Rocking The Ridge 2012 Manitoba Provincial MTB Championships

 

Bottom of fast straight down section (photo cred: Dave Bell) just before this killer climb video lovingly named "Welcome to hell".

Well I finally did it.. I won a race at Falcon Ridge Trails, Falcon Lake MB.  To make the win a little more sweet the race was the provincial championships.  

View 2012 Manitoba provincial mountain bike championships course Falcon Ridge Trails, Falcon Lake MB in a larger map

I've come in last place or very close to last place in previous races out here.  For Manitoba this is our most technical course and would still hold its own against challenging courses out of province.

Two years ago after coming in near dead last again in a race out here I vowed to win at Falcon.  Someone accross the parking lot heard me say that and quipped, "what.. in Citizen category?. ha ha!"

For those who don't know, Citizen category is an introductory category with reduced distance and technical challenge that is for those who have never raced before and are interested trying mountain bike racing without jumping to a full-blown race category and buying the $100ish race license.

Training on the race course

That comment, meant in jest I'm sure, fueled the fire that much more.  After multiple tanks of gas transporting my environmentally friendly mountain bike 300ish kilometers back and fourth from Winnipeg to Falcon Lake nearly every weekend I finally developed the skill to ride everything at Falcon.  Well.. everything on XC race courses.. there are still a few features I haven't ridden yet.. but I'll get those this year before the snow flies.

If I were to use a swear jar I would have busted at least a dozen Culligan refills worth swearing up a storm for all the times I jammed a knee into a rock, handle bar into a tree, or failed a technical section.  Being a major chicken didn't help either.  You can't be half committed and choke when trying to clean stuff out here.

Overcoming fear was and still is my greatest challenge. 

I love racing at Falcon.  This years course was the best ever.  I'll disclose that is a little self-serving as I put a lot of hours into cleaning up the trails, taking out rocks, roots, and branches that seemed to always be in the way of a good (and safe) line. I'm not the only one though, Dave Dorning and Seema Saini put in over 60 hours of work designing and grooming the course.  Rob Brigdon, Paul Seire, Robert Champagne, Bill Algeo, and a bunch of other people I've forgotten or didn't know about have also put a lot of work into making these trails better, with Bill Benson being the original trail blazer out here.. but for sure.. this course was in the best shape ever.

There are also sections of trail that the Gords Cycle Club have built out here that are more of an all-mountain technical challenge that deserve mention.

I think Falcon over-all is our best or tied for our best mountain bike trail system in the province.  We should have more races out here and do more development.  I know I'll keep working on the trails.

For those who feel the trails are too technical to race on.. it's true that for the entry level rider many lines are too hard.. we need to develop more "B" lines and need to clean up more of the rocks that ruin a perfectly good line.  Consider this though.. If a fear hindered X-rodie sport level rider like me can progress from dead last to winning out here, anyone can do it. With more trail and rider development, and the annual 24 Hours of Falcon race, and hopefully annual cup races, the trails out here will only get better. Riding well at Falcon will help someone ride well pretty much anywhere!. . .

Training on the race course. Click here for video clip

Anyway.. back to the race..

Within the first few pedal strokes of my warm up lap I knew it was going to be a good day.  I had fresh legs and good "snap". I owe part of this to my recovery taper, but also to Bryan Cobb, massage therapist who worked over my quads a couple times before provincials. Brian made a huge difference in my performance for this race. Visit Bryan's website Muscle Pain Clinic

The section known as the A-B line had been a problem for me this year.  I rode it in training last year without trouble.  This spring I entered too hot and my line was pretty sketchy.. holding on for dear life I made it through but was spooked and didn't try again the whole year. It gave me some solace hearing that others had the same experience but overcame the fear and cleaned it again.

Here's a video clip of Dave Dorning, Rob Brigdon, and Ron Kaulins riding the "A" line, and I demonstrate the "B" line.  I'm the guy riding in the background.. I start first, but the B line is longer and slower so I come out last. Someone needed to demo the B line and it had to me because on this day I was too chicken to do the A line..Video 

I knew I would make it today with race adrenaline pumping, but wanted to get it over with before the race started.  I cleaned it twice and felt satisfied.  I thought I had a realistic chance of winning gold but had some tough competition to fight off.  My main competitor was out with an injured ankle so that was a downer not being able to race against him.

Hard starts usually work for me but lately had been causing me to blow up.  This race has some long technical sections where passing is difficult so I thought it was best to enter those sections first if possible, so I gassed it at the start and had a good lead on the pack heading into the technical.

