Midnight Ride of Cyclocross, Lancaster, MA (Wed, Sep 26 2012)

Midnight Ride of Cyclocross, Lancaster, MA (Wed, Sep 26 2012)12)

This is a fantastic cross race in Central Mass. The course conditions were fast and slightly tacky since we received a bit of rain the day before and day of the race. The attendance was large with 300-400 riders. My Cat 3 race started out fast with a long straight away and a hard left turn at the end. One rider in the front went down just before the first corner and wisely curled into a ball as riders whizzed by him. Luckily there was not a pile up.

The course does not have a lot of elevation gain but a lot of tight turns including a section  running through a couple livestock structures with wood chip substrate, which made for some challenging turns and required focus to stay upright. Many people fell in this area and not many people were willing to risk passing in the loose wood chips. A total of two sets of barriers were easily hurdled.

The total distance was @12 miles with riders averaging 14-19 mph and reaching speeds of 30mph on the  long straight stretch at the start finish. Total elevation gain was about 435 ft. The course was well lit and there were several vendors selling food and bike products. Adult beverages were being consumed by riders and fans since this is a privately owned parcel.

I’m looking foward to the next ride here Sunday October 14th which will also have a single speed race (part of the Zanconato single speed series) where riders can race their single speed bikes or zip tie their shifters.

Fellow bikeman riders included Steve Witkus placing a very respectable 15th, Scott Conchieri, Mike Hoover, and Kevin Buckley.

NUE Hampshire 100 2012

National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series: Hampshire 100 2012

August 19, 2012       
Lazer helmets rock.

The feeling that you get when you begin a 100 mile race and realize how far you have to go is both unnerving and joyful. One can never be sure that they will be able to do it physically, or perhaps they will have a mechanical, or even get injured but the bottom-line is that you will get to spend a lot of time on your bike and that is a very good thing. There are also many variables involved which you can control such as proper preparation through training, arriving early to get a good warm up in, and eating a nutritious breakfast for example. I did not do any of these.

There are also other variables which are unpredictable and unexpected- for instance getting pulled over by a cop at 5am on the way to the race. “Do you know how fast you were going?” Before I could answer he said “52 in a 30”. Oh boy, I think to myself...this is not promising but whatever man, just give me a ticket and let me get on my way! I have a race to get to! “I’m giving you a warning. Slow down and have a good race” Thanks officer, that was cool of you.

I arrived a bit late- missed the bag drop and the 100 mile send off but managed to get moving a few minutes later with the elite and expert 65 mile group. I’m hoping to finish the 100 miles but not too hopeful that my legs are going to hold out.

The landscape around Greenfield New Hampshire is scenic with many old farmhouses and barns, plenty of hay fields, and many orchards and cow farms. We rode by a Guy playing a Violin over PA speakers, taking several loops around the property and hearing the music for a couple of minutes. It reminded of Gaelic war songs with us as the soldiers going into battle.

The trails were pretty rocky, rooty, and rough. It was a combination of double track snowmobile trails and singletrack along with a short amount of road. There were a lot of steep grades with loose gravel that made it difficult to keep traction up the really steep stuff. I walked, or slow jogged, a lot of hills on my bike...more than I would have liked. A geared bike was able to make most of the hills. I felt for the single speed leaders such as Gerry Pflug that were undoubtedly putting forth 100% effort in order to place well. This was not a single speed friendly course and it must have been a huge effort for single speeders and geared racers alike at all out race pace. I for one was not racing, well I was going as hard as I could for the most part, but I didn’t feel competitive with my peers in any way.

I was envious of the geared full suspension bikes around me and was tempted at one point to ask another rider if I could test out his Tallboy for the rest of the race. One interesting section of the course had 3.5 feet of water to either wade through with bike overhead or ride through. The guy in front of me rode it so I went in too and made it to the other side. Most of my friends waded through it though to save their bottom brackets.

The aid stations were properly set up and the volunteers were awesome as always. The NUE series always runs a top notch operation. The trails were very well marked and I didn’t get lost once or even think I was going the wrong way ever. Rare for a long distance race.

At mile 40 my legs were spent and I was having trouble making most of the hills. My bike wasn’t completely dialed, my conditioning was lacking, and I was second guessing myself. Combine this with an opportunity to bail at mile 65 and I was sold. It was a relief knowing that I didn’t have to do the full 100 which would have wrecked me and not in a good way. I’m still recovering from a back issue and my neck and shoulders were aching, likely related to poor bike fit.

