I went out for a morning ride here in Redding, headed toward Whiskeytown. Before I got there it started to snow lightly. I rode some singletrack for about 30 minutes, then it started snowing in earnest. So I headed home and was a popsicle by the time I got there. What I'm leading up to is that I'm probably not racing on Sunday, I can freeze my a$$ off right here in Redding!
Current temps in my house are:
Realtime Weather From De Anza College in Cupertino, CA
3/10/06 - 12:02:12 PM CURRENT MIN/MAX HOURLY CHANGE
Temperature 44.4 °F 39.9 / 51.9 °F -4.7 °F
I think we hit the high for the day already. There's snow on all the surrounding hills of the Valley.
Cool racers, hang tough. I think Merlin might convert to full roadie after this race. Bigboulder, bring some hard liquor. Brew ain't gonna warm you up enough.
I went out for a morning ride here . . . Before I got there it started to snow lightly. I rode some singletrack for about 30 minutes, then it started snowing in earnest. So I headed home and was a popsicle by the time I got there . . .
I'm probably not racing on Sunday, I can freeze my a$$ off right here in Redding!
But can you get real muddy & wet with a race number on your bike and suffer in redding??? Come to think if it, I have done that in redding. Come on Ron, I'll buy you all you can eat at In & Out burger after the race!!
I'll buy you all you can eat at In & Out burger after the race!!
That's a great offer and much less expensive than all the beer I can drink after the race If I wimp out at least the trail organization will still benefit since I'm prereg'd. I'll decide tomorrow afternoon when I get the call from my buddy who is preriding the course. How's that for sitting on the fence
If I wimp out at least the trail organization will still benefit since I'm prereg'd. I'll decide tomorrow afternoon when I get the call from my buddy who is preriding the course. How's that for sitting on the fence
Hey man, you have a reputation to keep up. The guy who designed the hardcore MTB race in Whiskeytown is whimping out becasue he does not want to get cold and dirty??? Does'nt look good.
Its snowing in Redding again If I do show up I'll have some free 2005 Lemurian shirts to give away, look me up up, I'll be wearing a sweatshirt, er, better make that a snowsuit with this logo!
Francois, Sunday would be a really good day to test out that beautiful brand new Niner you've got!
Last edited by LemurianGuy; 03-11-2006 at 02:32 PM.
Well I guess all the girlie men can go down and race the TBF race with Gary (AKA F.P)....... since it looks like he is a DNS.
This is, and always will be a hard core race, only the tough come out and do this to themselves. Most everyone has a smile on their face at the end, maybe that's because it's over
It is snowing here in Foresthill, elev. 2800' . If it does snow on the course it will only add to the epic nature. We will have two large forced air propane heaters, don't get too close, I think Lycra is pretty flammable.
Supposed to be clear on Sunday.
Come on Lemurian Guy, I've done your race in the snow and at 105 degress, with what seemed like a 110 degree tail wind, on a tandem nontheless, what's a little cold and water.......... oh, Ice I guess.
The conditions in Cool should be old time Lemurian-like (why do you think Ron moved the Lemurian forward a coupla weeks from the old days...that tax season stuff is just a bluff ).
"...the people get the government they deserve..." suum quique
Come on Lemurian Guy, I've done your race in the snow and at 105 degress, with what seemed like a 110 degree tail wind, on a tandem nontheless, what's a little cold and water.......... oh, Ice I guess.
The run you guys did down the Lemurian Chute on your tandem in the pre-disc brake days is the stuff of legends. Honestly, we were just talking about you guys the other day and wondered what had become of you. Now I know, you've joined the ranks of the evil, sadistic race dictators, I mean directors. Welcome to the club!
We will have two large forced air propane heaters, don't get too close,.
Especially after I down my Endurox after the race, lots of gas
Hey can if I bring one of those BOB trailers can I bring the heaters on the course with me to keep me warm??
wow! when's the last time that happened? It was 19 ought 77 for us here in p hizzle. Got in the yearbook and everything! thanks for the picture...very cool.
You should have a pronunciation guide for your name as well as spelling, everyone thinks it's a French word. "Would you like sauce on that Platte' Sir?"
The temps will keep the beers cold in the car! Gotta think positive here.
