My Valley Falls race is in the books but barely.

When I started racing this season I had 3 distinct goals for each race- #1 Don’t get hurt. #2 Finish the race. #3 Avoid any mechanical issues with the bike. This race I was all about goals #1 and #2. I’m hoping I’ve taken care of #3 for the rest of the season because after my chain broke three times yesterday I really feel I’ve paid my dues on this one.

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I joined Team WELDNRB this past Sunday for my first WVMBA sanctioned race.  Buckle in for a noob’s take on competitive mountain biking.

Starting Line:  I’m nervous. I’m confused. But I’ve got a plan. Intimidated by the cluster of bikes on the starting line I decide to hang in the back. Once the race is underway riders will be dropping like flies as tubes pop, crashes occur, cramps set in and determination waivers. When they do…I’ll pass rider after rider as they deal with misfortune. (At this point the experienced racers/readers just laughed out a beer nasal enema)

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Mountain biking 101 has been a heck of an experience for me. Let me bring you up to speed on my journey thus far:

1. Joined the team, got a really nice bike.
2. Somehow determined that climbing and boating experience would directly translate to the mountain bike.
3. Had a great ride with the team
4. Went for another ride.
5. Realized Mountain Biking can be really freaking hard (see photo), and has pretty much nothing to do with climbing or kayaking. Or snowboarding. Or graphic design. Who knew?
   
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Well the skies opened up enough yesterday to finally get a good solo ride. This racing business has got my priorities all out of whack. In years past, I would have been perfectly content with ten days of rain and great water levels on the river. Now I’m feeling guilty when I go a day or two without riding.

It was a perfect day to test my new Maxxis Ignitors. I believe I have found the perfect West Virginia tire. That’s not a knock on the S-Works tire that came with the bike. They’re going to be great on hard pack days, but I was blown away with the cornering of the Ignitors in some very soft conditions. The climbing felt pretty good too. I was having so much fun, I ended up doubling the length of my ride.