So how'd Shawammy go?

[martini]

Who's got the reports? It was a great weekend here in SoWisco, so I imagine conditions up there, if it didn't rain, were damned near perfect! Gimme the dirt!

[JayT]

The weather was great... even a little warm. The course was a bit slower than last year... I beleive the term spongy best descirbes it. Plenty of puddles to muck it up... nothing new. Once again, a good time was had by all.

Personally, I achieved the long standing goal of aging a year and bettering my best, but I fell 1 ½ minutes short of the top 200 which I was shooting for. Dang, I'll have to do it all again..........

I saw the Borah van pre-race and wondered if you were around…

[chirochris]

The cheq 40 race was a great experience

[Jeff Lewis]

It was my first one so I kind of chilled and soaked it in. As expected the roll-out was a little freaky. More than once I heard tires rub and then some skidding as the pack would spread out, realign and then surge forward again. I camped out on the shoulder -- not far away from some soft grass.

Once you hit Rosie's Field people started to crank it up and find their positions. After I got tired of attacking the course I slipped in with a bunch of guys and pretty much stayed there for the next 20 to 30 miles. It was obvious that the power-sapping soft roads were exacting their toll on some of the riders. Every now and then I'd catch some poor soul riding about as fast as my 5 year old. Laugh while you can because as I learned this course has a way on sneaking up and biting you in the a$$.

I was actually happy to happen upon Seely Fire Tower when not in the "red zone". But about a few miles later I suddenly felt so hungry I could chew the bark off the trees. After jamming a gel and half bottle of sport drink down my throat I was off motoring again.

If you haven't done this course before let me tell you that the last 2 miles will test every fiber of your being. Everyone knows that this is the last opportunity to really push it. The course does not disappoint dishing up hill after hill after hill. I bombed down the last big hill with reckless abandon causing my front tire to go flat 200 yards from the finish. Just leaned back and rode her in. Yeah, I think I got my money's worth.;)

[SPR]

It was my first one so I kind of chilled and soaked it in. As expected the roll-out was a little freaky. More than once I heard tires rub and then some skidding as the pack would spread out, realign and then surge forward again. I camped out on the shoulder -- not far away from some soft grass.

Once you hit Rosie's Field people started to crank it up and find their positions. After I got tired of attacking the course I slipped in with a bunch of guys and pretty much stayed there for the next 20 to 30 miles. It was obvious that the power-sapping soft roads were exacting their toll on some of the riders. Every now and then I'd catch some poor soul riding about as fast as my 5 year old. Laugh while you can because as I learned this course has a way on sneaking up and biting you in the a$$.

I was actually happy to happen upon Seely Fire Tower when not in the "red zone". But about a few miles later I suddenly felt so hungry I could chew the bark off the trees. After jamming a gel and half bottle of sport drink down my throat I was off motoring again.

If you haven't done this course before let me tell you that the last 2 miles will test every fiber of your being. Everyone knows that this is the last opportunity to really push it. The course does not disappoint dishing up hill after hill after hill. I bombed down the last big hill with reckless abandon causing my front tire to go flat 200 yards from the finish. Just leaned back and rode her in. Yeah, I think I got my money's worth.;)Good story, nice recap. :banana: Are you a writer by chance?

[grizzly adam]

After jamming a gel and half bottle of sport drink down my throat I was off motoring again.;)
You said "motoring"! - You must drive a MINI, he he...

Thanks for the story. That's awesome. Maybe I'll get in some year.....

[halls]

First time ever and we bounced along on a tandem in the short & fat. I saw five MORC riders wearing their colors. Looked great. We weren't sure at all what to expect at the start. Short race had 837 riders of all abilities. We pre-rode the course friday but it changes with that many bikes. Overall it was a great experience. Fantastic to see mountain biking have it's day in the sun!

