Ouch.

Last year when I did the EFTA  "Turkey Burner" ride few folks showed up.  It was cold and drizzling.   I brought the beastly 30lbs mail order SS ride and had a ball until my body started shutting down.  

This year conditions couldn't have been nicer.  The main lot facing the water was full - and the lot on the other side of the road nearly filled.  For kicks I figured I'd ride the Mukluk.  It is the go-to bike this time of year.  Why?  - Cause this time of year I'm riding purely for fun.  The beater SS bike and the Mukluk have a higher fun quotient than any of the other bikes.

Within about 5 minutes of showing up Marty Allen swung by.  I connected with  Marty for the first time early this year at the Glocester Grind then at the Weeping Willow where he bested my time by 10 seconds.  Effectively - Marty be fast.  Marty be riding fast bike today.  He also be wearing fast clothes and sunglasses.  On this day, I be languid.  I be riding a slow bike.  I also be wearing slow clothes and safety glasses.   This'll be fun!  Rrroight..

Also along for ride NEMBA lads Shawn, Kevin & Carl -  a bunch of guys I've never met before, then Andy Gould (Mr annoyingly compatible) &  Nathaniel Williams (remembered him but not his name from the Pinnacle this year)  - couple more damn fast bastards.

We headed out of the lot guided (sort of) by Andy.  Quickly the hierarchy had formed:  Really fricken fast, fast enough to cause distress, fast enough to keep up and thankfully some more mellow guys.

I hung towards the front of the procession.  Nearby riders commented on the drone and visual impact of 4" wide tires.  Snowbikes do have a cartoonish thing going on - that's part of the appeal.  Another part of the appeal is the ability to bumble through rocky terrain.  They may not have the reflexes to whip through the twisty's quickly - but if you go off course ya just hang on while flattening nature's lesser obstacles. I could hear Shawn cracking up behind as I'd inadvertently create new lines. Whoops.

We even slowed down  to do some nature - the water was nearly perfectly still.

Carl gets a slice.  Small wonder seeing how his off road tires have turned into slicks.

We continued on in all different directions.  There was no real plan - more like Andy would have a thought - then we'd figure out how to execute it.  At one point we headed back towards the main lot area and trucked around where a CX race took place.   There were barriers set up.   Of course I tackled em' with the snowbike.  "WHATCHU MEAN MY TIRES ARE TOO BIG??!!"

As we kept riding - riders started dropping out.  As the riders kept dropping out  the remaining riders went faster.  Um... This is starting to hurt.  We headed over towards Fireline, a trail I remembered from last year.  It's fairly long for the area and packs a mid weight technical , but repetitive punch.  Hoo-boy..  This heavy bike business is kinda losing it's charm.  I had to relent mid-way and let Shawn go by.   It got harder and harder to be plucky man.  Finally, we got to the end of that trail.  At that point Shawn, Andy and others headed their own ways - "then there were three".  

 The three: Marty, Nathaniel and I.  Marty suggested we do a little more riding at an easy pace "maybe" (with a gleam in eyes just visible behind the fast sunglasses).  At first we rode easy down the carriage roads, then he and Nathaniel took the hell off (coincidentally this happened right after we passed a particularly well crafted gal).  Holy shit this was hard.  Marty and Nathaniel kept burning rocket fuel here and there  - I just kept dieseling. 

Starting from the area where the Big Ring Rumpus takes place all the way back towards the lot at Massabesic - Marty and Nathaniel pegged it even harder swapping pulls.   Through the tunnel under the road:  17.8 mph (WTF!!) - further on 19.6.. (??!!)  Continuing on...  22 point freaking 7.  ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING??!!  You can barely hit 25 down steep hills on these things!

I couldn't take it anymore and popped off the back just before a road crossing.  Even then I was pushing 18.  Anyone who rides a snowbike knows 15 feels ballistic.  Let alone 22 point freaking seven. 

Marty and Nathaniel eased up  momentarily and I got back into the drafty zone.  Only so we could crank things up just a leetle more before getting back to the lot.

Between Marty and the Mukluk, that was pretty much the hardest I have ever, ever gone. 

Good times.

Verge Series Cycle-Smart Northampton day 2 traffic... err - race report

They told me:  "You don't want to start at the back - there's no chance of getting near the podium".

And I didn't like that.

Not one bit. 

But I entered anyways.  

You see, my significant other has a significant job - that requires a significant amount of travel during this significant time of year.  To maintain a significant balance in our relationship it is only fair to allow significant latitude - especially given the significant number of mountain bike races I have pursued this year.