After racing against the same people for a while you get to know their sounds.  I could hear the breathing patterns of Paul Seier and Jason Howden on my wheel, but nobody else.  Without looking I knew I was in a three way race with these two, but only sort of.  Paul was racing 50+ and was doing two laps.  Jason and myself were in a three lap race, and Jason was in the age category down from me, 30+.  So really we were each in first place for our respective categories.  I didn't hear any other bike or breathing noises back there so took some comfort in knowing we had a half decent lead.

I also knew that there were two more laps and anything could happen.  Anything happened and Jason took a spill on some baby-head rocks.. he was ok but his seat broke off and the race was over for him.  That sucks because it was going to be a good battle with Jason..

I slowed a bit on my second lap to reduce risk of blowing up or taking a bad line.  I couldn't see or hear anyone behind me so I knew I had at least 20 seconds on the next guy behind me.. A good buffer to win if I could keep the gap.

I felt the onset of cramping but it wasn't that bad yet.  If I backed off on climbs I should be able to make it. I also had some pickle juice with me.  A recent study suggested pickle juice may be effective at stopping cramps.  No really.. here's an article on the study.

I downed the pickle juice and holly crap!  That is the most revolting substance I have ever imbibed. It was putrid. Disgusting. So I drank the rest of it. It made me hack and gag.  I thought I was going to hurl.  I'm sure the rider behind me thought the same thing.  Did it work?  I don't know..  I didn't cramp but I also backed off on effort a little.  Was it the backing off or the vile juice?  Maybe a bit of both.  I would usually have to back off a lot more to prevent cramping.  I was able to to continue at 8/10 effort.

I had to clean the A-B line one more time before the finish line.  I took a bad line.  The same line that spooked me earlier in the year.  This time was different though. Instead of panicking my brain and body seemed to respond automatically and I corrected my line without a problem and rolled it out. As riders get to know each others sounds, race officials get know riders and where they usually finish. When I crossed the finish line the commissar asked, "are you finished?"  asked with an "are you sure you're finished?" tone..  "Yes, that's three laps", I said.  Sheesh.. Looks like I have to podium in more races to clean up my record :-).

L-R Dave Dorning (race organizer), Rob Friesen (Silver), me, Garry Bistyak (Bronze) men's sport 40-49

Paul Seier and I. Both won Gold.  This felt extra good as I coach Paul :-)

As usual I look stiff as a board in a photo and Paul is relaxed and cool..

I'll add an unapologetic shout out to Team Woodcock..
Rob Brigdon won bronze in Open Elite with a couple flat tires, Jackson Locken won Gold in Senior Sport, I won gold in Master B sport (age 40-49).. ahem.. I also won overall in men's sport beating the 20 and 30 somethings :-), and Dave Dorning was the race organizer. Dave gave up racing provincials to put on the race

New Blog: Manitoba Mountain Bike Trails

I have a lot of our beloved MTB trails recorded with GPS.

Here's a new blog where I'm posting them.

Feel free to leave a link to your GPS'd trails as well

Manitoba Mountain Bike Trails

Brandon MB Cup #5; Morden Back 40 2012

Sorry, no pictures..

The Brandon MTB race on July 29 went really well for the first of three laps.  I had a strong start and felt like I could hold the pace.  My legs disagreed and threatened me with cramping.  Scheisse!

It was another super hot Manitoba summer day.. 30ish degrees. Many were feeling the heat.

I know the drill.. if I keep going I'll be in a world of hurt bent over on the side of the trail.  I slowed down to a pace I could handle without cramping and was very quickly passed everywhere.. I'm used to getting passed in trails with tight turns. I suck at tight turns on dirt, which is a bit of setback when mountain biking.

On hills though I usually do reasonably well with few passing me.. not today though.  I came in 5th out of 9 finishers.  I'm happy with that.

The Morden Back 40 is one of my favorite events.  I was really looking forward to it this year.

It rained. Some of the trail has a soil that gets extremely slick when wet, and so sticky I'm sure my bike weighed an extra 10 pounds with all the muck stuck to it.

I wasn't able to get into the muck ride mentally and was not enjoying walking through sections of un-ride-able slop. One racer rolled by with a huge smile and with great enthusiasm said, "it doesn't get any more technical than this!".  His happiness did not rub off on me, but he did try to put a positive light on the situation.

