkkkkkk, it's on and I bury myself as deep as I can all the way to the line. 4th place
The following weekend was the Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, Oregon. I had high hopes but realistic expectations. I'm NOT a climber...tooo fat! First stage is a 71 mile road that started with a 750' climb, a fairly long decent, and more climbing up to the Mt. Bachelor parking lot. Race starts out and I make my way to the front on the ascent as I did not want to be anywhere in the pack for the decent. By the time we finish the climb I'm at the front and 1 guy has taken a flier....again we let him fry
. For the decent me and a couple others stay on or near the front to help string it out and keep it safe! As the race procedes into the rollers, there's a crash a few wheels back from me, more confirmation I'm staying at/near the front and I proceed to do so for 60+ miles. 10K to go the road turns up and I roll out the back faster than I'd anticipated. Disappointed in myself for a few key mistakes in race preperation and strategy I resign myself to going for a stage win and this wasn't going to be it.
Day 2, a 14 mile out and back TT with 1000+ climbing. While riding to the TT, a mile out I hear a loud noise followed what sounds like a puncture. I stop to fix the flat and discover it's a broken spoke...fawwwwwwwwkkkk...screw it, I do the TT nice and easy and save it for the crit as that's my best discipline and what I'm most looking forward to.
That afternoon the crit goes off at 2:45. Pretty fast pace but I feel very comfortable. Again I stay at or near the front but keep my pulls to a max of 20 pedal strokes. The winds are pretty gusty so nobody is getting away. Corners 3 and 4 are a bit tighter than 1 and 2 and were cause for concern if people didn't maintain position and hold their lines. At the start of the race the clock was MIA, but they started it anyway. Midway through the race the clock was present but not working.
All of the sudden I hear 5 laps to go at which point I'm still maintaining my position, feel good, grab the wheel of every attack, and do so for the next 3.75 laps. Approaching corner three on the 4th of 5 remaining laps we've strung it out pretty good and I'm contemplating where I want to launch my attack. HR is mid zone 4, I feel strong and I'm thinking just prior to corner 3 of the last lap I'll go for it. We single file through corner 3, single file into and through corner 4 with one exception. I don't know if they thought it was the last lap or what...but somebody decides that's the corner to try and make up postions and cuts the inside. We were already taking that corner pretty fast, they proceed to slide out and highside right in front of me. I have no where to go and lock it up to scrub speed, lowside, and then take a couple hits from behind. Race over...the end!
Lesson learned...don't leave room on the inside!
Then traveling back home...1100 miles, we hit a nasty bump 10 miles from home...don't know what the hell happened but it dislodges one of the bikes from the fork clamps and it hits the pavement at 60mph....bike is destroyed but amazingly all the components are fine with the exception of a little road rash. Now I have to get the wife a new bike and I'm using the components for a new crit build.
Lesson learned..not sure..don't point quick release up???? Not sure what happened, I've traveled thousands of miles with that rack, no issues until now