My friends (all Team Bums members) did well in both the 100k and 100 Mile with
Chris Beriau of Bikeman.com placing 2nd in her class; John Modig of Zanconato/MTB Mind placing 3rd: Matt Chandler placing 3rd; Rob Paton coming in 17th. My harder than me friends who raced the 100 miles include: Paul Simoes of Bikeman placing 18th overall ; Karen Potter of mtbracenews.com/carborocket placing 3rd; and Brian Spring rode out all 100 miles. I ended up with a time of 6:54 for 65mi.


Brian coming in to the 65 mi mark.

 
Brian again


Matt Chandler in 3rd


John Modig and family, and Cori Paton



Winners received wind chimes


Modig places 3rd

Rob finishing up

Annual Root 66 Hodges Village Dam Race, Oxford, MA, August 5th, 2012

I recently raced Annual Root 66 Hodges Village Dam, Oxford, MA, August 5th, 2012 in the Cat 1 SS class. The conditions were dry and fast and the temperature was in the 90’s. A far cry from years past when it was downpouring and chilly.

I knew I was in for it this race, being my first race of the year and not quite yet having race legs yet. As expected the leaders shot out and I was LAST into the woods after a long stretch of dirt road. I thought to  myself that I DO NOT want to be DFL at the finish so quickly picked up the pace.

Lap 1 and 2 were very dusty with so many people off the front. A friend of mine, Matt Myette, took a digger and was walking his bike back off the course. His face was coated in dirt, a telltale sign of a hard fall. In his words, he ended up with “Pretty good trail rash, some stitches and lots of bruising to my left leg from the knee down but it could be a lot worse..”

It forced me to back off a little since falling was a real possibility with the fast conditions and the washed out corners, not to mention the baby heads around blind corners and encroaching saplings on the singletrack seeming reaching out to grab your handlebars. Regardless, I ended up taking two good falls this race, luckily without injury.  

My carbon hardtail SS w/suspension fork ran great without any issues although this course is better suited to a full suspension in my opinion due to the rocks and roots. Going into lap 3 I was starting to feel a bit fatigued but fortunately the trail was opening up and I was able to get into a flow- keeping momentum through the corners and climbing all but one hill. I was running 37/21 or a 1.8 gear ratio and felt a bit under-geared. There were some flat stretches where I was spinning out and very little elevation gain to justify a low gear..

I ran out of water at the end of lap 3 and came across my friend Rob Paton taking some photos of the riders. I asked him if he would fill up my bottle for me and like a good friend, he took off and sure enough met me 15 minutes later with a full cold bottle of water. The conditions were HOT and I cramped up a bit and definitely could have taken in more electrolytes pre-race and during.

This is a well run race w/a clearly marked course, easy parking, and stream to cool and wash off afterwards. The volunteers from Bike Alley, Worcester do a great job of running the registration, awards, and there were burgers and drinks available for purchase post-race.

My friends all did well:  John Modig get a 2nd place medal in Cat 1 12-18  in a blistering 2:03:35 just 2min51sec off the lead; John Beaupre was awarded the Mass state championship prize placing 4th in Cat 1 SS in ~ 2:10, but the fastest Massachusetts resident in his class; Rob Paton placed 14th in Cat 2 40-49; Steve Segenchuk put the power down placing 6th in a very competitive field of Cat 1 40-49 in 2:01:56, right behind fellow bikeman.com racer Steve Witkus who placed 5th in the same category in 2:00:38!  I finished 7th out of 12 in Cat 1 SS, in 2hr 15min with two racers in my class not finishing. See all the race results here Hodges race-results

John and Beckie Beaupre were gracious enough to invite us over post-race to their beautiful home in Sutton for beverages, swimming, and BBQ. Everything including the lobsters, clams, and sushi were delicious. The monsoon rains made the festivities interesting and we fortunately found safety in the boat house (luckily w/a stocked fridge) and avoided being struck by lightning.

Single Speed USA 2012, Stowe, VT

The annual Single Speed USA participants terrorized the quiet town of Stowe, VT on July 28, 2012. The past locations include Tennessee (2008), Georgia (2009), Arizona (2010), and Colorado (2011). It turned out to be a most memorable weekend with great trails, beers, and unending entertainment.