No, I was in a mental funk as was not interested in a walk-ride thing this day, so I pulled out of the race. Lot's of DNF's with some bikes so packed with mud the wheels would not turn, but others rode most of slippery slop with great skill and agility.

The first lap went reasonably well.  I caught and passed nearly everyone on the flats who had previously passed me in the single track.  I was really looking forward to the second lap of this 32 kilometer event (there was also an eduro 80k event, plus a 16K 1 lap event.. something for everyone), but the first few kilometers of trail took on more rain and we're as slick as goose crap on Teflon.

Oh well. This means I have to practice riding in mud, which has a catch 22 - riding in mud on many trails will rut out the trail and destroy the trail surface.. can't do that..

My expectations were that I would have a blast riding a course I love, but the muck changed all that.  What I could have done is change my expectations to suit the changed condition.  Have lemons?  Make lemonade.

 Looking forward to next years Back 40.

Reviewed: Three 29'er XC Race Tires

Schwalbe Rocket Ron     Maxis Ikon       Specialized Fast Trak S-Works

Schwalbe Rocket Ron 29X2.25 tubeless ready claimed weight 520g

Maxis Ikon EXC 29X2.2 claimed weight 520g actual weight 514g

Specialized Fast Trak S-Works 2bliss 29X2 claimed weight 520g actual weight 535g

I didn't have a chance to ride each tire in all conditions and the Rocket Rons were the only ones I rode front and back, the Ikon and the Fast Track S-Works saw duty only in the rear.  I'll update as I get more rides in on these tires.

I'll tell you what I've found so far though..

Each manufacturer has all sorts of techno bafflegab explaining special proprietary compounds and computer modeled tread pattern for optimal everything.

Any sales person would have tonnes of marketing techo-hype in their arsenal to explain the advantages of each of these tires.  Specialized and Maxis have the best marketing with videos and more technobabble than Schwalbe.  I'm not saying the tread designs are BS, I think each have a pretty good design, I'm saying each company tries hard to sell you their tires, and like any marketing campaign, some of what is said amounts to minutia and rhetoric.

Tires were run at the same pressure for all comparisons using Stans NoTubes (except the Ikon.. had trouble with compressor that day and couldn't inflate tubeless)..

Loose gravel climbing

Winner: Rocket Ron
Ikon and Fast Trak S-Works: Tied

The RR has a more aggressive tread pattern with the lugs further appart than on the Ikon or FT S-Works.  The wider 2.25 casing also provides a wider contact patch.  I may not know precisely why the RR hooks up better on lose gravel, but it does, and noticeably so.  Of course it will still break free on loose gravel, but much less, and with less side slip.

The Ikon, although a 2.2 casing was actually a lot closer to the 2.0 casing of the Fast Trak S-Works.  Both the Ikon and S-Works climbed loose gravel well, but had more snakyness in holding a line and larger, more speed robbing spinouts than the RR.  You really had to keep weight back to ensure grip whereas with the RR spinout was far less frequent and only partial, and weight distribution was less finicky.

S-Works 2.0 on the left, Ikon 2.2 right.

Short grass climb

Winner: Rocket Ron

Ikon and Fast Trak S-Works: Tied.

Short dry grass is typically pretty grippy anyway.  Each tire performed well here with the Rocket Ron producing a little more grip.

Cornering

The Rocket Ron on the front is a phenomenal tire for cornering. I can't say anything about the other tires on the front as I haven't tried them.  The RR is so good up front though that I would be hesitant to try the Ikon or Fast Trak S-Works up front as it seems I would surely be let down.. but I will try them up front and post my findings.

The rear plays a roll of course in cornering as well.  Here the RR completely and entirely wins hands down. Very predictable grip and a gradual transition from grip to controllable oversteer slide-out.  I'm comparing three of the very best tires available so they are each pretty damn good.  None of these tires has been a dog so far in terms of grip, ride quality, or handling in general.

Dry rock 

Winner:

Maxis Ikon

Fast Trak and RR: tied

The Ikon had marginally better grip on dry rock than the other two, and a little less frequent slipping on 2 foot square edge up-and-overs.  It felt like the tire compound had more stickiness than the others, although I never had any issues with the the RR or S-Works, none of these tires failed or flailed under these conditions. 

Ride quality

The Rocket Ron and the Fast Trak S-Works have a more supple feel than the Ikon.  The Ikon and the Fast Trak both have 120 TPI casings, the Rocket Ron 127 TPI.

