|   First Race Report | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 5:18 AM | | First Race 7/14/02
After talking about it for the past few months, I finally entered my first XC race, the Bulldog Rump at Kittatinny State Park in Andover, NJ.
Perfect conditions, really. A slightly overcast sky with temperatures in the low seventies and very dry so mud would not be a factor.
I prepped the bike, lubed the chain, aired up the tires and was all set for the 9 am start on Sunday. Turbo and I arrived around 7:45 am and were one of the earliest cars in the lot. I always heard you should arrive early so I did and I wanted the chance to pre-ride the course. I'd ridden Kittatinny before and was familiar with it but there were plenty of places the race could be run. After registering, I rode most of what would be the first lap and found that it ran over familiar terrain. Nothing difficult and many places to pass and get passed.
As always, I enjoyed looking at the bikes that were there. It seemed like lots of people took advantage of the GT fire sale to build up so very light Zaskar hardtails. Not many full suspension bikes were in evidence and they were not really necessary for this course.
Anyway, 9 am came around soon enough and I lined up with the other beginners. I met a fellow Passion poster named Lou on his Rocky Mountain Oxygen. We talked a little and he said this was also his first race. In the beginner category, it turned out there were very few people who had never raced before.
We were sent out by age category. As there was only one other racer in the Master IV Beginner class (males 50 +) we were grouped with a much younger crowd. Soon enough the race started for me. I passed my fellow 50+ rider which seemed to wake him up because he then passed me and disappeared. This stage of the race was through a field and I soon passed a couple of younger competitors, much to my surprise. We followed a fairly open trial for a while and I was able to pass a few more people but never did see that other 50 + rider again (Sandbagger?).
When we entered the trees the group spread out. I shifted for a hill and experienced my first case of chain shuck but recovered and continued. Surprisingly, no was passing me yet and I was feeling very good. Winding through singletrack, I stayed on the rider in front of me. When we hit some double track again, about four of us were in a tight group. Just as we were about to enter the woods, I passed two more people knowing that there would be nowhere else to pass for a while. We rounded a blind corner I was familiar with that had a short steep climb following. Knowing what was coming, I was in the right gear and passed the person in front of me who lost all momentum and was off his bike. At the top of the hill the trail leveled out again and picked up speed. Shortly there after someone yelled "on your left" and attempted to pass but seemed to lose interest and said, "never mind."
It continued like this for the rest of the first lap. I eventually was passed by a few people but was able to pass them in turn so by now I figure I had passed about 10 people from the younger age groups who had started before me and was feeling very good.
Turning for the finish and the end of lap one, I downshifted and again experienced chain suck. I had to dismount and free it before I could continue but at least it did not cost me any places. I took off hard knowing Turbo was set up with her camera waiting.
Suddenly I was spinning madly and getting nowhere. Looking behind I saw my chain lying in the trail like a malevolent metal snake. Shoot! Tires I can change but chains are a different story all together. I picked it up and ran across the finish line (not really the finish as there was another lap to go) Turbo snapping pictures all the time. There was room to work here so I put on my glasses and got out my chain tool. I fumbled with the chain finally getting the bent links off but try as I would; there was no way I could get it back together.
That was it. The quick end of my first race. DNF! Well, I will never blame my equipment for my failures. The chain was long overdue for replacement and it was my bad luck to have put it off one ride too long.
Overall, my experience in my first race was really, really great. I'm looking forward to my next race in September. I hope to finish the next four in the Jersey Points series and do all eight next year. The IF hardtail was an excellent choice as were the Python tires. No qualms with my equipment nor with myself, really.
I did not puke, contrary to many predictions, was feeling strong and fast when I dropped out and know I could have continued and beaten many much younger racers. That was the real test. Finishing second in my age group with only one other competitor would not have been much of an accomplishment. I followed Chips advice to pick out someone to beat and continued to pick off people one by one. I was surprised that I could ride technical trails better then so many others and that I was able to gain there and knowing the course was a real advantage.
In the end what really counts was that "it was fun!" |
| Nice! | Jed
Jul 15, 2002 5:25 AM | | This brings back memories! I raced for about 5 years, but havent done one in awhile. One of the things you'll discover, especially if you stay in beginner class for awhile, is that some of the beginners are ringers. You will often see beginner class winners that would have won sport class, or atleast finished near the top. I switched to Sport Class after winning my second beginner class race, but it seems alot of racers just want trophies, so they stick around for awhile.
