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.
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.
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