Fortunately, the drive from Central Mass was only 3 hours and a mix of highway and back roads to mix it up. I stayed near the center of Stowe at Gold Brook Campground, splitting the site with a fellow biker Gary. This company was a welcome surprise since I really didn’t know anyone else going up for the weekend. Gary is an avid mountain biker who has been to other Singlespeed USA events and even to SS World championship events in Ireland and Scotland and he likes Volkswagens.  

Arriving on Friday, I cracked a Magic Hat #9 w/Gary, set up my 6 person tent for one (and a bike), and then headed out to the Matterhorn for pre registration, pizza, and some Long Trail beers. The bike racks outside of the bar were jammed with single speed rigs. Everyone got to choose their number, either 69 or 666. The locals, a mix of laid back vermonters and uber wealthy trust fund vacationers with accents were a bit befuddled by our crowd. I gladly explained to a few of them that 200 single speeders from around the country (and world) were in Stowe to ride their trail system and party. I ran into a few fellow Bikeman.com riders here at the Matterhorn including Racin Rick, Paul Simoes, and Keith Reynolds.

With a late 9:45am start time, I Slept in, slapped on some Assos anti-chafe cream, and proceeded to try to find the start line. I managed to get lost following other people that were lost, but eventually asked a local where the race start line was and she said “two lefts and take a right into the cornfield”. Easy enough and we shortly arrived at the polo field starting area. The host from Bike 29, who won last year's contest and the rights to bring the event to VT, gave us a short rundown of the course, the basic cardinal rule, and made statements about how the Stowe trails are better than the Kingdom trails. Then without further ado he simply said “go”. No one bolted at the start, we just rode out as a group up a hill, a long long hill. A few riders began to push the pace halfway up including fellow #teambikeman and Team Bums member Paul Simoes, the rocket man from Rutland, MA who finished the ~25-30 miles with the fastest time of the day in ~ 2hr15min..

The three aid stations were unlike anything I had seen before. The first one was just a couple miles in at the end of the first hill, stocked with The Alchemist Heady Topper. The 2nd aid station was fully stocked by Drunk Cyclist ...complete with Whisky, oreos and cold St Ide’s 40’s. A $40 bar tab at the Rusty Nail was granted to the first three people to pound 40 oz’s of freedom - one guy in a Banana suit named “Montana” drank two for good measure- Banana drinks 40 x2.

Everything was good until my chain kept popping off, damnit! I must have bent the chain somehow and it would just not stay on. Perhaps it was because it was a 10spd chain or maybe I just ‘rolled’ it back onto the cogs too many times which twisted it beyond its limit. It must have popped off 20+ times and I ended up running a lot...good cx training I thought to myself. I had thrown my bike together the night before due to a late shipment of a frame warranty and didn’t have much of a chance to test it out. I wasn’t fazed though, after all it was just a ride and not a race. It actually allowed me to take it slow, watch people chug 40’s and shoot the breeze with other single speeders.

There were many interesting bikes, even some full suspension with chain tensioners (YESS brand tensioner seemed to be the most popular for this setup). I particularly liked seeing the exquisitely designed bikes from smaller custom bike builders such as Black Sheep, Zanconato, and Gunnar to name a few. It was also great to chat with fellow riders about where they were from, and where they have ridden (many of the riders also ride the SingleSpeed World Championship event, SSWCs). This year the event will be held in South Africa.

The trails were absolutely fantastic. The Stowe mt bike groups do a superb job of designing, building, and maintaining the trail systems. The start and finish line were not far from downtown Stowe and the The Three Segments that we rode were connected by wide meandering country roads. Stowe is a great place for cyclists with a paved Rec Path meandering through the town and connecting shops, restaurants, bars and of course lots of singletrack. I don’t have to tell you if you have already been, but Vermont is beautiful and these trails are challenging without beating you up too much. A crew from Mountain Bike Vermont were interspersed throughout the woods snapping photos of the action. They are creating a comprehensive guide to VT mt biking- I can’t wait to see the final product.

I was enjoying the trails but was quickly growing tired of putting my chain back on so the finish line came as a relief. When I crossed the final bridge I was greeted by a rowdy crowd that were quickly draining two kegs and rehydrating with shots of whisky. I’m not sure what happened during the post race but the events were epic. It’s hard to put into words. Luckily there is plenty of video footage to sum it up which I’ll link  to later. The events consisted of a push up contest for one of two $600 gift certificates for Stans Wheels (I should have won) and mountain bike trivia for a sweet titanium fork from Black Sheep bikes  (I should have won this too). Dejay Birtch won the SS USA belt by way of a Mountain bike Derby showdown. My friend Gary was runner up, running out of room and unable to bunny hop back around to face Dejay. Wiki definition of a bike derby.