FP what's yer story.... ya coming out or not? Hell, If I'm dragging my sorry ass up there for this you have no excuse. Plus you need to give BigBoulder some competition.
geez, this Briones Mafia IS hard core! Good luck to all you guys; I'm gonna swing by on my cruiser in the morning to wish you well. Then it's off to the south for me...can't wait to hear the race stories after....bb
Come on now. Doesn't anybody remember the ice bowl of ' 67? Packers vs Cowboys ? Bart Starr sneaking it in behind Gregg and Kramer for the win. The fans bundled up in the stands, sellout crowd,below zero. Vince Lombardi stalking the sidelines. You single speeders have all the advantage, if I shift out of the middle ring I'm doomed by chainsuck !
I'll be off to Auburn tomorrow to win one for the gipper! Gonna bring the chains for the Exterra just in case.
See ya there, I'll be the only one shivereing on top of a red Bianchi wearing a red white and blue frog jersey.Think I'll bring a long sleeve undershirt just in case.
Hope my water bottle doesn't freeze.
Should we bring some beer ?
Hey what time does my race start ?
Well, the weather hit between 10:30pm and 12:00 last night. It is still out on the ground.
It wasn't up at the Overlook yesterday afternoon, but I bet it is now.
Dan C.
CaptainKana.com
Mountain Biking.....Cheaper than a mistress.
You've gotta be kidding! There was a solid 4" of snow on the ground in Auburn and 6" on the cars. And the forecast was for snow showers until 4:00 pm. Add that to a race course that already is known to be muddy and you've got a recipe for....I dunno what, but I figured I didn't want to play! My pal Steve, who called me yesterday and convinced me to come, agreed. We got home in time for a ss ride in West Redding. It looked like Whiskeytown had a lot of snow, particularly higher up! We took these pics at the snowiest place we found, probably at the 1000 ft level.
You guys missed a great race!!! There was only 5 or 6 inches of snow and 1 - 2 feet of mud! It was awsome!!! Seriously it was a lot of tough fun in a race of historic proportions being the first ever Cool Iditeride. Should have been there, you missed out, And you know who you are.
You guys missed a great race!!! There was only 5 or 6 inches of snow and 1 - 2 feet of mud! It was awsome!!! Seriously it was a lot of tough fun in a race of historic proportions being the first ever Cool Iditeride. Should have been there, you missed out, And you know who you are.
....that is if you did! jk, we're (and we know who we are) truly not worthy......
Of course I did! I didn't wake up at the buttcrack of dawn and drive for like 100 miles to turn around just because of a little snow!
I'm not sure of my time but I know that I didn't finish last in my class. I don't know how many total people were in my class but I know that at least 4 finished after me in Sport 30-39 and at least 20 riders in total finished after me.
My brief summary:
It snowed.
The snow melted on the trail and the many, many bike tires churned the slush and mud into a grease-like paste that made many of the trails slippery.
I fell in a ditch and slid about 20-30 feet in the grease.
I submerged myself in some grease a little later and endoed. My bike then submerged itself and I couldn't unclip one foot so it went into the grease with the bike.
My feet went numb.
The creek water was warmer then the ambient air.
My feet felt like 2 blocks of ice but at least ice is rigid so my legs kept pushing on the ice and the pedals kept going in circles.
Rohloff speedhubs rule!
It snowed some more.
It stopped snowing.
The sun tried very hard to come through the clouds.
I passed some people who would normally kick my ass but they had chain suck.
The sun came through the clouds.
The clouds overtook the sun and it started to drizzle.
I started cramping.
I CX'd the final creek but in trying to jump over the creek, I landed short in the water and my legs tried to cramp solid.
I walked with bent knee and pain to the finish line.
Zon and Dave were there and I started talking to them and got cold.
I went to my truck and changed into dry clothes.
wg finished his race.
BigBoulder and Jilm joined us for beer at my truck then we headed over for the podium ceremonies.
There are no stupid questions but there are A LOT of inquisitive idiots.
Of course I did! I didn't wake up at the buttcrack of dawn and drive for like 100 miles to turn around just because of a little snow!
I'm not sure of my time but I know that I didn't finish last in my class. I don't know how many total people were in my class but I know that at least 4 finished after me in Sport 30-39 and at least 20 riders in total finished after me.
My brief summary:
It snowed.
The snow melted on the trail and the many, many bike tires churned the slush and mud into a grease-like paste that made many of the trails slippery.