On back to back rides the S-Works is noticeably more supple feeling than the Ikon. The Ron is comparable, though still beats the S-Works for a supple ride.  Is it the extra 7 TPI thread count? Unlikely.  It will be the wider width and the overall combination of casing design and rubber compound, wall thickness etc.  Whatever the reason, the RR is the most supple of the three, the Ikon is good but a little more stiff.

Durability

Winner: Unknown

Rocket Ron: surprisingly good

Ikon: sidewall in the EXC version sucks big time

Fast Trak S-Works: early prognoses looks good.  So far more durable than the other two

The Schwalbe website cautions that the RR is a race purpose tire and has low puncture and sidewall protection.  On my first ride with the Ron's I scuffed some rocks and the sidewalls started showing some thread.  I thought the tire would be dead in a couple rides on the rocks.  Nope.. four months of riding rocky trails and lots of sidewall scuffs with threads showing and the tire was still going strong.  The knobs had almost completely worn down in the centre but the tire kept performing. 

The Rocket Ron finely met its demise in a race where a pokey piece of fresh-cut of shrub stabbed the sidewall.  Stans was not enough to seal the large hole.  Despite this being race-light tire not intended for durability, it lasted far beyond my expectations.  I'll be buying a Rocket Ron again.

Conversely, riding the Ikon one ride on the same trail under the same conditions taking the same line at the same speed with same amount of sidewall contact I always have.. tore through the side wall.  Good thing I was riding with a tube that time. For another paltry 60 grams you can get an Ikon with the Maxis EXO protection sidewall.  The Ikon EXO seems like it would be good choice if you encounter terrain where lot's of sidewall scuffs occur.

Maxis Ikon sidewall broke on through to the other side on a rocky ride

The gunk around the cut was some spray on rubber I was trying out as a repair.  Didn't work.

Riding the Fast Trak S-works on the same trails produced the least amount of visible sidewall scuffing.  I still hit the rocks with the sidewall, but I had to take a really close look to see the abrasions. 

Overall the winner so far is the Rocket Ron.  The Ikon, Rocket Ron, and Fast Trak S-Works are so close in weight I would not let that enter into the decision for buying.. you wont notice 10 - 20 grams.

The latest version of the RR is tubeless ready with an improved bead and sidewall. Previous versions (2011) were said to be difficult to run tubeless. I had no problems running the Rocket Ron and the Fast Trak tubeless.  I tried to run the non-tubeless ready Ikon with Stans but couldn't air it up.  I've read reviews saying others have no such trouble.  Turns out there was a problem with my air chuck.  I've got a new air chuck now but won't be trying the EXC Ikon with Stans as there are two big cuts in the sidewall.. Big enough that Stans would not have sealed them so I'm glad I didn't run the Ikon tubeless.  I'll give the Ikon EXO a chance tubeless though..

Wider is faster, and the RR is wider than either the Ikon or Fast Trak. Previous reviews on earlier versions of the Fast Trak seemed to suck overall so I avoided these tires.  The tire was redesigned 100% and is getting much better reviews.  I have no real issue with the general performance of the Fast Trak S-Works, but wish I could have it in a 2.25 width.  The 2.25 RR is the same weight as the 2.0 Fast Trak.

The Ikon and Fast Trak S-Works I rode performed admirably and are decent tires for sure.  The EXC casing is definitely not durable.  The S-Works is far more durable than the Ikon for about the same weight and similar performance, with the S-Works having a noticeably more supple ride.

More to come as I ride more..

A few more races with the 2012 Specialized S-Works Fast Trak are under my belt now. I keep noticing less buzz on harder surfaces.. it rides smoother and "feels" faster that way, but it does grip marginally less than the Schwable Rocket Ron.  If I never rode the Ron's I wouldn't say the S-Works lacks grip significantly. Given the choice right now though I would rather have the TL ready Rocket Ron on the back for all conditions compared to the S-Works.  The larger width, bigger air volume provides a more supple ride and the tire grips better.  While a little more buzzy on hard surfaces the RR feels like it absorbs smaller bumps with a more supple feel compared to the S-works.

2012 24 Hours Of Falcon Ridge

I love our Manitoba mountain bike enduro events; the Morden Back 40, and the 24 Hours of Falcon Ridge.

It's a chance to get on your bike and race, or not race, just have a blast putting in laps on great trails with great people.

The 24 Hours of Falcon is held at Falcon Ridge Trails, Falcon Lake Manitoba. The course has a mix of dirt road, single track, technical rocky sections, and a couple short steep hills (up and down).