Have fun! |
| Good Job Rev! | Steve-O
Jul 15, 2002 6:00 AM | | Glad to see you fulfilled another goal of racing this year! Looking forward to future reports!
Steve-O (spent most of yesterday on a road bike not really thinking about upcoming races) |
| Power link! | cleatgrrl
Jul 15, 2002 6:07 AM | | Always carry a spare. Sorry about your mechanical, but thanks for the report. Good work, keep em coming. |
| didn't you know Rev, mechanicals wait til race day, | ol-crank
Jul 15, 2002 6:37 AM | | congrats on your baptism, you're hooked now. Nothing like a race to test both rider and rig, so what held together and was ok on just a ride, seems to break on race day. I bet most of us have carried, dragged, pushed our bikes for that last bit once or twice. But I bet you were smiling. When is your next race?
bob |
| Next race is in September. Can't wait!............nm | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 6:48 AM | | nm |
| That sucks....... | celly
Jul 15, 2002 6:45 AM | | Bummer about the chain. Score yourself a chain tool and practice on the old chain. It's a very important trailside skill to have, especially when miles from anywhere. Someone said a Powerlink is a great idea as well. Agreed if you're using SRAM. In any event, it's a good idea to know how to break a chain and put it back together no matter what the brand.
Good luck in your next race. |
| I had the chain tool, not the skill to use it correctly..... | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 6:47 AM | | I got the chain apart easily enough but never could get the pin back in. My lack of skill, nothing else to say. I will be practicing. Now, a flat I could have fixed in under a minute.. |
| Every tool I carry...... | celly
Jul 15, 2002 6:52 AM | | I carry because I had to learn to hard way at one point or another. We just get too far away from the trailhead with fairly low odds of seeing anyone for hours to not bring in the tools you'll need. I developed some good trail karma once when I had not only the tool, but some old links as well. Helped out some dude on the trail who had no idea how we was going to get back to his car after he busted his chain. Walking 10 miles just didn't appeal to him. Do you blame him? |
| Congratulations | AK Ken
Jul 15, 2002 6:59 AM | | And on behalf of old guys everywhere, thanks for representing us so well.
When you say "couldn't get the pin back in", does that mean you pushed the pin completely out?
You've brought to my attention the potential need for a pair of reading glasses in the toolkit. Thanks. I think.
Ken |
| There's a scary thought... Bifocal sport glasses... Vertigo..NM | Battman42
Jul 15, 2002 7:03 AM | | |
| yep scary, I wear bifocal sunglasses, and they work ok, and | ol-crank
Jul 15, 2002 7:46 AM | | when you need to keep your head up but look down right in front, you roll your eyes, it still can be tricky. I have contacts but can't seem to get used to them.
bob |
| The imminent need for bifocals motivated me to get LASIK | AK Ken
Jul 15, 2002 8:01 AM | | so that I at least wouldn't have to wear glasses most of the time. What a treat to ride, ski, drive, and everything else without glasses. No fog, no fuss.
And for the up close stuff, a pair of nine dollar magnifiers is all that's required. Keep a pair in every car, every bathroom, lunchbox, et cetera.
Ken |
| Deathly affraid of lasers in the eye........... | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 8:05 AM | | One mistake and I fry the eye says the risk aversion one in my head. |
| I do have prescription sport glasses | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 8:04 AM | | Just got a pair of Ray Bans with a yellow lens but I tend to ride without glasses if I can as sweat gets all over them.
Just one of things you learn to live with when you get older. |
| I have Astigmatism that is now treatable by Lasik..... | Battman42
Jul 15, 2002 8:12 AM | | still waiting on Ver 3.0 as my aversion is similar.
The eye Doc is going to help me with sport glasses this year.
Tim |
| Yes, all the way out. My major mistake I later found out. | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 7:27 AM | | I knew how to use the tool too well. I now realized I should not have pushed the pin all the way out. A lesson I will not soon forget and I will be practicing on the old chain.
Darn, why couldn't I have just gotten my usual flat. |
| don't press the pin all the way out... | Ðave in KC
Jul 15, 2002 7:23 AM | | They are a pain to put the pin back in. Leave the pin in one of the outer links....just enough to get the inner link to come out.
Great job on the race. Steel hardtails rule.
Dave in KC |
| I know that now and yes, steel hardtails do rule.... | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 7:28 AM | | For me at least on that course. |
| Nice to meet you Rev | Big Jelly
Jul 15, 2002 6:53 AM | | Nice write-up. Sorry to hear about your chain issue. Just one of those things that you can't totally plan for w/o a pit crew to lend a hand. Based on my personal "1st time" experience yesterday, I'm sure that you had a great time nonetheless.