I fell in a ditch and slid about 20-30 feet in the grease.
I submerged myself in some grease a little later and endoed. My bike then submerged itself and I couldn't unclip one foot so it went into the grease with the bike.
My feet went numb.
The creek water was warmer then the ambient air.
My feet felt like 2 blocks of ice but at least ice is rigid so my legs kept pushing on the ice and the pedals kept going in circles.
Rohloff speedhubs rule!
It snowed some more.
It stopped snowing.
The sun tried very hard to come through the clouds.
I passed some people who would normally kick my ass but they had chain suck.
The sun came through the clouds.
The clouds overtook the sun and it started to drizzle.
I started cramping.
I CX'd the final creek but in trying to jump over the creek, I landed short in the water and my legs tried to cramp solid.
I walked with bent knee and pain to the finish line.
Zon and Dave were there and I started talking to them and got cold.
I went to my truck and changed into dry clothes.
wg finished his race.
BigBoulder and Jilm joined us for beer at my truck then we headed over for the podium ceremonies.
I thought about driving up to watch the festivities, but didn't think my girls would be too thrilled about it, unless there was an indoor mall somewhere's close by!
Curious to see if this years weather was the "typical" Cool mudfest. Wonder how BB's knee(s) held up? A little whiskey might have done the trick to warm things up over the beer.
I'm a fair-weather rider, so it has always been easy to find something else to do on the weekend of the Cool race. I did sign up this year thinking a SS would make it easier, and given I'd already paid my $$$, I wasn't going to miss it because of a little bad weather.
*Brrrrr*. Snow, mud, cold, more snow, more mud, more cold. Thin poly socks do not make for warm feet, and it was an easy choice to DNF after one lap ... at least I got a chance to watch the hijinx at the mud hole before the finish.
I'm a fair-weather rider, so it has always been easy to find something else to do on the weekend of the Cool race. I did sign up this year thinking a SS would make it easier, and given I'd already paid my $$$, I wasn't going to miss it because of a little bad weather.
*Brrrrr*. Snow, mud, cold, more snow, more mud, more cold. Thin poly socks do not make for warm feet, and it was an easy choice to DNF after one lap ... at least I got a chance to watch the hijinx at the mud hole before the finish.
That was the easy choice.
I quarreled with my inner voices - one telling me "screw it, let's quit after the first lap and go see what bars there are in downtown Cool" and the other telling me "don't be such a wuss and take advantage of the fact that many people quit after the first lap due to mechanical failure." Just then, I experienced the worst brain freeze ever and both voices said "Brrrrr. Damn it's cold."
From somewhere deep within, a third voice said "where all the white wimmen at?" And a fourth started chanting "badger, badger, badger..."
About this time, I made a pitstop by a tree, sucked down a couple of Clif shots, some Sharkies and some water, stretched a bit, told the voices "shut up" and pressed on. Somehow voice number 4 continued on and I decided to let him speak since it beat the hell out of "Come Sail Away" by Styx.
OK, fine. Maybe I'm just tired.
There are no stupid questions but there are A LOT of inquisitive idiots.
I cleared that puppy at full speed both times! Just to the rider's left of that so called bridge. The first time I had no choice since I had no brakes... so let 'er rip down the hill. Blew past a few people (my one moment of glory!) who were trying to pick a line or something. I appreciated the crowd's reaction and encouragement.
The second time, I was outta gas, outta legs and just let the brakes go and hoped for the best. My legs nearly killed me when I asked them to keep going through that slop mud just before the finish. The brain (and ego) wouldn't let me walk my first race finish. Stupid ego.
Rambling review of the event:
Overall one helluva introduction to MTB racing and single speeding. I'm one very tired character now. Those climbs hurt but besides no brakes at times (none, nada, this wheel will continue to turn), the lack of chain suck and other problems I saw made this the right bike.
The first lap was a learning experience. Repeating "Just keep pedaling", "just keep pedaling" (think Dory in "Finding Nemo"). Trying to remember to eat more and keep drinking. I dug those Sharky things from the swag bag.
Ended the first lap on a high note from the water crossing. Just before, I was starting to wonder. So passed the volunteers and am asked "Are you going for the second lap?.
"Yes, sir! May I have another?" Begin round 2.