Here is the 2012 course


View 2012 24 Hours of Falcon Ridge Mountain Bike Course in a larger map

It took me a week to recover enough to do a write up on the event.  Ok I wasn't that bagged.. I just didn't get to it until a nice lazy Saturday morning.

For the past two years after the event (this year was the third annual, and best so far) I've made it halfway through the 1.5 hour drive home and had to pull over to nap.  This year I made it all the way home before I started to feel like a zombie.

The first two years I slept in the chalet which wasn't too bad, but the door slamming every time a person went in or out was a bit of a sleep killer.  This year I bought a tent.  $50.00 at Canadian Tire (half price sale).

Here's a picture of the tip of my finger. Pre-assembled tent is in the background.

Tada.  Hammering stakes into a gravel parking lot is great.  When finished I only had two tent poles left over.  Not sure where they went but it didn't seem like I needed them.  I'm pretty happy with my first tent experience since Cub-scouts.. which was nearly 40 years ago.

Critical update.. My girlfriend just read this blog entry.. "Do you want to read my write up on the 24 hour race?".  "How long is it?", she asked.. I should have said, "24 hours".  Badum dum.  Of course she was referring to the length of the write up.  She looked like she had just been asked if she wanted to read an article about watching paint dry.  "It's not that long, see?" I demo'd the length by using a really fast scroll.

I think she likes it, she's laughing. Then..

"Hey!  This wasn't the first time camping since Cub-scouts!", she said. "Really?"  Then I got one of those looks where nothing needs to be said but some how it makes you remember things.  "Right.. at Birds Hill Park.. with you."  "Yeah, you and your guitar pickin! You serenaded me by the campfire.  That was the last time we went camping!" LOL! 

I don't know if the serenading worked or if she thought, "crap.. there's always something.. well maybe if hide the guitar it will work out."..

Not being an educated consumer on how to buy a tent, I thought "4 person tent" would translate into having lots of extra room for one person.

What I didn't realize is that real capacity is a mere fraction of claimed capacity.  This is my double air mattress (which apparently uses the same real capacity formula as the tent) thrown in. It was cozy.  

Bill Algeo (wearing the yellow X vest), the organiser for 24 Hours of Falcon Ridge, addresses the crowd of ne're-do-wells and hooligans that make up the 24 event entrants.  There is also an 8 hour event that started a couple hours earlier.

 Don't mess with this crowd.  They guy in the mask was brave; the temperature was over 30 degrees C.  He said, "AAARRRGGG" a lot.

It was a good event for me.  I had it all planned out.  Don't be a rookie and go out too hard on the first few laps.  It's a 24 hour event.. blasting the first two laps is dumb.

Dumb:  See also; "Cris LaBossiere"

I hammered the hills on the first lap.  Not 100% all-out, I wasn't THAT dumb. I only went 95%.  Like Homer Simpson repeatedly putting his hand on a hot stove and saying, "D'oh!" each time, I burned myself and cramped hard core at three hours and did actually say out loud, "D'oh!"  Along with some choice expletives. 

You know those cramps that are so bad that when you try to stretch the cramping muscle to stop the cramp, the other muscles cramp?  Science note.. a muscle cramp can usually be resolved by stretching the affected muscle, which activates a motor feedback loop that overcomes the spasticity of the cramp and invokes the muscle to relax. 

Reality note: Only works on mild cramps.

Many people are lucky enough to never experience extreme cramps.  A few people have the gene's that allow them to have this displeasure.  For those who don't know, it is extremely painful and incapacitating.

I stood next to my bike on the side of the trail for about 10 minutes, unable to move in the first five.  Moving requires muscles to contract.  Asking cramping muscles to contract makes them cramp harder.
I was at a section of the course where I could have taken a short cut, almost all downhill, straight back to the start/ finish.  That would have been the smart thing to do to give my cramping muscles a break.

In regards to "smart", see "dumb" above.  I couldn't take a shortcut back, that would mean I couldn't record this lap.  If I didn't improve and was truly in unrecoverable bad shape I would have nixed the event and went straight back to recover.  Fortunately my cramps did resolve and I was able to get back on and finish the lap.

I took a two hour break massaging my trigger point laden legs and later did another 90 minutes of riding.

I don't have the capacity to do 24 hours straight, or even 8 hours straight and survive intact.  Luckily the 24 Hours of Falcon Ridge event is very accommodating to peoples varying abilities.  The objective is to complete as many laps as you're capable of or willing to do over 24 hours.  You can go solo or in teams.

