| | A little advance scouting I guess. Next weekend I plan on racing the next stop for the US Cup East series, sponsored by Specialized. The course is called Fisher Farms. It's near the very cool Southern city of Davidson, NC. The home of Davidson College. Very clean looking town, with bike lanes everywhere, lots of parks and Historic Davidson College. It took me a little over two hours to get Davidson, but because I had left my data card at home and didn't have directions to the trail head it took another 45 minutes to find the trail!
Right away I found two things out, 1) this was going to be a very difficult race course. 2) It was going to be even more difficult for a singlespeed!
There was quite a few slick spots and even puddles from a small amount of rain they had gotten Thursday. One of those places that doesn't drain or dry very well. My slick rear tire was good for not picking up and holding lots of mud, but provided very little traction. The course is always either going up on old two tracks or going down really, really technical (scary even!) singletrack. The course looks to be about 9 miles or so.
First lap I didn't like it much. I couldn't come close to making a few of the climbs, I didn't make a few of the technical sections and the ground was very slippery. The second lap I still couldn't make the two really tough climbs, but I made a few more of the hard sections in the woods. I stopped and took on a gel pack, got some cold water and went back out for one more lap.
This lap I didn't even try to make the two big hills. You see, it had been so long since I raced singlespeed bikes on a regular basis that I had forgotten something: You can get off and run with your bike any time you want to, no ones if forcing you to try and clear everything. In racing there are no style points. Running up the hills and over really hard sections is a weapon I used to use very effectively. Often running right by people on their bikes as they were struggling.
I ran a real steep series of uphill switchbacks and through one scary creek crossing as well. By the third lap I built up the courage to jump all the drop-offs, ride the skinny boards over the ditches and hit the tough sections with the momentum needed to make it. After that 3rd lap I felt better about my chances next weekend.
20 minutes of spinning around for a warm up and three laps in the hot, humid weather was just about right. Right about 3 hours of tough riding after more than 4 the previous day. The best back to back training days I've had in a few months.
I only snapped these two picts, but it will give you an idea of what the place is like. Not your average race course by any means.
 
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| | Posted 6/14/2009 6:21 PM - 441 Views - 0 eProps - 1 Comment
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