Luckily (I think) - my sister lives about 15 minutes away.  The little one gets to hang with her aunt and I gets to race!!  Not to mention - Look Park is pretty damn sweet.  Although the bumper boats and train were not in operation, my daughter was thrilled to be romping around outside on such a nice day.

So about that traffic race report:

Sitting pretty at the second to last row the guys at the back warbled and chattered about our predicament.  "What are you doing back here??!" to a couple of strong looking guys behind me. "I like to register at the very last moment!!" "You have to have some kind of weird obsession to willingly put yourself in this position!!"  Etc, etc...

The big guy with the clipboard commands every ones attention and announces: "We don't want what happened yesterday to happen again!!" - "When the start goes off, *do not* take off like a bullet and cause a 40 man pile-up!!"  - "There's plenty of time to sort things out after the first lap!!" 

So we take off.  After watching 100+ other riders take off that is...  We get moving by the time the leaders have nearly approached the second turn - a mere...  10,000' or so ahead.  That's exaggerating a touch - but it was nuts!

Not wanting to cause any trouble I kinda get going - maintaining my spot while letting an eager beaver or two whiz past.  Pshaww!  I'll get em' in a few minutes right?  Heading around the bends at the end of straight-away number one I zip past a rider here and there - then we get to the sand pit.  Oooh!!  Me likey!! - At least a half dozen guys are bound up and walking.  I saw somewhere on the Internet the best line through a sand trap is along an existing line.  It works!!  Presto  - instant 1/2 dozen dudes passed.  I do lose a good line exiting the second pit - but muscle through.

Well ahead we can see the leaders have tripped up on the "run-up" hill.  Great.  Everyone is jam packed behind leaving riders with no choice but to walk before the little chicane prior to the climb.   This is quite like a mountain bike race where one of those "all power no skillz" dudes gets the hole shot - only 6 times worse based on the head count.

Finally - after the hill things start to spread out a little.  While winding through the woods on the upper level of the course we can hear the announcer calling out the drama taking place in the lower level.  You know, about a 1/2 lap or so ahead.

As we progress one is able to start assessing the best spots to drop the hammer & pass.  Oddly enough, despite my lackluster mountain bike track record on the climbs - alot of guys really don't peg the uphills.  Sweet!!  Here and there I'm catching riders.  On occasion I'll pass another rider and they'll "retaliate"  but the love only lasts so long.  I "retaliate back" and then really open it up to make sure they get the point.   All along, wondering how much juice to ration.

One of my favorite little passing zones that my sister caught:

My sister and daughter can be heard cheering me on - and in key areas (like past the Bikeman tent - heh!) I'm at full throttle passing 3-5 riders at a time.  Whee!!  I'm getting near the front - right?? 

Right?

Not really.  Despite continued zoomy efforts throughout the race - I think this was lap 4:

Passes are getting less and less aggressive while approaching riders near the same level, but I am not getting passed anymore. Going into a few straights I can hear recently passed riders behind ramping up the efforts to slingshot by.  The answer is "nuh-uh".  Although the race is 45 minutes long - endurance man is starting to poke his head out.  If only the race lasted another 4 hours...

 Final result.  Drum roll please...

72nd.

Are you frigging kidding?  

I might have legitimately passed 50 guys - but doing the CAT3 races without a call-up doesn't make any sense unless you can commit to a full season.  Alec P was right - the Masters 35+ race is where it's at.  Not only does one have plenty of room to move - you get to ride amongst some truly heavy hitters.  I'd rather be eaten alive by monsters than deal with Black Flies.

In the last race I was fairly evenly matched with Sally Annis.  Maybe I was having a fast day, maybe she a slow one.  But....  BUT!!  If I were to have matched her today - that would have netted maybe 16th or so.  A heckuva lot better than seventy-freaking-second.

After the race - I tried that walking thing.  Seems the twisting effort of hoisting the bike and stomping over the barriers did a number on an old back injury.  It'll come around - but helps underline how important it will be to lose some weight (gained about 10lbs while my wife has been traveling = no commuting) and maybe doing some Pilates or something to build the core.  Last year I participated in a cross-training routine with co-workers that included some core work.  I am certain it went a long way in preventing the same back problems that happened today. At least that's the plan. 

The venue itself was really nice.  Lots of activities and wares to check out.  I'll have to do it again next year,  only it will be with the "sorta" old guys.   

Some parting shots - courtesy the little one:

Start

Nice grass

Nice ass

Daughters-eye view

To heck with dad - check out the dog!

There's another one!

I love this place!!