The rain started somewhere during my second lap. I actually welcomed it at first, since the canopy seemed to break the droplets into a fine, cooling mist. A little further in, as the rain started to pick up, some of the sections started to get a little slick. I got through the climbs OK, but did feel the rear wheel slip a bit. I imagine that the later start groups had it a little tougher, as the course was now wet & beat up by the early stage racers.
I met my own personal goals: I had a blast, didn't finish last, & didn't puke (although I had a close call after going inside the port-o-san to change).
I was planning on sticking around to see the final results until I saw that my wife, who took the hour drive with the kids to meet up with me, was looking under the weather. She's the real trooper. I was out having fun while she was fighting off fatigue & a bad head cold in the cold drizzle. After about 20 minutes, I elected to pack up & go, since the race sponsors said that there were still beginners on the course & results wouldn't be available for quite a while.
I'll definitely do this again, now that I know what technical skills I need to brush up on, i.e. opening gel packets on the fly (when I got back to the car, I notice that the "litter leash" is completely gone - hmmmm, did I eat it?) and replacing the bottle in the cage while riding.
With the small frame, the front triangle of the Rocky is tight, so I have to put the bottle cage under the downtube. The first two squirts are always gritty, and I risk contacting the front tire every time I reach down to drink. On the second lap, as I'm replacing the bottle down under, I hear the rvvvvvvvvv. . . bing! The bottle launches off one of the knobs, out of my hands into the brush. Had to dismount, retrieve the bottle and get back on the course. Oh well, I don't think any more than 3 riders passed me while I was stopped (ugh). At least my wife got a good laugh out of the story. It was good to see her smile through the sinus headache. |
| Glad to hear you did well. | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 7:25 AM | | It was fun and I'm looking forward to Ringwood in September. I may use my FS for that but I'm not sure. The rain started coming down as I was fumbling with the chain fogging up my already cloudy glasses.
Whatever, it was worth the effort. |
| Great report.... and starting at Yr age..... | Battman42
Jul 15, 2002 7:01 AM | | guess that gives me another 4 years to give racing a go...
I hope to be back on the bike for a short one on the county road with my brother today.....
Tim(back on the meds) |
| Way to go! | mugg
Jul 15, 2002 8:21 AM | | Glad to hear you had a great time racing. Thanks for the excellent write up. |
| Congrats, that sux, and... | Fat-tire
Jul 15, 2002 8:47 AM | | there is always next race.
Glad you had fun, because that's what it all boils down to.
(P.S. Glad you didn't puke.) |
| That's great that you had so much fun... | free-agent
Jul 15, 2002 9:09 AM | | at your first race even though you DNF'ed. IMO-most people get way too upset about DNF's and need to lighten up and take it like you did.
I had a tough one yesterday too (I posted a recap in Riding and Training techniques). My day basically boiled down to 2 flats, a crash, and got stung by a ground wasp. It was tough but I finished and was even humorous about it in the end. |
| I had to laugh it off, really. | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 9:20 AM | | It was my fault I could not fix the chain, no one elses so what could I do. The timing was great. There I was about to sprint for the camera and I'm pedaling air.
If I had been dead last and beat, I would have felt much worse as I would have known I was not ready to race but I wasn't.
My initial goal was just to finish, then it changed to not embarassing myself and in the end, before the DNF, it was to see how many younger riders I could beat. That was quite a mental change for this once fat old man. My muscles still think I weigh 239 lbs so they don't even know I'm going faster these days. I'm not going to tell them. |
| Nice..more races soon?? nm | free-agent
Jul 15, 2002 11:59 AM | | nm |
| Next will be early September at Ringwood SP...........nm | Rev Bubba
Jul 15, 2002 12:07 PM | | nm |
| darn chains! ;0) | Roger
Jul 15, 2002 9:43 AM | | great write up, what an inspiration you are, dropping so much weight, out there racing. Good stuff, reall good stuff. Keep it up young man! |
| kewl, Rev... | JimC.
Jul 15, 2002 10:22 AM | | fun? great, nice write up, and nice riding! Jim |
| Good job ! | JimW
Jul 15, 2002 12:04 PM | | Glad to hear you had fun despite the DNF.
Chains can be a bear to get back together. Some times (if the planets align correctly)I can get mine back together in a minute or so, other times it seems to take forever and usually pops in place just as I mentally decide to throw the bike into the woods and walk out.
Jim |
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