The big challenge was a contest  to determine who and where SSUSA 2013 would be held. After some whisky fueled brainstorming it was determined that the 1st person to drink a one pint glass of Maple syrup would win the hosting rights for the following year. A fellow from 29nsngl.com put the pint of syrup down like a champ. He chose Minnesota as the place for the ride in 2013. The crowd seemed to be unsure what to make of this choice but I’m sure they will be happy to see what MN has to offer in 2013. So much happened in such a short amount of time at this post race party, I was left dazed and amused. I wish I had pictures to go along w/this article but I jumped into the river with my iphone camera and it is no longer functional.

We spent Saturday night at the Rusty Nail listening to a kick ass band and knocking back some local Vermont brews. Pictures of the event were broadcasted on TV at the bar allowing the riders to relive the day and regular bar patrons to get a good laugh on our behalf. I met some great riders over the weekend including Dan, Joe, Sandie, Thom, Kim, Matt and Gary and look forward to riding with them again in the near future.

What a blast. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do this ride, fortunate to have 1 of only 200 tickets awarded... a sort of golden ticket of sorts in my view. You have to really want it to get it and oh boy, I understand why people want these so bad. I arrived not knowing what to expect and left eagerly looking forward to next year’s event in MN.

Here is a link to some awesome Cycling Dirt videos including the derby and chugging contest. Once on the website be sure to check out the “top” videos on the left for more hilarious videos. There are also a couple of other sites below with coverage of the event.


http://bigbikesmedia.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/249636-2012-SSUSA/video/652648-SSUSA-2012

http://www.video-vermont.com/video/?p=889

http://vimeo.com/46779638#

http://www.video-vermont.com/video/?p=889

http://www.singlespeedusa.com/

http://bike29.com/ride29er/single-speed-usa-2012-pt-2-electric-boogaloo/

https://twitter.com/bikeman_com

www.bikeman.com

Bikeman sponsored products used:
Assos anti-chafe cream
Motorex wet lube
Verge team bibs and jersey
Lazer helmet

Other bikeman items:
Ergon Grips w/barends
Bikeman builtVelocity Blunt SL 29er wheels w/Surly new 1x hubs, White industries freewheel and stans tire sealant. Schwalbe racing ralph/knobby nic tires.
Niner carbon bar
XO Brakes
Raceface stem
king bottle cages
rockshox xx reba w/hydroloc remote
Selle italia seat
SL-k carbon seatpost

Team Bikeman Rides Kona

Team Bikeman Rides Kona

Northeast Root 66 - 2011 16th Annual Hodges Village Dam MTB Race & MA State Championship!

2nd Place - Northeast Root 66 - 16th Annual Hodges Village Dam MTB Race & MA State Championship! 
8/7/2011
Oxford, MA
Cat 1 Men 30-39 (4 Laps)
11:30 am down pouring
Place: 2nd at 2:13:50 (5 min off leader)

I felt pretty good coming into this race. It was my 2nd ride after my 100 miler last weekend so I wasn't sure how my legs would respond. It turns out they still worked but had to readjust to the redline type racing of 2hr xc's.

I felt good off the start in the top three into the first turn but I knew it was going to take a while for my legs to wind up and to get into the flow. It took until lap 2 to really get some steam going although by the last 1/3 of lap 4 I had run out of water and had no goo packs so I bonked. No excuse for this, just poor planning. 

The crowd in the parking lot was looking for shelter wherever they could; in the back of pickup trucks and suv's; under canopies; and in the woods. I heard several people say they weren't going to warm up since they didn't want to be wet for a minute longer than needed.

Heavy, heavy rain soaked the trails and created foot plus deep puddles through the trail. As the day went on the corners became slicker and deeper. My Racing ralph tires were not ideal for this and I slid off the trail more than once. My Nobby nics would have been a better choice but I was too lazy to remount them tubeless. A dedicated mud wheel set is on the wish list now.

As only my 3rd or 4th Expert race I knew there would be stiff competition. I am always hoping to place #1 but realistically wished to land in the top 5. There are some very fast guys in the class and I struggled to keep up after the hole shot.

