zerogravity

After riding my 8.4 since November, and hundreds of miles on the dirt, i think i am ready to tackle my first race. It isn't very long..about 11 miles, but there will be some steep climbs and fast descents. Pretty much a cross country type of terrain so nothing like 5' drops or anything. Im a little nervous but really excited. I am not expecting to win or anything, but would love to be in the top 20-30% of the class im in.

She is ready to Roll!


A big difference when i first got her.


I just wanna experience a race to say i did it. Who knows..i might even be hooked and wanna race all the time. It would be great to see a HYBRID win one of these events wouldn't it? I guess we will see!

WC89

Great! I think that it's an experience that you should try at least once, or a few times. Even if you don't get into it beyond that, you owe it to yourself to check one out. While I never did a MTB race (only raced road bikes), having done so was one of the best experiences of my life. Lots of internal personal victories for one's self in training and finishing a race, without crossing the line first. Have fun, stay upright, be safe, and good luck!

jbchybridrider 

So how did it go? Race report

giantcfr1

My guess this is just the first. Racing bikes is wonderful fun and also creates a kind of comradery.

zerogravity

Well, I ended up running my Rumblefish instead of my 8.4 thinking it would have been more advantageous than the 8.4. I came late coming from Crank Brothers getting my Kronolog serviced so i didn't get to do a warm up lap and i didn't know the course. I knew i wasn't going to win so i didn't go on there having any expectations just to do it. I was 41st out of 48(bleh). I pretty much burnt out the 1st 2.5 miles and used the long uphill to get my 2nd wind. The course was a total of 10 or so miles but it was a little different racing compared to just riding casually. It was a NEW experience riding for sure. 70% of the riders had hartails, most were carbon. Nothing on the course was really rough so for sure my 8.4 will handle it. THe next race is tomorrow..we will see how it goes. Ill be taking the 8.4 this time..get more efficient on the climbs and the long hauls. More to come.

WC89

Cool! Sounds/looks like fun! If you're having fun, while improving your fitness at the same time, it's all worth it!

jbchybridrider 

Good one It'll be interesting to see how you feel about the 8.4 against the Rumblefish coz you never really ride as hard as when your racing but whatever differences you feel between the two I bet you finish higher up next time just from the one race experience you've got under your belt now. Good luck and go hard.

giantcfr1

I'm so jealous, and I wish I could have competed in it. I hope to race in August at Suzuka. Last time I did Suzuka, I failed and it was a disastrous result. This time I'll be prepeared and will go better.

zerogravity

Well..here is what i can tell you. I moved up 10 spots from last week(33rd place from 43rd place out of 48). This time, i did not walk up any of the loose hills. I made it a point to stand and hammer on the cranks. I usually just sit to climb. WIth such low traction, you need to. Although the DS is a more bumpy ride being that it is a hardtail, it definitely is a more efficient climber and much easier on the straights. My Rumblefish has 29-4 tires which have HUGE knobs compared to my DS 8.4's Kenda Slant 6's so much less resistance. Although the gears are more for road and less for climbing, it worked fine for this coarse. I upgraded my pedals to Crankbrothers Candies and will be converting my stock Nebula wheels to Tubeless(Stan's Tape, Stan's Sealant and special Automotive SHRADER stems) to make the wheels lighter. I can't afford a new set to wheels, so going tubeless is the next best thing. I guess you can say im HOOKED. Here is a pic of the STEM.


Since my stock rims are NOT Presta Valves, i need to use a SHRADER valve to make it tubeless. I know there are so many different ways to make your stock rims tubeless(Ghetto tubeless, Stands kit, etc.) but this is the route i decided to go with.

Lets see how this goes this Tueday.

jbchybridrider 

Onwards and upwards, your in the mix now.

zerogravity

So my 3rd race is down. Man..the course changed big time. With 3 extra hills to climb and long ones for that matter, i pretty much burnt out. At the warm up lap..i was already second guessing myself if i could last the whole 2 lap run. Although it was only 4.5 miles a lap, hammering all 9 miles isn't an easy task. I regressed from 33rd last week to 46 out of 50! DOH! They sure know how to stir things up. The average racers was doing 23-24 min/lap and i was at 27 min/lap. Yes, the DS was easier on the straights and actually felt the same on the climbs. It is still about the same weight as my Rumblefish so really, i guess it comes down to what route i want to go with. Ill decide next week when i attend the last race of the first half of the series. Anyway, here are some pics.


Yeah..i was huffin' and puffin' after the 1st lap.


There is a mix of asphalt, single track, fire road,loose sandy climbs and loose sandy descents.


My DS 8.4 looks like a BMX when i ride it..lol


This climbs wasn't so bad..but still a pain..


Ready to cross the line...man i was tired...


Some pics with some riding buddies..


Overall. it is a great experience..i didn't go on there expecting to win..but still..my Hybrid seems to do just fine for this 'Clyde.

Spiff_P239

At least you're getting out there to have fun and compete. Looks like you got to spend a beautiful day outside, can't ask for much more than that.

giantcfr1

Great stuff Zerodude. Is your wife your official photographer. They are great pics.

jbchybridrider 

Ready to cross the line...man i was tired...


I see the pain man "the pain" HaHa Keep going hard.

zerogravity

Oh it was pain...not that the course itself was hard, but pushing my 230lb. body to go as fast as the 130lb. racers..i need to remind myself that they have LESS weight to pull and will always climb faster than me. LOL

richard4993

Looks like you had some fun out there. Just curios what tires are those on the 8.4?

zerogravity

They were just converted to Tubless using the STan's kit. Kenda Slant 6 29x2.2 Fr/29x2.0 Rr. You need a cross country tire for this race for there is nothing rocky and a lot of flats and asphalt. BTW, to fit teh Kenda's on there, i have to change my Front Derailer to an SLX for more clearance. The stock Alivio Derailer would run on the tire.