I headed over to the line, only to pop out of the trees to see everyone already there. The only people NOT lined up yet? Me, G-ride, and Skinny white dude. Yeah. Great planning team. After a bit of a pre-amble by Dick Ring, we were off. 2 minutes ahead of the 45+ guys. As an aside, it is always a nightmare with the results in that race at SBX. You have the 1/2/3 35+ field, the 1/2/3/4 45+ field AND a 1/2/3/4 55+ field. On a pretty short course. I think Kurt P did maybe 7 laps? Or 6 but I think 7. I should ask someone, but maybe someone will chime in with a correction. Anyway.
I'm in Row 3 on the far outside. I like that spot. esp with a left turn, typically opens up there. I started, pretty chill but even pretty chill there were people who were going backwards at the start it seemed. I wasn't last hitting the turn, but i was deep in the pack. The conga line settled in and I grabbed a wheel. I don't remember who's wheel it was. Cross brain as ryan calls it set in. Snap shots. I felt people were slowing down way too much in the corners, but there were no places to pass easily in the twisties by the firehouse esp being 2-3 wide.
There were a few people jumping forward a few spots in the straight section before the left hand turn that lead you to the stairs. And I just focused on not letting a gap open. STAY ON THAT F'N WHEEL!!!! Jump, sprint, turn sprint, turn sprint. I rode the woops before the barrier clean and around others who didn't. Hit the barriers adn then off to the dust bowl brown out. Man it was nasty. All I could think about was particulate size. Thinking that this stuff really is really small - definitely sub-micron size.
I had to float that double track through the trees. I flatted the last time I rode clinchers at this race going through there. not fun. Today it was harsh, just following the bodies, tight pack and a line coming through there.
Then we hit the left then the right and then the log. There was a que to ride the log on the left and I said - screw waiting in line - and jumped off and passed a couple people there. And took my place back in the flow. Keeping the gaps tight, then the sand, plowed in thinking "Wow this seems WAY deeper than it has in the past" and GCDavid had said it was faster to get off and run around the apex and then the second part of the sand, so that was the plan. Jump off and run the corner and run to the next corner, remount and power. God that hurt. Then there was the pavement. Oof. Right into a headwind.
Draft baby draft. One lap and there were a few gaps opening up. not too bad though. Still pretty tight, hanging in there. Round and round we go. Repeat, it does thin out a bit as expected as gaps grow. I found that on the second lap through the start finish on the pavement I wasn't going 100%, why? I was pretty blown and took an easy spot into the headwind to ride "tempo." Fuck'n stupid that. So I figured I need take my wife's advice and break it down and attack each section and move on to the next one. Take a section at a time. Forget where you've been and what's ahead, only what you are one. Break it down.
So I did.
I broke the course down. Pavement stretch: DRILL IT! Next up to the pit, attack that section up until the downhill off camber by the firestation before the tape maze. Then roll through that power up roll around, high line after the right hander drop down to the bottom of the bowl and accelerate out of the corner. Careful not to go straight like every other year (if i wasn't following someone like Marvin through this section on the first couple laps I seriously would have gone straight into the tape). Then wiggle around the next set of turns carrying as much speed as I could but riding smooth flowing like a creek around the rocks. Then I realized that I could really drill it along that straight and I hadn't been. Hit the turns down there and roll up on the back of people hitting the stairs and then attack the next three sets of straights before the run into the bridge and the sandy dusty woops (where I broke the der). Then the double track, ride that hard to the left, then attack to the right, roll over the log recover around the trees hit it hard to the right hand chicane, recover through there, power into the sand with speed, drop to the little ring and float the front wheel into the sand powering with the rear wheel. Dismount and run the corner and around the next and attack to the pavement, roll easy around that first corner, two hard pedal strokes to the next one and then back on the pavement and just burry the needle in the red up the finishing straight... and repeat.
It felt like forever, came through seeing 3 to go with Lehman yelling his crazy "I am coming for you" in the French dude's accent from Talladega Nights just after the pits when the course folded back in on itself... he's been doing that every race, and honestly after watching the trailer for the movie (i haven't actually seen it) just now, I'd say Steven's accent is way better/funnier.
So things were going well, "I AM COMING FOR YOU" Lehman was just about on my wheel then Soups came through and a gap opened (I hopped on Mark's wheel and drilled it) and then down and up and wrecked the bike.
It was terminal. Bummah. Walked slowly, defeated to the pit. Told the official that was it - race over. 2.5 to go. Lehman was the last guy on the lead lap and Sunday there was no way I was going to let him beat me. NO WAY! Damn it. Not that day. Not on that course. Oh well. Marro was just over a minute behind me, and I was on pace to stay in front of him too! Would have been a great day.
The bike really is pretty awesome. And yes, I know I compared it to a 1997-1998 era bike, but Gary was way ahead of his time with that bike. It might be heavier than the Blue and not a cross bike but that Klein is solid. Goes forward when demanded, absorbs just enough shock. The Giant transmits more stuff than either the Klein or the Blue. Kind of sucks there aren't *real* Kleins anymore. But those who have ridden them understand. That level of absolute precision with the front wheel, the handling, the power, the agility. Great bike.
And honestly i didn't notice the shorter cranks. Probably because my ideal length is really closer to 200mm, and 200-180 or 200-177.5, not really much of a difference. There is a touch of chain ring flex that I wasn't expecting. Seriously SRAM, making a BB30 that has chain ring flex? that's kind of lame. or is it just my massive torque overwhelming it? man i need to transition some of that torque to HP.
The under the tape 10sp shifters worked great. I love that clean look and feeling. Not geeked at how heavy the shifters are but with the heavy ass clincher wheels the bike is just under 20 pounds. Put something even reasonably light for hoops and i can drop a good pound or two, not that it matters in the overall body mass to bike mass ratio.
Self portrait post race... just a bit of dust - if you could see the teeth they were brown with dust too... i need a haircut
heddwch
G
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