Second lap, had far fewer riders. Not sure if I was that far back (yep) or people bagged it. There were a few spots I could see quite a bit of the trail ahead and behind but no one.
The way I tinkered my brakes into submission involved dialing the pads in closer (Avid Mechanicals). And Closer. Got some rub that made climbing that much harder but it allowed me to ride the downhills for the most part vs walking them. A few were full speed, hang on and hope. Bailing would of hurt considering all the rocks. (Here's a plug for 29er wheels ease of rolling over stuff). I had only one crash in the marsh single track field. Drifted too close to an edge and lost it into the snow. Cold as heck but a lot better than a mud puddle.
The thought that I kept in my head was to simply finish for me. I wanted to see if I could do this. I did it!
Rolled back to Dan'ger's truck, changed and that first beer was Oh so good!
Thanks again for driving Dan!
Big thanks to the race organizers. Awesome event!
Next year?
Holy!! That doesn't even look like fun. Not even for the spectators.
fc
Oh, how looks can be deceiving!
Jilm mused that this was going to be one of those days we could tell our grandkids about. "...back in our day, we would race mountain bikes in the snow, uphill in both directions and we liked it fine! You kids have it sooooo easy these days!"
There are no stupid questions but there are A LOT of inquisitive idiots.
Hey all. Just wrote this for a group board, but thought it won't clog this space up too bad. Let me know if I'm a space hog. Actually, yes... I'm a space hog:
Man, what a day. We had a blast up in Cool, California this March
12th, 2006.
The forcast called for showers during the day, but we hit snow at
800ft above sea level -- cool is up @ roughly 1600? We gathered
ourselves after parking, excited to get this whole adventure
underway. The snow fell quietly while we drove in. "I've slept
well, eaten good foods, and ridden my bike a fair amount during the
week," I thought while getting prepped. "Now it's time to try this
racing thing out."
We sorted through the confusion and headed towards the registration
table. There I saw Suzie working the table, a familiar looking
woman. Turns out that she'd been a customer of mine at 49er
Chrysler Dodge in Auburn, where I'd worked for 4 months back in
1997. If I were to ever recognize anyone from that period, she'd be
the one. We got our numbers and went back to the cars for one final
prep.
Back near the start line, they grouped us according to age &
experience. Jeff, Mat & I ran in the 30-39 beginners' bracket -- a
field of perhaps 16-20 riders. While getting corraled, the cap from my
Camelback came off, and the 50 ounces of water on my back began to
run down my leg. Bad timing, but I managed to lose only a little
before tying the hose up on my shoulder; problem solved, or so I
thought. After a few group announcements, we were sent on our way
around an unfamiliar 10 mile course of snow, mud, creeks and of
course, horse ****.
Thanks to conversation with my friend & fellow rider, Mike MacDaddy
Kender, I knew to stay clear of "beginners" at the start. I hate
dealing with impatient passers, so I took the rear of the pack,
following with a moderate early pace. Within the first 200 feet, we
were slopping through mud like I've never seen nor stepped foot in.
Bikes were toppling over, and people were already struggling here
and there with the conditions.
After a mile or so, my lungs were in sync with my legs, so I found a
managable cadence. I slowly came up upon a young woman riding
really well through 2-3 feet of brown frigid water, wearing shorts --
short shorts, at that. She squealed while emersing herself in the
depth of the stuff, and came out dripping brown. The sight of her
ability in such attire & in such a situation gave me confidence in
my preparation, and I charged forward, passing her & a few others
while climbing a mild, albeit slick & sloppy, hill.
The race wound up & down several slick, mud & snow-covered rock
slabs, through creeks & streams, along hill tops and down hill
sides. Finding firm ground was the prime objective, and this
constant search yielded few rewarding results. Secondary objective:
just try to stay upright & moving. Aside one deep-mud endo and a
few obstruction dismounts, I managed to pull this off.
This new terrain, with the streams and acres of mud & slop, demanded
constant attention, so I never felt a good opportunity to drink. At
mile five, support booth was handing out cups of blue sports drink
to riders. I grabbed a cup, chugged most of it, handed the cup to
the guy a few feet down, and kept pedaling, coughing a bit while
trying to get my breath. Shortly after, I felt cold water running
down my leg & into my sock; the tube had come off of my shoulder,
and the remainder of my water was gone. "Four miles left..." I
thought, considering the situation. "Would ten ounces of blue stuff
be enough to finish? Hope so." I thought about asking someone for
water, but the pace was quick, and the only guy near me was
jockeying with me, not laughing at my jokes. He didn't seem too
welcoming, so I pushed on, with an extra emphasis on staying smooth,
safe & upright. At mile eight, my side began to ache -- a cramp.
