Quantcast

Monkey in a cave.

  • Come enter the Ridemonkey Secret Santa!

    We're kicking off the 2024 Secret Santa! Exchange gifts with other monkeys - from beer and snacks, to bike gear, to custom machined holiday decorations and tools by our more talented members, there's something for everyone.

    Click here for details and to learn how to participate.

stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
Well I did it... I entered an XC mtn bike race.
I have absolutely no idea why I did it. Competition has never been the reason I mountain biked.
Going into the race I heard the course was pretty tough and unforgiving which it ended up being. I wasn't there to see how fast I could do it, just that I could do it. I still don't know how long it took me.

Anyway here are a couple shotty pics from my digi video recorder. The first one is me riding thru the cave and the 2nd is me on the starting line.



 
A

ACDC

Guest
Just 4 of you raced ?

Looks like the wind was behind you;you mean you didn't get a holeshot ! Bet that guy on the brown bike with a grin on his face took off.eh !

XC is fun.
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
I dont' know how well I did. About 1/2 of the way in I hit my pace after most of my 6 person group dropped me. Then about 3/4 of the way thru some how I bent a link in my chain about 45 degrees out of square which further slowed me down as my chain kept missing.

When I got home my rear tire was dead flat... I'm not sure when the happened.

The course was really wet, and it doesn't drain well. It was super rocky but nothing that I wasn't able to handle but when mixed with the wet organic dirt it made for slippery times. There was a lot of up and down climbing and then descending. I rode my HT and my lower back was F'ing killing me from all the rocks.

All in all it was a great experience, it took me about 1mile before I could catch my breath, I was so nervous standing at the starting gate. I would love to do the HtoH race at Stewart.
 
dogwonder

dogwonder

Nitro
May 3, 2005
1,849
0
Walking the Earth
stosh said:
I dont' know how well I did. About 1/2 of the way in I hit my pace after most of my 6 person group dropped me. Then about 3/4 of the way thru some how I bent a link in my chain about 45 degrees out of square which further slowed me down as my chain kept missing.

When I got home my rear tire was dead flat... I'm not sure when the happened.

The course was really wet, and it doesn't drain well. It was super rocky but nothing that I wasn't able to handle but when mixed with the wet organic dirt it made for slippery times. There was a lot of up and down climbing and then descending. I rode my HT and my lower back was F'ing killing me from all the rocks.

All in all it was a great experience, it took me about 1mile before I could catch my breath, I was so nervous standing at the starting gate. I would love to do the HtoH race at Stewart.
Click to expand...
I had a similar experience at K-mart last year (Beauty and the Beast). I had never done XC before and rode my Yeti trail bike (all 32ish lbs of it). It took me about 1 hour 45 and I was wiped out at the end. I'm no endurance racer and only did it because my stupid older brother talked me into it...

Of course when I do Downhill races, I never finish without crashing at least once...
 
bluebug32

bluebug32

Asshat
Jan 14, 2005
6,141
0
Floating down the Hudson
Sounds awesome, Stosh! We went up to watch the experts/semi-pros. Don't feel bad; they were slipping all around too! Just standing around we saw 1 woman endo down a hill, a couple people smash into trees and lots of people (over 40 when we left) who DNF. I talked to the guy who created the race and he said it definitely wasn't for beginners, so I'm so glad you gave it a try and finished!

We'll see you at Stewart...
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
bluebug32 said:
Sounds awesome, Stosh! We went up to watch the experts/semi-pros. Don't feel bad; they were slipping all around too! Just standing around we saw 1 woman endo down a hill, a couple people smash into trees and lots of people (over 40 when we left) who DNF. I talked to the guy who created the race and he said it definitely wasn't for beginners, so I'm so glad you gave it a try and finished!