I did catch the final sprint in the Fat tire. It took place just before the finish line with Brain Matter catching Stever Tilford looking over his shoulder. I think Steve thought he had enough distance coming down the hill but Brain was right on his wheel. As he looked ,Matter jumped on it ,came up off the saddle and sprinted up the hill with Tilford in hot pursuit. Jeff Hall was third by maybe 10 sec. He was flying also . Were is OLN when you need them? I was very impressed with Brian Eppen and his wife. They were 10th overall on their tandem. Great race.
I did see something i've never seen in a bike race. Someone finishing the short & fat race came across drinking a beer! Good time, i'am going next year even if i'am not in the race!
:cool: :crazy2:

[tedsti]

Where to start, where to start....this was my first time doing the 40. Let's see, by mile 10 the mud in the chain was causing chain suck in the middle ring whenever I cranked on it. I rode most of the rest of the race in granny and the big ring. The most demeaning part was the freshly graded fire roads with no gravel. It was like riding on velcro.

Mile 18, left crank started coming loose. Why it chose now, I have no idea. I had to stop to tighten it twice since it is hard to get it tight with the little Park T-bone tool.

Mile 22, inner quads start to cramp. Start chugging more Propel from the camelback. Continue cycle of cramps, ease up for awhile, start to ride harder only to feel the legs trying to lock up.

Firetower hill - Rode up the first section only to have the legs cramp up. Got off the bike and couldn't strainghten my legs. Walked the bike up the middle section in a squatting posture. I then decided this was more painful than riding, so I rode up the last section.

I then continued the cramping cycle to the finish in 3:42.

Lessons learned:
1 - Put on new rings and chain
2 - re-loctite everything
3 - no beer the night before
4 - need something stronger than Propel and need more electrolytes
5 - Need to do more road riding

With all that, hopefully I can get in again next year.

Ted

[igor]

I was in the short and fat. It was a very slick/slow course this year. I had a monster wipe out into one of those mud holes. I took what I thought was a safe line through it but I was sucked in there. I wish I could see that on tape cuz someone said it was a cool wipe out as they rode by and asked if I was ok. Other than that it was my best time for that race. It was great seeing Bill before and after!

[mtnbykr]

Who's got the reports? sorry to say i didn't race it this year...

had a new garage project going that consumed mucho time, back surgery and the general lack of ambition to ride [can you say burnt out...], i figgered it was better it not hurt myself and stayed at home. did go for a 100 mile motorcycle ride tho... :?)

kl

[ryno lite]

First time ever and we bounced along on a tandem in the short & fat. I saw five MORC riders wearing their colors. Looked great. We weren't sure at all what to expect at the start. Short race had 837 riders of all abilities. We pre-rode the course friday but it changes with that many bikes. Overall it was a great experience. Fantastic to see mountain biking have it's day in the sun!

I did catch the final sprint in the Fat tire. It took place just before the finish line with Brain Matter catching Stever Tilford looking over his shoulder. I think Steve thought he had enough distance coming down the hill but Brain was right on his wheel. As he looked ,Matter jumped on it ,came up off the saddle and sprinted up the hill with Tilford in hot pursuit. Jeff Hall was third by maybe 10 sec. He was flying also . Were is OLN when you need them? I was very impressed with Brian Eppen and his wife. They were 10th overall on their tandem. Great race.
I did see something i've never seen in a bike race. Someone finishing the short & fat race came across drinking a beer! Good time, i'am going next year even if i'am not in the race!
:cool: :crazy2:
It was great to see you Bill! Tilford would have won, but he got a stick in his rear derailer with less than a mile left and had to get off and pull it out. He spent the rest of the ride catching up with the top guys and because of that he didn't have enough kick left to outsprint the winner. He said he made a big mistake not putting the lead crowd away earlier. He figured he'd beat them in the end and didn't count on a simple stick causing him to lose time in the last mile.

[halls]

A stick? wow! Matt had a similiar encounter on friday didn't he? It was great to see you guys up at the big race. I don't know about you guys but i had to take in some post recovery fluids afterwards. Are you sure it wasn't one of these bananas that got Steve Tilfords bike?:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Jeff Lewis]

Good story, nice recap. :banana: Are you a writer by chance?
Nope, not even close! Like 98% of the racers out there I'm an Engineer.:geek: :laugh:

[igor]

A stick? wow! Matt had a similiar encounter on friday didn't he? It was great to see you guys up at the big race. I don't know about you guys but i had to take in some post recovery fluids afterwards. Are you sure it wasn't one of these bananas that got Steve Tilfords bike?:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
Ya somehow mother nature caused a stick to take out a few spokes on Friday afternoon. Thankfully I was able to get it fixed for Sat!