All things considered the Bicycle Alley sponsored race had a good turnout. A bunch of die hard riders live in Central Mass and it showed. We have a fantastic trail system in many of the abutting towns and we ride rain or shine.

Several of my riding buddies were racing including John Beaupre, fresh off raising $6000 for the Pan Mass challenge, took 1st in the Cat 2 single speed class riding his trick Superfly, Matt Chandler took 3rd in the Cat 2, and last but not least fellow Bikeman.com teammate and surefire podium finisher Steve Witkus took 2nd in his class on his Karate Monkey Single speed. His lovely wife Marcia also provided the picture for this article. Thanks Marcia!

Smoked brake pads, water in the frame, and internally routed shifter cables in need of adjustment are a few of the side effects of racing in the rain and mud. I curse the additional maintenance and costs - but to be honest I like racing in the mud... although more so with mud tires. In fact I like racing no matter what the conditions. Just put me on the bike and say go.

Numbers -
Distance: 22.5
Time: 2:14
Average heart rate: 181
Max heart rate: 191
Elevation gain/loss: 133/132
Avg moving speed: 10.1
Place: 2nd at 2:13:50 (5 min off leader)

2011 Wilderness 101 Backcountry Mountain Bike Race State College, PA

Brandon O'Neal
Wilderness 101, State College, PA
Race #7 of 11 in the National Endurance Series (NUE)
Open Mens
7 am, July 30, 2011 

Now in my second year of mountain bike riding/racing I have gained an enormous appreciation and respect for elite cyclists that race hard, race often, and don't make excuses. This is what I thought of on the morning of my 1st 100 mile mountain bike race.  I did not sleep the night before, literally. I had caught some sort of fever and had cold sweats all night. Luckily by 6 am my nausea had subsided and I was able to stomach a banana. Thoughts of not being able to race due to my physical condition were there and real. I pictured myself lollygagging all day in bed wondering what it was like to race 100 miles and having to tell my friends and family back at home that I couldn't do it because I was ill. Miraculously what I thought was going to be a 24hr virus subsided at 6am and I felt better. I dressed quick, applied liberal amounts of Assos Chamois Creme, and dashed outside to meet the others and prepare for the race.  Jumping on the bike and filling my lungs with fresh air gave me the feeling that everything was going to be just fine. I felt tired but excited to start the race and fulfill the goal of completing the 100 miles along with my friends Karen Potter, Doug Milliken, Brenda and Lee Simril and ~ 400 other dedicated mountain bike fanatics.  

The 400 person group was upbeat as a group can be at 7am. We were congregated in the town park awaiting the ok to start the controlled start to the first climb. Nerves seemed to be minimal and there was not a whole lot of pressure for me personally to get a good start since the long climb would separate out the group. 

The weather was warm at 7 am but by midday it was expected to climb into the 90's. Luckily we would be in the woods for the majority of the race and have cover of the trees provided partial shade. The 90 % humidity from the day before subsided. 

The course is one loop in the Rothrock and Bald Eagle State consisting of Single-track, double track ridge riding, fire road, and some pavement totaling over 10,000 ft of climbing.  There were 5 aid stations complete with food, beverages, and support. Also the organizers had a drop system organized so we could arrange to have supplies left at two of the aid stations of our choice. Most racers chose station 2 an d 4 to drop their bags 

The organizers did a fantastic job running the race. The aid stations were fully stocked and the volunteers were extremely helpful. The signs on the course were great with the exception of one poorly placed sign that caused myself and at least 5 others to go off course climbing an extra 1000 feet at mile 90 and causing us to lose 30-45 minutes of time. 

I really liked the location of the race, in a rural setting with minimal traffic and thousands of acres of pristine wilderness. The anticipation leading up to the race and the camaraderie before, during and after was in my mind more enjoyable than the race itself - this in my opinion is what really separates these endurance races apart from their shorter xc oriented brethrens. It's a big commitment in time, money, and training to prepare and participate in these races but without a doubt it is worth it.

My friend Karen Potter of Shrewsbury Mass had put the bug in my ear several months back about the NUE series. She is a very strong rider and has been doing these races for years so  I knew I would have a good mentor and training partner. I was intrigued and decided to sign up for the Wilderness 101 and Shenandoah before they sold out as many of the events do. The Lumberjack was going to be my first but that was sold out by the time I tried to sign up. 