We'll see you at Stewart...
Click to expand...
The Experts got wacked with rain though. I did feel good in my tech skills though.
I couldnt' have imagined doing 3 laps there.
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
bluebug32 said:
why didn't you ride your Ironhorse?
Click to expand...
I can climb way better and the beginner lap was only 5.5 miles. Overall I can ride my HT much faster when you account for the climbing and descending together. Although the short wheel base of the MKIII may have been better on the tight course. Either way is was probably a wash and I may never know which bike would have been better.
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
ACDC said:
What is organic dirt ?
Click to expand...
Well basically speaking you have soil which is just crushed stones with minimal nutritinal value to plants, then you have organic soil which is decomposing plants and such.
 
MMcG

MMcG

Ride till you puke!
Dec 10, 2002
15,457
12
Burlington, Connecticut
Nice job Stosh.

My first XC race I got a DNF when my rear derailleur sheared off my Belair about 500 yards into the race. This was my first pre 24 Hours race.

Not sure if that type of racing is for me - I like the team endurance events though.

Way to represent with the black and green jersey! :thumb:
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
MMcG said:
Nice job Stosh.

My first XC race I got a DNF when my rear derailleur sheared off my Belair about 500 yards into the race. This was my first pre 24 Hours race.

Not sure if that type of racing is for me - I like the team endurance events though.

Way to represent with the black and green jersey! :thumb:
Click to expand...
Yeah I almost didn't finish but somehow my chain hung in there.
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
robdamanii said:
No chain tool?

Results posted yet? Congrats on the finish, btw. I was pumping gas while Beth was talking to you yesterday.
Click to expand...
I had a chain tool, I didn't realise my chain was bent till I finished. I thought it was something with the rear der. I didn't want to stop and fix it.

No results... why did you just tell me you were pumping gas?
 
robdamanii

robdamanii

OMG! <3 Tom Brady!
May 2, 2005
10,677
0
Out of my mind, back in a moment.
stosh said:
I had a chain tool, I didn't realise my chain was bent till I finished. I thought it was something with the rear der. I didn't want to stop and fix it.

No results... why did you just tell me you were pumping gas?
Click to expand...
Ahh, gotcha.

I saw a lot of people "stop". Not necessarily under their own controlled power?
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
robdamanii said:
Ahh, gotcha.

I saw a lot of people "stop". Not necessarily under their own controlled power?
Click to expand...
The course was brutal on bikes. I was happy to see the Steel HT I built make it though.
 
robdamanii

robdamanii

OMG! <3 Tom Brady!
May 2, 2005
10,677
0
Out of my mind, back in a moment.
stosh said:
The course was brutal on bikes. I was happy to see the Steel HT I built make it though.
Click to expand...
The track designer was saying that everything was rideable until the rain. After the rain, there were some parts that were "not just tricky, but almost unrideable".

And 40+ DNFs was huge. Lots of people were dropping out, left and right. Rough track.
 
narlus

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
65
behind the viewfinder
you have a picture of the chain? I'm having a hard time visualizing the problem of a 45 deg bend.

was the entrance to that cave part down the rocky chute which is in the background?

nice one on the race.
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
narlus said:
you have a picture of the chain? I'm having a hard time visualizing the problem of a 45 deg bend.

was the entrance to that cave part down the rocky chute which is in the background?

nice one on the race.
Click to expand...
Sorry I don't have a pic of the chain. I'll take one this week when I replace it.

The shute in the background wasn't the one I entered in but it was similar.
 
Skookum

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
Congrats on having a good time. Next time have the jawa's there to sneakily sabotage the other racers and you should be able to podium easily.:cool:
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
Skookum said:
Congrats on having a good time. Next time have the jawa's there to sneakily sabotage the other racers and you should be able to podium easily.:cool:
Click to expand...
Aubrey was my Jawa for this race! She just ran the video recorder.
 
stosh

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,248
408
NY
MancilG said:
I know what you mean about Competition. I just enjoy going and riding the different trails that the races take place on.
Click to expand...
yep totally!!!

This race takes place on a private trail that can only be ridden this one time a year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom