No Luck

The single speed race at cross nationals did not go too well today. First, the lottery method of call up put me towards the back of the pack at the start. I basically started in the position I would have had with the registration method of being called up, so no loss there really. Things went a little better for me during the first lap and half as I was able to avoid a magnitude of crashes and work my way into the top 30 riders. But, then, my luck turned bad again when I crashed hard on an icy off camber section of the course. The crash caused my right brake lever to completely crack off my handlebars, leaving me with only one brake and no lever hood to grasp for steering control. With no single speed pit bike and being too far from the pit to beg for another bike, I made the choice to pull out of the race and save my legs for the next day.

My luck did change for the better again when after my crash I went over to the SRAM Tech Tent and was set-up with a new right brake/shift lever. I use SRAM stuff on my bike because it is light and shifts incredibly, but the customer service they give is second to none. Thanks for the help SRAM.

Well, I am resting up now for the big race tomorrow after hanging out at the course and watching a lot of great cross action all day. In addition to getting some rest, I should probably keep my fingers crossed tonight for some better luck, too.

The temperature went high enough late today to melt a lot of the snow and ice off the course. This will probably turn the course into a sheet of ice for the early races tomorrow, since the temperature is going down to 20 degrees tonight. No snow fell today, but it is possible for tonight. My race tomorrow is at 9:30 AM, so it should be pretty sketchy and interesting.

More updates to come tomorrow. Happy Trails, Gerry