Fun on a Stick

BASP #2 - Candlestick Park
A Race, 5th Place
Teammates: Aron, Rich (SS), Brett (SS), Brian, Matthias (SS), I missed someone...


Photo courtesy of Tim Brennan

I felt like a bike racer again today...

Another freakin' scorcher out there and no place to hide at Candlestick Point Park. The Pilarcitos crew laid out a dandy of a course - I swear the Stick just keeps getting better and better and it seems a lot of people share that sentiment. Lots of pavement, good fast dry grass sections, some good bumps, and some tricky corners and re-mounts.

Big Boys Justin Robinson and Josh Snead were on-hand along the with the rest of the boys from the Hellyer race, including Mark Noble, who decided some overall booty might be worth the drive up from So Cal - oh and he brought junior along (Chance Noble). Hernando was conspicuously absent from the front of the race today...think he had a few woes. Gun goes off and got another excellent start and slide in behind Josh (or maybe it was Hooptie) for the first sections. After a lap or so we already had the first selection: Justin, Josh, Mark, Chance, and me. The five of us stayed together for a few laps, and nobody pulled very hard on the paved sections and we even waited up a bit for Chance to catch back on after a bike change. Anyhow there were a few times I was on the rivet especially when Justin would get on front thru the technical stuff. At about 6 to go Justin came to the front after the Finish area and I knew the game was on. He nailed it onto the paved sidewalk and was off. I tried to up the tempo but wasn't ready to bury myself to bring him back. After that we were ALL on the rivet and mistakes started coming fast and furious. Josh tried to bridge and crashed, Mark came by and crashed in front of Josh, I had some dabs and got a little sloppy. Next Lap Josh picks it up and we're putting some time into Mark and Chance, and it seemed Josh and I would be duking it out for 2nd...

...then the wheels fell off...

...well actually it was my saddle. It started moving around just after the finish with about 4 to go. I saw Evan and called ahead and he had my bike ready at the Bianchi Barricades (thx Evan), but I still had to get there and I lost Josh while riding gingerly on my saddle as it moved all over the place. Finally just before the barricades it fell off.

someone yelled "you lost yer saddle"...duh

I should have ridden my B bike for a test lap (usually do). Way too much air pressure and the gears were a little messy. Get on it and immediately screw up the big run-up (almost taking out a photographer in the process...sorry). My chain is dropped but it's on the 3rd Eye so I remount and stand on it and the chain jams in the back. I get off and mess with it and it takes way too long as Mark Noble flies by. I clear my head and fix the problem but now Mark is a good 15 seconds up on me. That whole ordeal really messed me up and now I was way back in 4th and starting to lose the mental race - I felt really slow on the B bike and really sketchy in the corners. Also started to get a little woozy from the temperature. Anyhow, a fresh face caught me with 2 to go - Brian Astell (some XTerra stud from Mendocino). He started killing it and I was pretty much a mental mess at that point...all the fight was gone and I was getting the chills (I got one tiny swig of H20 the whole race - thx Larry). Brian gets away and I roll in for 5th.

I'm a bit bummed because I thought I was gonna get some payback on Mark after the Hellyer beating...oh well, that's racing.

It seems like everyone at the pit came up to me and gave me sh*t for riding an American Classic single-bolt seatpost, and in retrospect, it was pretty dumb now looking at that thing. That's going on my road bike tomorrow...

Kudos to Justin for riding a great race. I keep trying to pinpoint what it is about this guy that EVERYONE likes - can't really put my finger on it but from racing with him I have to say he's the best and worst guy to ride with. The best being that he never does anything remotely sketchy, always takes a turn on the front, and respects his fellow racers (this can't be said for most other riders and I fear, myself included). And worst because if there's a win within his grasp he'll pretty much go home with it.

Kudos to the Pilarcitos crew for putting on an excellent event and absolutely making the best of the Candlestick wastelands.

Also, thanks to all the clinic attendees on Saturday - hey, one of our clinic students won his race (Dave Libby, 45B's) - that's validation, man!

Oh my, there was a crowd of Sycippers on the SS podium today!

Oh, and ONE LAST BIT OF STUPIDITY - I tried to drive into the garage with the bikes on the roof today. Usually I grab the garage door opener and throw it on the floor to remind me not to do such silly things, but today I spaced trying to hurry home to the fam and heard a crunch on the rooftop - eek, my heart lept out of my chest. Luckily, I was inching forward at the time and only ended up sliding the whole assembly backwards on the roof. The point of contact was...my rear Helium wheel, which was still true! No damage was sustained to the bikes. The car has a 'lil dentage above the back door where the rack slid...vy minor. Dodged a bullet. I've been dreading the day that I do that...now at least I got it out of the way.

What a dumb-ass...