2. Darrell and Scott gave Team WELD-NRB North some great insight to the lines at the technical spots. Thanks guys!

3. Even the rocks and the trees were rooting for Darrell on race day.

4. Haynes and Jess are climbing WVMBA point totals. Also Haynes no longer needs a new shock. (He-He)

5. Philip only races in wet conditions and always makes the podium. 1st place this week.

6. George is well suited for the technical stuff and if the race had been under three miles, he might have won it all. Slow down one speed!

7. Rumors of sandbaggers are starting to circulate.

8. The trails at Little Beaver can handle the rain. During a gully-washer the night before, I was riding in 3 inches of water rolling downhill and the trail was as hard as can be.

9. Pat is fast. So is Darrell.

10. Scott got robbed. (Slashed tire)

11. Chris has a future in natural terrain graffiti art.

12. I still know how to break a chain at the most inopportune moments and I have no future with a NASCAR pit crew. (How do those guys work that fast?)

13. Andy needs to get out of the shop and come race with us.

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.

The first incident happened about ten minutes into the race. I had just made the initial climb and bombed into a sweet downhill. I avoided a couple of exciting wrecks and was working my way up the pack, and then "Chiiiinnnnnnk." The noise and the sudden drop in power left no doubt what was going on. I pulled over and searched for my chain. I had a Quicklink, so the damage wasn’t too bad. I was back on the trail in 5 minutes or so.

Since it was so close to the start, I pretty much got passed by everybody including the beginner group. I pedaled as fast as I could to get back to the main pack. It took awhile, but I started to make ground and finally began to recognize racers in my category. I was starting to feel good again. I turned the corner right by the first water station and "Chiiiinnnnnnnk." I was all too familiar with the sound at this point. Only this time I didn’t have another Quicklink.

I had a chain tool, so I went to work. I’ve always been good about having extra Quicklinks. Next time I will be good about have Quicklinks and a spare spoke so I can hold my chain tight while I’m working on it. Over and over again, my chain would fly back as tried to line everything up and use the tool. Finally, I broke down and asked a volunteer passing out water if he could hold one end of the chain in place. That did the trick, and I was on my way after wasting much time. I knew my chain was too short now and my competitive racing was over, but I still wanted to finish. I told myself I would just take it easy and stay out of the big gears.

I started on the climb and it felt good. I saw Jess and told her what happened. She offered me a Quicklink, but I didn’t want to stop on the hill and I figured I’d see her if it broke again. Poor decision. I continued on and just after the Sport/ Beginner Split my chain broke for the third time. I waited for a couple of minutes thinking Jess was right behind me before it dawned on me that she was being sent on a different course. I ran back to the intersection and waited on her, but she long gone. No doubt enjoying some tasty beverages back at the finish!

I hung out for a while, waiting to see if there was anyone I could hit up for parts. D.N.F.ing was becoming an option by the moment. I went back to my bike and just about packed it in. I decided to search my pack one last time and found some links to an old Shimano chain. I didn’t know if it would work with my Sram chain, but it was worth a shot. George went by at this point and I asked if he had a Quicklink, but he was on the clock and pretended not to hear me. "Thanks Buddy." I recruited another bystander to hold the chain again and I got it working.

I decided to push/run my bike on the big climbs for the rest of the way. I had good ride out, including another sweet downhill, and finally made it to the end, finishing DEAD LAST. I was surprised they were still keeping time that late in the day. (Thanks guys.)

Overall, the race was a little disappointing, but I still had a lot of fun. The trails at Valley Falls State Park are really cool. I’ll be back and if you happen to find yourself with a broken chain in next year’s race, I’ll certainly be the guy to ask for a Quicklink. I’m riding with no less than four from now on.

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)

Mile Marker .0025:  There seems to be a fatal issue with my plan. How the heck are these guys moving so freaking fast? A new plan takes form. I think I’d better pass somebody.

Mile Marker .0026: Hah! I can pass these fools on the inside of this turn. Success! 3 riders passed.

Mile Marker .0027: Hey, I just passed you…you can’t pass me back. Dang it.

We burst into the woods onto a near single track carved precariously into the edge of a steep hill. Things are moving really fast and somebody seems to have completely changed the way my gears work. Strange.

Mile Marker 3(?): I had no idea I could fall off my bike so much. Passed, passed, passed, each one as painfully as a kidney stone ( So I’ve heard).

Lap 1, Mile Marker Somewhere: At this point a swear I got passed by a man with no legs and a toddler peddling a red plastic car with a yellow roof. It occurred to me that this was The Big Lobowski and I was Donny. Remember this?

Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to The Dude’s story, Donny?
Donny: What?
Walter Sobchak: Were you listening to The Dude’s story?
Donny: I was bowling.
Walter Sobchak: So you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You’re like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know…

The thing is, I’d already been lapped by said child. It was right about then that I finally developed a real plan. Have fun, finish the race . Consequently it was also right about then that I started having fun. I also began to notice that mountain bikers are a great bunch of folks. Almost everyone that passed had time to drop some encouraging words. Even the kid ( who couldn’t have been older then 14 who burned by me on a hill said "Good job, Keep going". Now that is pretty cool)

Incidently, if you ever are in a race and instead of seeing this in front of you

You see this:

You better start enjoying the scenery, ’cause you won’t be winning a camelbak. ( I learned this somewhere around the "razorback" section of the course)

In the end I rode almost 3 miles farther than I had to date, finished dead last in Men’s Sport and had one hell of a time. Oh, and I finished the race, then nearly died in the back of my truck.

I can’t wait for the next race.

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?
   
   
6. Nine stitches courtesy of Doctor Love ( Seriously, his name was Dr Love. When he worked as an OBGYN he introduced himself as "Dr Love, at your cervix.              Seriously)
7. Waited a week or so, pulled out some stitches, and got back in the game.
8. Noticed that when I scratch the right side of my knee I feel it on the left side. ( I’m haven’t yet determined a use for this new special skill)
9. Spent some time convinced that every rock had my name on it.
10. This past weekend I finally got on the race course.  I’ll tell the story in my next post.

Like I said, mountain biking has been an adventure so far. But, I haven’t had this much fun since I surfed my first wave on the river.  If you’re slightly interested in the sport, get out there and try it. Worst case scenario you’ll have the opportunity to become way too "up close and personal"  with your tendons. Most likely you’ll just have a blast.

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.