chain, chain go away come again when you can stay on for a day

Saturday marked the first race at greenbush and considering that was more or less where this whole mountain bike thing started for me I couldn't let it go unraced. Around six is when the fun started when Jshoe picked me up. We then drove to the race site and met Steve. The race that Jesse and Steve were doing (12 hour solo) started at eight. So after a little prep time they headed out on there first lap and i was left to take photos. (So here are those pictures i promised)

It was a great day to watch a bike race, But i couldn't help but be eager for my time to race. I would be partaking in the 6 hour solo event which started at one. So after a few more hours of watching and alittle helping in the pits it was time for my race. The first section (maybe a 1/2 mile) of the trail was blistering fast with a slight down hill and a few easy corners that made you feel uber good about your skills. And then the next five miles of the lap where like riding through a war zone so to speak. There were rocks every where (baby heads if you will) and if you got to close they would defiantly blow you up..... Well this coming from a guy who was rocking a hard tail, pun intended. The last two miles of the course where comparable to the start in that they were both really fast and somewhat flowing. Anytime during the course of the race that i would feel tired i would just tell myself that i was almost to that section again even if i had just passed it. I enjoyed that part a lot. For those of you who weren't adding as you read, a loop was about seven miles. The first lap went pretty good and even though it was rough out there, I was looking forward to another one. The second lap was about the good as well ANNNNDD THEEEEN the the third lap came and it started to rain and then it rained some more. It rained a lot! and in a short period of time. It was about that time that the nice HARD dirt trail turned into grease, peanut butter, ice, mud and muck all in one... I know, nasty right! The up hills became all but impossible to ride and i felt like i had skis on my bike rather than wheels on the down hills. About half way through that lap i was considering quiting seeing in how i was using this race for training more then anything. I was almost done with the lap when i tried going down a mudslide of a decent that included some off camber ground and killer baby heads. I didn't make it down very far before my wheels turned into skis once more and gave way. I was headed towards the ground starring at a log that for some reason had my name on it. Mushckihlkahg, is the noise i made falling until i hit the log head first then it was a baaaaaaaam. Lets just say i'm glad i had my helmet on. Where your helmets kids! I then got back on my feet and not so gently placed the log of the trail. I then finished the lap and went back to camp convinced i was done for the day, sat down with Steve, had a beer, checked the results (at the time i was in 4th), went to the bathroom. Then the darn est thing happened.... It stopped raining. I looked at Steve and said "i'm going back out" he responded with " you're really going back out aren't you" followed by "don't do it" haha. So i headed back out and realized after a while that the course was drying up nicely.

Still kinda tricky on the climbs but over all not bad. I would turn another lap before i saw that Jesse and Justin had called it quites and were watching from the start, finnish. I would complete three laps after the rain delay and headed out for a fourth which most likely would have moved me from 9th, where i finished into 6th . But as my chain would have none of it and once again decided to leave me chainless and clueless as to why the new chain keeps breaking, i would have to deal with 9th out of 31. The worst part of it all was because of the rain the mosquitoes were out in full force and there mission was to suck me dry. I was surprised they were able to find me seeing as how i was covered in mud and felt like Arnold from predator. I wish i had a chopper to run to, instead i had to settle for a campsite off in the distance. So i picked up my bike and cyclecrossed it through the woods to the safety of open space. After i got back to the race site i talked to Justin who said it might not be the chain, could be the D hanger. So I took it in to my bike shop and they confirmed that it was indeed alittle bent. After getting that straighted out and spending all day cleaning and waxing the war machine my hopes are high once again for a day that i will cross the finnish line chain intact.

Looking back I'm glad i did the race, i had fun. My back still hurts but not as bad as those guys with the fully rigids i'm sure : )

9th place
6 laps
5:01:21 time of last lap completed
6021 # plate
Performa Cycling
Ben Neubauer


23-May-09
0:36:59 lap 1

23-May-09
0:38:06 lap 2

1:15:05 total time

23-May-09
0:46:38 lap 3
2:01:43 total time

23-May-09
1:29:08 lap 4
3:30:51 total time

23-May-09
0:45:17 lap 5
4:16:08 total time

23-May-09
0:45:13 lap 6
5:01:21 total time