Jun 29, 2007
Jun 20, 2007
What do I have in common with FEMA?
When disaster strikes, I’m not prepared. I threw away a potential NMBS Single-Speed win, or a podium finish at the very least, in Deer Valley, UT this weekend. A pinch flat and a Big Air valve containing a badly deteriorating o-ring left me walking the race course. My ever-growing list of things to do includes getting a tubeless set-up on my Rig, which should have been Bike Priority # 1 before departure.
On the bright side I was in the lead group of 4 when disaster struck and we were killing it. My failed flat fix was near completion when the next 1x1 creaked passed me. So, as I spent the rest of the day exploring Deer Valley singletrack solo and blowing off steam, this thought occurred to me: “I worked too damn hard for that UCI Pro License to not be using it,” and so the National Championships in Vermont will be my last Single-Speed race. I’m going back to the big show for Snowmass and for next year too, should I decide to continue this travesty.
And besides, who cares about Single-Speed racing anyway? What will hold more weight when Ryder gets older; the fact that his dad won a few Single-Speed races, or the fact that his dad chased around the world’s best mountain bikers for a few years? I’ll choose the latter for him.
Enough megalomania. I had comrades in Utah. Our condo was a potpourri of SoCal mountain bikers, plus one-and-a-half. There was Christie Pleiss, Joy Andrew-Sick, Sean Donovan, Romolo Forcino, Ely Woody, Nigel Hill, who is the plus one because he lives in Humboldt and Carolyn Popovich, who is the half because she splits her time between Romolo’s place and her school in Philadelphia. For a brief moment we had a boy’s lacrosse team staying with us too, but that’s a long story for another day. Anyway, a good time was had by all (I think) and good race results were produced by all, with the exception of yours truly.
On the bright side I was in the lead group of 4 when disaster struck and we were killing it. My failed flat fix was near completion when the next 1x1 creaked passed me. So, as I spent the rest of the day exploring Deer Valley singletrack solo and blowing off steam, this thought occurred to me: “I worked too damn hard for that UCI Pro License to not be using it,” and so the National Championships in Vermont will be my last Single-Speed race. I’m going back to the big show for Snowmass and for next year too, should I decide to continue this travesty.
And besides, who cares about Single-Speed racing anyway? What will hold more weight when Ryder gets older; the fact that his dad won a few Single-Speed races, or the fact that his dad chased around the world’s best mountain bikers for a few years? I’ll choose the latter for him.
Enough megalomania. I had comrades in Utah. Our condo was a potpourri of SoCal mountain bikers, plus one-and-a-half. There was Christie Pleiss, Joy Andrew-Sick, Sean Donovan, Romolo Forcino, Ely Woody, Nigel Hill, who is the plus one because he lives in Humboldt and Carolyn Popovich, who is the half because she splits her time between Romolo’s place and her school in Philadelphia. For a brief moment we had a boy’s lacrosse team staying with us too, but that’s a long story for another day. Anyway, a good time was had by all (I think) and good race results were produced by all, with the exception of yours truly.
And finally, this was too good to pass up. From Sager’s blog:
"I didn't go to Park City's Deer Valley NORBA or whatever they're calling it now (NMBS/Frosty's arbitrary STXC pulling)..."
That's hardly subject for arbitration.
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