 Karen and I hit the road from Central Mass for the 7 hr ride to Pa. After an enjoyable ride with nice scenery including open cornfields, old barns, and Amish families on horse drawn wagons we arrived at a nice bed and breakfast in Coburn, PA. There we met up with some of Karen's friends, 2nd place female finisher Brenda Simril and her husband Lee of Chattanooga Tennessee, and Doug Milliken of Maryland, who had recently completed the trans British Columbia race. We stayed with a wonderful couple who were friends with Doug and extremely hospitable.

This race consisted of a LOT of climbing, unlike anything I had formerly ridden. My longest training ride with the most elevation completed prior to this race was in Amherst Mass ~ 5.5 hrs and 5000 ft of climbing. This race was double that with much more taxing extended down hill sections.
My intentions for this race at the beginning were modest - I just wanted to finish at this point regardless of time since I was still a bit nauseas and was unsure if  I was going to have the energy to endure the 100 miles. I took it slower than I wanted initially and kept hydrated and fueled. Being my first NUE race and longest ride to date I was not sure how my body would respond so I was erring on the side of conservative. I spun a little easier often times in my easiest gear combo on my 1x10 drive train, 32x36. The goal was to ensure I conserved enough energy to finish with reasonable strength in the end. I was hoping to come in between 8-9 hours which I was able to do (theoretically), so I am pleased overall.  

My outcome goals for this event in the future would be to finish in the top 20 in the open men or in the top 10 in the single speed class. The times for this would be sub ~ 8 1/2 hours for single speed and sub ~ 7 1/2 hours for open men's. In the future I will not take as much time at the aid stations and hammer the hills a lot harder. I imagine in order to achieve these goals I will need to lose 5-10 lbs by eating smart and incorporate a lot more long hill training climbs, racing hard and often, and peaking for races.

Again, the volunteers at the 5 aid stations were fantastic. Spaced ~ 15 miles apart they supplied food, water, heed, electrolytes, ibuprofen, cold rags, bike mechanics, and encouragement. No gel packets were allowed on the course so litter was virtually nonexistent. Most people filled their hydration packs with a mix of endurance mix and water. Racing at this distance one is best to minimize solid food but rather take in large amounts of gels and liquid nutrition to avoid stomach distress. Each racer was allowed two 1 gallon drop bags that could be filled and delivered by the volunteer to any of the aid stations. I filled mine with Powerbar Ironman endurance mix for my Camelbak, a tube and co2, Clif bars, and gel flasks. In the future I will probably stick with this approach but it is time consuming stopping to fill a Camelbak, although admittedly I appreciated the time off the bike and helped myself to PB&J sandwiches, bananas, fresh oranges, Coke, and M&Ms's all of which were merely precautions to avoid bonking but not necessarily needed.

Good brakes, tough yet light tires, and a well tuned bike are essential for completing this race. Also, being prepared with plenty of emergency repair kit items is the right decision since the risk of a mechanical or sidewall tear increases exponentially with endurance racing since the body and mind will eventually tire and mistakes in line selection will increase. I carried a multi-tool w/chain break, spare chain link, tube, two co2 cartridges, and a tire lever. A tire patch kit or 3m tape will be in my kit in future races in case of tire sidewall tears.

My fellow riders all did well with Karen Potter of MTBRacenews.com on her Zaboo bike taking 3rd place in 8:41 (suffering a torn sidewall which she repaired w/3M frame protector strips and later had replaced at an aid station); Brenda Simril of Motor Mile taking 2nd in 8:17 on her Gary Fisher full suspension; Lee Simril also of Motor Mile placing in 35th place at 8:16 also on a GF fs; Doug Milliken of Bike Doctor of Fredrick on his Eriksen Ti bike in 89th place at 9:33, and myself racing for BIKEMAN.com in 91st place at 9:34 (officially) on my Niner Air 9 Carbon purchased and setup at Bikeman of Maine. 

Karen Potter, Brenda Simril, and Vicki Barclay.

Jeff Schalk in 1st, Christian Tanguy in 2nd, and Mike Simonson in 3rd.

Final Numbers: Average heart rate 151 bpm; avg moving speed 11.2 mph; Time 9:30; Elevation gain 11,096 feet; 104 miles 10,000 calories.

I hope you enjoyed this race report. I am excited to race Shenandoah (possibly single speed)  in September and many more NUE races in the future. Ride on.