For me that meant trying 4 hours on day one, and four hours on day two.  Day one went reasonably well considering the cramping blow out.

There were a few technical sections all of which I had no trouble with this year.  In previous years I would be walking over technical sections and watching in awe the other riders who seemed to float over rocks. This year I was a floater.  Almost..  I'm not that nimble yet.. couple more years.

Day two was stellar.  After a solid 4 hours of interrupted sleep (at one point someone was blowing one of those horns you hear at European soccer events.  A very pleasant sound at 2am.  Thanks for that). Oh wait.. my shin muscles cramped while trying to sleep.  Trapped in my mummy sleeping bag I couldn't bend the right way to relieve the cramp.  Frantically I nearly tore open the sleeping bag and tried to pull on my foot to stop the shin cramp.  Which of course made the calf cramp.  Then the other leg went.  Are you kidding me?

I hoped nobody was walking by my tent at that point.. not sure what they would think was going on in there with the tent shaking.. and only one person in it.

Back to day two..  I started out very conservatively.  I felt not too bad, but the first hour felt like it might be the last as well.  I tried another lap slow.  Felt better.  And better. 

At just under the halfway point in the loop you have to get your number plate punched to show that you're doing full laps. The people volunteering to do this are awesome. They're out there for hours in the heat with the incessant bugs all for the greater good. These two were from the ABES and BABES men's and woman's mixed team ..they raced as well as volunteered at the event. Cudo's.

By hour three I felt fantastik (not a typo.. I was cleaning everything).  I matched pace with another guy who incentivized me to push harder than I thought I should.  I feared cramping but there was no sign of this nemesis today.  After a pretty hard lap I felt ready to hammer.  The clock said 11:25am.  35 minutes to noon, the cut off time.

I was averaging 35+ minute laps.  I had just enough time to squeeze out one more.  I had race buzz, where you feel like every nerve in your body is tingling with anticipation of going all out.  I had my iPhone headphones in and was ready to rock.  Of course for safety's sake the volume is low so you can hear others talking or coming up behind you.

Part way through my final lap the earphones started to fritz out.  Must be the sweat.  I was zoning into the music and getting motivation from it, but thought.. ok, no tunes.. doesn't matter.. nothing will stop me from putting in my fastest lap.. at that moment, BAM!  Music volume went full blast..  I went with it.  Saw it as a sign I'm meant to go hard.

Have you heard that re-mix of Queens We Will Rock You? Niether had I.  I can't remember when or why I bought this song, but I did, and it was playing now.  Turns out it was the perfect tune to ride hard too. ..Just looked on my phone.. it's an extra when you buy the album Queen News of The World on iTunes.

Anyhoo.. After blasting the dirt road like pro rodie I arrive at the turn-around.  "25 minutes left.. can you make it?", say's the hole puncher..  25 minutes?  Holly crap I am going way faster than I thought.  "I shouldn't have a problem", I replied and sped off.

This just keeps getting better.  I was totally pumped.  At that moment my iTunes, which for some reason was set to play every artist in my library in alphabetical order, landed on Ray Charles.  It didn't start with Ray's funky tunes, but rather his ballads.  Just when the technical section started and where I need to be maximally amped. 

Great tunes for relaxing or wanting to go to sleep.  No way I'm taking my hands off the bars to change tunes though.  Then I thought, Hey, this is Ray.. Ray is cool.  Just be cool like Ray and get into the grove.  Ahhh.. my flow changed from rigid to supple.  I wasn't banging over the roots and rocks.. I achieved the float zone.  Thanks Ray!

I cleaned all technical sections without hesitation.. I knew I would make the deadline, my goal had now changed to how much can I beat the deadline by..

I rolled into the finish and the clock said.. 11:49.  A 24 minute lap. I quickly looked at all the other lap times for the 24 hour event.. no 24 minute laps.  Waaa?  Double check.. holly crap I think I have the fastest lap time!

Turnes out I tied for fastest lap time, for which the only prize is pride, with John F, a top notch rider and one of the winners of the event.  Wow did I feel good!  The difference though is John can pump out a bunch of laps like that.. I think I could do only a few..  But for me this was a great achievement coming from not being able to ride the whole course two years ago.

I'm really looking forward to next years event.  I love riding the trails at Falcon Ridge and I love this event.  Thanks to everyone who made this possible

24 Hours of Falcon Ridge Blog

Video of one lap courtesy JP

Camp Cris