Twisted Tire MTB Race -- and the rain rain rain came down down down (or a sandbagger's diary)

Jake and I ventured down to Ashland VA despite the pouring rain to do the Twisted Tire MTB race at Poor Farm. It was biblical. It was raining all the way down, and pouring at times. I am very surprised they didn't cancel, but hey, we were there, so we raced. I transferred my registration to the Beginner master's race so Jake & I would be done at the same time -- 2 extra hours in the rain wouldn't have been good.

I thought about calling this a sandbagger's diary; maybe.

I'll make mine short. I took the hole shot with only one guy on my wheel, but once into the woods it was like a skating rink of slick mud; Jake and I only have one kind of tire that came on our new bikes, and they aren't mud tires (I was concerned about Jake behind me somewhere, particularly after a slick drop to a narrow wooden bridge); add to that the fact that my glasses (prescription) quickly covered in mud, so I ultimately had to ride with them off to see anything (so I could see, but not good detail). I was doing well, but 1/4 into the first of 2 laps got a stick into my rear derailleur, so the guy in second caught and passed me (along with all the people I had passed) while I hopped off to deal. That little mechanical defined the rest of my race. I got it out but it had bent things so that if I shifted too far I was into the spokes. I was able to make back through a lot of people, but then early in the second lap, trying to get up a short steep hill, I shifted too far and threw the chain into the plastic protector between the cogs and the spokes.  From there I thought my free wheel was broken because if I coasted I heard all kinds of noise and the gears wouldn't engage until I had spun the cranks a couple times (it may have been the plastic bash guard, but we'll let The Greg at Contes figure it out tomorrow). But the guy that had been in 2nd (who I caught on the second lap) had lost all brakes so he was putting his feet out like the Flintstones on downhills and would go flying off into the woods (another guy I passed was using his foot against his tire).  At one funny point, we had to make a quick 90 degree left to run along a chain link fence (in other words, going straight at the fence and turn at the last minue); he was behind me and I turned then heard "agh, fence!" He didn't hit the fence, but it was funny to hear (he actually handled really well bombing down some runs).

So at this point, the trail was essentially a creek and all uphills were unrideable slippery slop.  So I had to run those, which is where I ultimately passed him. I basically had to keep pedalling and not shift, which made handling hard; I couldn't accelarate out of corners or over obstacles, which was a major problem.  Well, I persisted and finished and won. I really won't do a beginner race again, but in this case, 2 laps in those conditions were really all (or more than) my truly beginner skills could handle.  I have raspberries on both shoulders (one from kissing a tree; the other I don't remember; probably slipping and stumbling on a slimey uphill) to prove it and it took me an hour and 45 minutes for 2 laps. So it was fair, but I'm a bit ambivalent/embarrassed; I think I can win a Sport Masters race this year, so that's my goal.

 

Now here's a report on Jake's race (by Jake):

 

They started me with the beginners women, so when we first entered the woods, they were stalling at the little 1.5 foot wide bridge [[note: this was a narrow bridge after a sharp drop in to an immediate steep hill]]. That made it so I had to go around them. Then I was alone for the rest of the course. About half way through, my brakes just gave out and I over shot a turn and nearly broke my collar bone. Another mile or so and I started to see little water falls on the hills. I thought, "that can't be good." A few turns later, the trail turns to a creek. Another half a mile and I'm riding through 6 inch deep puddles. The course also wasn't well marked and I got confused [[somewhat true; I only had a problem once; especially in the conditions]]. Eventually I make it to the finish. I go to put on some pants and find that I've got mud on every inch of my body. Even under my once upon a time white socks. I find out I got second of 2 people. I wasn't surprised, the other guy was 16.

 

[[Dad's editorial comments: Jake has rim brakes, which I'm sure were useless, so he couldn't control himself on downhills (so am I now the cheapskate for not getting him the bike with disc brakes?); it sounds like he was riding just as fast at the beginner women; sorry, he says faster because they were slowing down for technical features; I gave him the out before we registered, said "you don't have to race if you don't want" but he said he wanted to; we had mud even inside our shorts]]

We had so much mud it was all over, in shoes, in shorts.  Here's a picture I had Jake take of me with my cell phone camera 

Comments

[Matt Hinman]

Uncle Scott, I would rather see pictures of Jake. Next time you take his picture after the race. But, your picture was funny! thank you

[Scott]

Ah, the love of my family

[ballandchain]

That's pretty much how I looked after standing out in the thunderstorms clearing off the drains and standing in the mud that was washing down into the patio area.

[Mike Homick]

Dude,

You would have won the Sport Master's race at this race had you chosen to stick with your original registration. You times for the first two laps are much better than the sport's master men. Assuming, of course that you would have finished. It's good to know I wasn't the only one suffering mechanical difficulties. I lost the ability to shift and my rear brakes were rubbing for a good portion of the race.

[Scott]

Thanks, Mike. I don't know how much can be attributed to anyone's time. I think everyone's bike suffered. It turns out Jake's brakes not only just weren't working because they were wet, I pulled on the levers last night and realized that the pads appear to have worn out; they barely make contact with the rim, and I think he stretched the cables in his death grip attempt to get some braking. So I've got to change those out before Sunday

[Mike Homick]

Scott,

I cleaned up my bike Monday night. My rear brakes were in the same shape as Jake's. The cable was actually rusted and locked in place within the housing. I could not squeeze the lever at all. I had to spray WD-40 in both ends of the cable housing and then the cable finally loosened up enough for me to muscle it off. The oxidation build up was massive. No wonder they were locked on my wheel. I cleaned them up as good as possible but will have to grease them again before I feel comfortable. I have also ordered new cables so I will replace them before Greenbrier. I have a feeling the rear derailleur cable is in the same shape given my difficulties shifting.

[women's hiking sandals]

Thank for that interesting post, I admire people that do sports activities. Me myself doing running and swimming, i also love skiing and snowbording. A rain should not stop you from doing sport, proud of you.