Well as many of you know I have been training for the Whiteface race - I'll save you the agony of the story - DNF.

Now if you want the tale here it is...

All week I had been looking at the weather, I was not going to pay $60 and climb Whiteface in the rain. It apeared the worst we would have was light rain so I signed up on line at the last moment Thursday night. Friday I took off early from work to cut the grass and clean and inspect the bike before heading up to the Adirondacks. After cutting the grass I went to the Tarmac to get it all cleaned & oiled up and packed for the trip/race. The front tire was flat - 1st flat of the season on any bike. So I gave it a thorough cleaning and lube and as I inspected the front tire to get ready to fix the flat I noticed the tire really should be replaced, a lot of glass shards were working thier way in and there were some gouges and slits (a shard had made a small puncture). This was the original Specialized tire that came with the bike and it was scheduled for a change out anyway - I had two new Gatorskins on the shelf. Me and a new Gatorskin don't really see eye to eye, I usually destroy 3 tubes before I get the tire stretched out enough so I can put it on w/o pinching the tube. Realizing this I took the tire on and off several times before I ever put a tube in it - just to work the tire. When I put the tube in and set the tire everything looked fine - in went the air and no problems. I threw an extra tube in the back of the car just incase and I also had one in the wedge. You know where this is going...
Saturday we arrived in Wilmington, north of Lake Placid 3 hours before the start. The weather was overcast and Whiteface was in the clouds - totally socked in up top. I checked in and road the bike around the parking lot a bit just to make sure all was well. I was to start in the last group - 50+ at 5:45. 8 miles, 3500' elevation change. My daughters gave me a nice Dads Rootbeer jersey for father's day to wear, I changed into the clothes and got ready - sent the wife up the mountain in the car (the ride down would be painful), all looked good to go. At 5:15 I headed out to warm up. I didn't make it out to the road when I hear a "pop - hiss". The front tire had not gone flat but the side if the tire was out of the rim. I stoped, deflated and reset the tire, borrowed a floor pump from a friend and took off again. I got about 1/2 mile out on the warm up loop and my friend told me my front tire looked low and indeed it was flatting. I stoped, repaired it with the tube I had in my wedge and one of two CO2 charges and off I went to warm up with what time I had left. The start went well - I was in the middle of the pack. My plan was to get up in 1 hour 20 min, 6MPH average - 10 minutes per mile. I knew I would need to be a little better than this on the first mile, I would be slower the next 1.5 miles as the grade increased and then back to a little better up to the switch backs where I would need to push through. I was right on target the first mile - I passed a few riders. Then when the grade went up to 9% around Santa's workshop I slowed to 5.5mph and was getting passed - still on plan, the passing riders were panting and gasping - I thought to myself, I'll pass you again later. About 1/2 mile before the gatehouse to the access road I heard POW-HISS - front tire flatted . I had used my spare but I had a patch kit I had used once before. So I thought - there goes the race, but I'll try to patch it and get up anyway. Needless to say - the patch did not hold - I was done. Now my biggest problem was getting word to my wife that I was not going to get there. Now the story gets better- I very nice lady helped me out, she took me up to the gatehouse and stayed with me until the gate keeper (who was also very nice and helpful) made contact with my wife. The gatekeeper let me stay in the building so the black flys wouldn't eat me alive. My wife came down with the rest of the racers and picked me up and I tucked my tail between my legs and went home.

Today I patched tubes in my bucket of old tubes and fixed the front tire - third time, went in with no problems. I went out for a 30 mile ride and climbed one of the local 1100' hills with 6% to 10% grades and this time I charged it for all I had just to get the frustration out of my system. I got rained on but I didn't care - it was a great ride and the best climb up that hill that I have ever had. Maybe when I am on vacation and if I decide to take the Tarmac rather than the Simoncini I will take the bike back up to Whiteface and do the climb solo, I did get the t-shirt but I don't feel like I can wear it quite yet...