It was there, but it wasn't really bad, and I wasn't too far from
the top of the current climb, so I persisted. I surveyed the coming
terrain, and timed my shifts appropriately, using as little effort
as necessary to move forward.
A few miles later, we mounted a hill top, and I could see the tents,
and soon another creek in our path. This last creek came just 100
feet before the finish line, and marked the last obstacle. I heard
clanking cowbells & people "Wooo"ing the finishing riders as they
navigated this final challenge. The shape of the stream at this
point left many options for crossing, none of which seemed ideal.
Bundled onlookers sat in folding patio chairs, sipping hot drinks &
hooting at those that attempted to ride through. Throughout the
race, they watched people cross successfully, and not so
successfully. I imagine it was great entertainment.
Interested in a strong finish, and moreso in the awaiting cups of
water, I dismounted my bike at a narrow crossing and lept across the
creek, ran up the bank, mounted my bike again, and pedaled across
the finish. Seconds later, I was downing four cups of water &
eating oranges like a Scurvy victim. It was obvious at at the end of the
race that much more could have gone terribly wrong, and that I was
really fortunate with how it all played out.
Nearly 1 hour later, my feet were dry and sensitive again, and the
buzz of a good day outdoors was warming me over. Mat, Jeff & I had
a great time out, both while shooting the **** and pedaling through
it. Three hours or so later, we were buzzing together at the Cool
Cafe diner over some biscuits and gravy.
I'm looking forward to Sea Otter, snow or no snow. Dan, good to see you. WG, nice to meet you.
That's all for now;
time for a tall, cool glass of Cytomax
Pics:
1)Mat looking sh!tty.
2)Jeff looking sh!tt!er.
3)A cool dude who's name I can't remember at the moment, but will receive this shot via email at some point soon. Obviously, he walked out. Love that tube knot job.
4)Someone crossing the creek. If this is you, contact me & I'll email you the original, large size file.
5)Sure, I raced only one lap... It's my first time, and with the hydration issue, I'm really glad to have gone around only once -- and I guess I did it pretty quickly. I posted this because it's my first race, and probably the only time I'll EVER place (2nd in class, btw.)
Please pass carefully...
Last edited by Entrenador; 03-13-2006 at 01:01 AM.
This guy took the "Easy" route.
I got some great shots, My wife even got two shots of the first guy through the puddle. I will add some more after I downsize them.
Man what a day, props to the 260+ racers that went off yesterday. The conditions were beyond " epic" even for Cool Race standards.
A couple of observations:
A) At the racers meeting I asked the classes if anyone wanted to shorten the lap requirements? Overwhelming answer.......... No!
Pro/Expert did 3 laps out there, first lap times were in the 42-43 minute range! It got slower after that!
B) Only ONE person asked for their money back and complained it was too dangerous. We had 30+ people sign up for race day, in the snow mind you!
C) We had crying kids because we cancelled the "Kids Race" man did they want to race in the snow!
D) We had only one injury that required attention, and she was in great spirits afterward. We had 4 hypothermia cases that were all treated at the fire station and were good to go after spending some time inside. I do not want to even guess how many people walked across the finish line.
E) Most everyone was smiling at the end! We had a bunch of folks with that " Thousand Mile Stare" at the end, but once we pointed them off to food and drink they seemed to be alright. I was amazed at the amount of people hanging around bullsh*ting with each other that had not even changed out of their clothes.
Congrats to all who did it, this will be a race that people will remember for the rest of their lives!
Just a couple of shots, I know more are out there........
First rider thru Salt Creek. Quite a few thought this was the "big creek crossing" they had heard about. It was fun seeing the expressions on their face when I told them it was still ahead & 4 times the size! More than one rider had no chain at this point & I know at least finished the race from here on foot!
Muddy riders & a pretty school bus yellow cyclocross bike in the background.
The snow melted on the trail and the many, many bike tires churned the slush and mud into a grease-like paste that made many of the trails slippery.
