This Morning I did the Channel Three MTB Challenge in Andover, CT,
I was racing in Begginer Old Farts ( 40 - 49 ) there are 6 in Our class. ( and the prises and points are 10 deep ) Well The race is 2 Laps. the course is in Awesome Shape , lots of fun . I am Riding my Hard Tail , Because my FSR is in the shop with a bent drop out, that is OK, for a course like this the hardtail is better any way. we take off and I start off slow ( which was a mistake , letting #4 in front of me ) , in the 5th Position, I quickly catch and Pass the guy in front of me and I'm closing the gap . We hit the first climb and #3 has nothing so I Pass him. We hit the next climb WHich is a little longer and steeper and I am just about to passs the guy in front of me , and I down shift one gear ! and BAM ! I snapped my Chain. OK I grab My multi-tool out of my seat pack, and try to break the chain but the lever only spins , it won't engage. , No problem , I have another chain Tool in my Camel Back, I have 2 with Me because My camel back is where I carry my Tools with My Full suspention, But on my Hard tail I carry them in a seat bag. So OK broken link off of chain , now grab my speed link out of my Camel Back. put it on. It won't fit ! I fight with it but I can't get it to lock. then I remeber that Speed link is for mt Full suspention , which is a 9 speed , my Hardtail is a 7 speed, it won't fit. OK , so Chail Tool time again. I am putting chain BAck to gether and as I am PUshing in the rivit, it is about %95 of the way in when MY chain Tool Snaps! Well the chain is together and I am Not going to mess with it any More I have loost tooo much time! ( about 15 Minutes ) and Every one in the feild has passed me by this time. Well I can tell the chain is not happy , so I spin everything and run anything that takes high torque and Shifter very gingerly. well the chain Held and I caught and passed 8 of the people who had passed me. I finished 6th in my class , But I did not get a DNF. and then I discoverd after I finished the Guy in my class who finished just in front of me was by only 30 seconds.
Oh well It was fun and a great Learning experience. Make sure you have the right tools with you!
And I have not even looked at the pictures I took, I'll Post those later.
I was racing in Begginer Old Farts ( 40 - 49 ) there are 6 in Our class. ( and the prises and points are 10 deep ) Well The race is 2 Laps. the course is in Awesome Shape , lots of fun . I am Riding my Hard Tail , Because my FSR is in the shop with a bent drop out, that is OK, for a course like this the hardtail is better any way. we take off and I start off slow ( which was a mistake , letting #4 in front of me ) , in the 5th Position, I quickly catch and Pass the guy in front of me and I'm closing the gap . We hit the first climb and #3 has nothing so I Pass him. We hit the next climb WHich is a little longer and steeper and I am just about to passs the guy in front of me , and I down shift one gear ! and BAM ! I snapped my Chain. OK I grab My multi-tool out of my seat pack, and try to break the chain but the lever only spins , it won't engage. , No problem , I have another chain Tool in my Camel Back, I have 2 with Me because My camel back is where I carry my Tools with My Full suspention, But on my Hard tail I carry them in a seat bag. So OK broken link off of chain , now grab my speed link out of my Camel Back. put it on. It won't fit ! I fight with it but I can't get it to lock. then I remeber that Speed link is for mt Full suspention , which is a 9 speed , my Hardtail is a 7 speed, it won't fit. OK , so Chail Tool time again. I am putting chain BAck to gether and as I am PUshing in the rivit, it is about %95 of the way in when MY chain Tool Snaps! Well the chain is together and I am Not going to mess with it any More I have loost tooo much time! ( about 15 Minutes ) and Every one in the feild has passed me by this time. Well I can tell the chain is not happy , so I spin everything and run anything that takes high torque and Shifter very gingerly. well the chain Held and I caught and passed 8 of the people who had passed me. I finished 6th in my class , But I did not get a DNF. and then I discoverd after I finished the Guy in my class who finished just in front of me was by only 30 seconds.
Oh well It was fun and a great Learning experience. Make sure you have the right tools with you!
And I have not even looked at the pictures I took, I'll Post those later.