I fell in a ditch and slid about 20-30 feet in the grease...
You rock. Check you out , persevering in a slushie. I would have been running home with my frozen tail between my legs SO fast.
20 + miles of pure brutality. I am hurting in a lot of places today. Yesterday was a victory for anyone who completed the race. Lap #2 was just a battle of me against myself and the voices in my head telling me I was out of my mind.
The single speed division keeps getting tougher. I raced in the SS 36+. The ten guys who finished in front of me…I never saw them after the first mile and a half….never even got a sniff of them the entire race. I know I am a stronger rider than I was at this time last year when I finished higher at #7. All in all though I take more pride in my performance this year because it was so difficult just to muster up the courage to finish. Wish I had some pics.
Niiice. Had a guy do that right next to me but he "supermanned" it over the bars.
The group was following a path around the trees to avoid the big mystery brown water.... the rider took that as a chance to pass and got about 3 feet in when the front wheet went down, deep, and stopped.
Houston, we have splash down!
What was your number?
I might have a shot of you, or not.
The ss'ers were really kickin ass btw.
Could you see if you have #701 (white [more or less] SS, purple jacket, red backpack)? I (tried to) wheelie it off the wood bridge and made it through the muck without dabbing (thanks to the guy at the top of the hill suggesting the line). The encouragement of the crowd was great.
One of the more spectacular crashes I saw was the guy bombing down the hill with the CHP motorcycle helmet, followed closely by the guy in the Daisey Dukes. I think the guy with the motorcycle helmet hit the bridge but then flew off, while the short-shorts went left into the hole at speed (and over the bars).
Man o Man that guy took some great shots.
I have some of the OTB's, but my favorite pics are of the guys that sailed through, sending up the fantastic spray. I only have a few, this guy has everybody.I am posting (stealing) one of the shots from B. Joder below.
Had a blast ... first race, only three of us in my beginner class (originally signed up for sport--glad I changed).
I left my house through 8 inches of snow (Nevada City) and 27° (and I have a sinus cold/sore throat), 30 mph on Hwy 49 until Chevy's in Auburn, parked about 1/2 mile from the starting line, got my packet, looked around for familiar faces--saw no one, made friends with the other two in my class and off we went.
The first mud hole turn was silly with all the beginners (they had us all leave at once--and, I downgraded so I only had to do one lap) and I tried pushing through to escape the three young lumberjacks wearing Daisey Dukes (you had to be there but don't call them "cowboys") but was dumped into the puddle by one of the herd.
I got through the first 6 miles fairly easily, although I had no pride problems getting off through the rivers/streams. I was pretty impressed that I went through the mud so easily and the mud was more watery than sticky (at least at this point).
Cruising along, I was hanging with a guy from Marin (Woodacre, to be precise) and we had a good thing going ... until, my chain slipped off for the FOURTH time (new chain, BTW). But, this time it wasn't a slip--IT BROKE. Woodacre said he'd see me at the finish and I started my hike to the finish line. It wasn't beautiful, but I crossed the finish line. No DNF for my first race. Just don't check my time.
The two terrible parts of my adventure: I missed out riding the fun of crossing the finish line on my bike (and the swamp just prior) & I have two horrible blisters from my wet socks and 4 mile stroll.
The two great parts of my adventure: I made it to Cool/decided to ride & I made it through the finish line (can't wait to see my time).
Thanks to Dan (the camper parked in front of me) who encouraged me to race since I was already present. And, thanks to those who lapped me as I was walking and yelled out encouragement. No thanks to those who I cheered on and snubbed me. You didn't realize that I had a broken chain around my neck that could have easily tripped you up--just kidding that was the voice of my blisters.
A few other shouts out to: my neoprene booties and my Fox Thermal Paws. I swear, I didn't feel the cold (but then, I like the cold).
Oh, and I was pretty concerned about tires prior to the race but I ended up using my stock 2.1 and had no problems (now the chain is another story ...).
There, I got out my virgin post. Now back to lurking.
Had a blast ... first race, only three of us in my beginner class (originally signed up for sport--glad I changed).
I left my house through 8 inches of snow (Nevada City) and 27° (and I have a sinus cold/sore throat), 30 mph on Hwy 49 until Chevy's in Auburn, parked about 1/2 mile from the starting line, got my packet, looked around for familiar faces--saw no one, made friends with the other two in my class and off we went.
The first mud hole turn was silly with all the beginners (they had us all leave at once--and, I downgraded so I only had to do one lap) and I tried pushing through to escape the three young lumberjacks wearing Daisey Dukes (you had to be there but don't call them "cowboys") but was dumped into the puddle by one of the herd.
I got through the first 6 miles fairly easily, although I had no pride problems getting off through the rivers/streams. I was pretty impressed that I went through the mud so easily and the mud was more watery than sticky (at least at this point).
Cruising along, I was hanging with a guy from Marin (Woodacre, to be precise) and we had a good thing going ... until, my chain slipped off for the FOURTH time (new chain, BTW). But, this time it wasn't a slip--IT BROKE. Woodacre said he'd see me at the finish and I started my hike to the finish line. It wasn't beautiful, but I crossed the finish line. No DNF for my first race. Just don't check my time.
The two terrible parts of my adventure: I missed out riding the fun of crossing the finish line on my bike (and the swamp just prior) & I have two horrible blisters from my wet socks and 4 mile stroll.
The two great parts of my adventure: I made it to Cool/decided to ride & I made it through the finish line (can't wait to see my time).
Thanks to Dan (the camper parked in front of me) who encouraged me to race since I was already present. And, thanks to those who lapped me as I was walking and yelled out encouragement. No thanks to those who I cheered on and snubbed me. You didn't realize that I had a broken chain around my neck that could have easily tripped you up--just kidding that was the voice of my blisters.
A few other shouts out to: my neoprene booties and my Fox Thermal Paws. I swear, I didn't feel the cold (but then, I like the cold).
Oh, and I was pretty concerned about tires prior to the race but I ended up using my stock 2.1 and had no problems (now the chain is another story ...).
There, I got out my virgin post. Now back to lurking.
This guy took the "Easy" route.
I got some great shots, My wife even got two shots of the first guy through the puddle. I will add some more after I downsize them.
When I first saw this photo, I was so sure that it was me that I started to have a flashback of hitting the icy mud. But after about 2 minutes of examining the photo, I think this is actually someone else -- I had a blue coat on, but I had blue fox downhills shorts on.
It's nice to know that I was not the only one that took a epic digger on that "puddle" crossing
As soon as I looked out my living room window Saturday morning and saw Eldorado Hills blanketed with the white stuff I knew it was going to be a long day. My first thought was to check email and see if the race had been canceled,, no such luck. Well, paid my 40$ and I'm such a tight wad I'm going to get every nickels worth out of it. So off to Cool I go.
As I'm driving up Salmon Falls road and the snow is starting to accumulate on the road pretty good I begin to hope just a little bit that maybe they will postpone the ride until next weekend. No such luck, the race attendants were there in force eagerly directing traffic into the parking area with evil grins on their faces. Did they know something I didn't?
A quick trip to the registration tent and then gearing up for the ride started to get the competitive juices flowing and I was ready. Damn it was cold! Add the chill factor of riding and it was well below freezing. "We have to go on,, we must go on.." -A1.
The ride was a real bear with the mud so thick and pervasive that all I could think about was the damage it was doing to the drive train and the potential for endows. Racers littered the sides of the trail like beer cans at a Clamper gathering with every mechanical know to man. Slide outs and endoes were occurring at a blistering pace all around. It was going to be an interesting 10 miles. No mechanicals to speak of but I did wear out a new set of break pads which finnaly petered out riding back to the car.
Well I managed to keep the shiny side up with only a couple of close calls and finish first in the novice "old farts" class coming in 5th overall in novice. I know, time to move up to sport.
Key learning’s from the Cool ride:
Fenders are essential. They may look dorky to those covered with mud from head to toe but I dont give a rip.
Get way back behind the saddle when approaching what looks like an ordinary puddle, its really a 3 foot deep hole in disguise waiting to suck you in and spit you out.
Try not to smile unless you like to eat a mud and horse manure mixture while ripping down the "trail".
One last thing ,, fenders, get 'em.
Trying to warm up
Pro start
From left to right:
George, out at mile 2 with Mechanical
Dave who is still kicking himself in the a$$ for not riding
Zon , with a permanent grin of joy and pain
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Originally Posted by Finch Platte
It "snowed" here today.
