Youngblood's weekend with Burt and Sweeney

Hanson Hills race report brought to you by the letters T, B , the number 50 and Mitch

Due to the fact that I really won’t be able to race for the month of June I decided to try my hand in the Hanson Hills 50. With a start time of 7:00am heading up the morning of the race just did not sound like a great idea. So after work Friday I loaded the car with my camping gear and headed for Grayling.

This race was kind of a two-for for me; my first foray into endurance riding this year and the trial of the new THUNDER BURTS.

To start with the race: my alarm went off at 5:02am to a brisk but beautiful 38 degree morning. After a quick breakfast and a long debate about how to dress for a race that would start at 40 degrees and end at 75 I mounted my bike for the 3 ½ mile ride to the K-Mart parking lot downtown where the race would start. There was a short rider meeting in which we were warned about dune buggies running us over (or sharing 2 miles of trail with us) then the police escort that would guide us through town and back to Hanson arrived and we were ready to go. The race started with a 2 mile neutral rollout behind the police but a bit before reaching Hanson our escorts peeled away and a pace line formed. I kept myself in the top 10 but not right out front as I knew there would be a few guys who were just out of their minds. We hit the trail as one big group but quick broke off the front in a group of about 10. Over the next 45 minutes we continued to drop people until there were only 5 of us left, one solo 100 rider, two 100 teams, myself and a fellow 50 miler (David Sweeney). After a few miles of fire road the three 100 mile riders pulled away (these guys were crazy) leaving us lowly 50 mile riders on our own. At this point I was not concerned about putting any space between David any myself I just focused on efficient riding and picking good lines but after another 15 minutes I started building a small gap between us. When I came through for my first lap I heard them announce I was the first 50 mile rider through and I saw David not too far behind.

As I started lap two, I new David could put some speed down on the straights so I turned it up a bit in the turns and on the climbs where I was able to pull ahead on lap one. What I did not think about was it was 20 degrees warmer and I only had  1 ½ water bottles left so at about 2.5 hours my quads thought they wanted to try cramping a little bit but my mind said there is no way  you are letting anyone catch you. After 15 minutes of spinning my legs out nice and easy whenever possible and not pushing too hard they were feeling much better.  All in all, lap two was pretty uneventful; I rode the entire time by myself and built a large lead over the other 50 mile riders, but because Hanson Hills has such a good trail it really was an enjoyable time. The next thing I knew I was on the last big climb up the back of the ski hill with about 5 minutes of riding to go. I rode through the finish knowing I had just won my first race in a few years, since 2011 actually.

And for the new Thunder Burts: 

This was my very first ride on these and my initial impression as I was cruising down the paved road was these are smooth, quiet and roll fast; while you cannot really get a feel for a mountain tire on the road, that was quickly remedied. When I was in the pace line with everyone the Burts held their line well, there was plenty of grip in the turns while at a good pace and most important while in a mountain pace line, they had plenty of stopping power for the unexpected but guaranteed to happen sudden stop for no reason.

Once I got on my own I was able to get more of a feel for these tires and Hanson Hills was a good place to test them, there was sand, soft loam, hard pack and just about everything in between. On the trail the front felt twitchy for the first few turns but that was mainly due to the light weight and good grip, if you point these tires somewhere that is where they are going to go. Once I got used to how fast the front responded handling was razor sharp. In sand they floated as well as any tire can be expected and did not wiggle or slide too much. When pushed hard in a turn they provide a lot of feedback, I could start to feel them loose traction and they would slip a little but they had enough left that I could bring them back without a problem. One loose climbs I did find I had to put a little more weight over the rear tire than I am used to but that may also be down to a change in bike. One huge advantage I noticed with these tires is how fast and eager they are to spin up under acceleration. The light weight really shines through here.  The only thing I did not get to test them in was mud, but then again, I have no desire to test them in mud. In conclusion, the Burt rolls like no other, holds in the turns and can climb. I have ridden tires that will do a single one of these better, but not one that does all three as well in combination as the Thunder Burt.

So in a nutshell:

(Next race:  6/1/14 the kids on the street travel to Stony Creek for the annual XC Marathon)

The Seven Pieces of Eight

Race #2 in the Tailwind USAC Series brought our ragged group of misfits to Island Lake, also know to some as the ILRA Proving Grounds because of the speeds that can be carried through this trail.  It has a few few fun sections where you should really be paying attention to what you are doing but overall this trail is all about flow and go.

This race brought out everybody....and by everybody I mean everybody.  So much everybody that even Captain Terror himself was showing up to race.  The world hadn't seen an event like him since 2009.  More on him later.

In the morning the first to go was the usual Jon, Aryn and Brian.  However, today was also the day Mitch would be tearing off the Motor Club jersey and making his debut with the METAL Crew.  Yes now the team is 4 strong in the CAT-1 division and was ready to dance.  Unfortunately Mitch had been sick all week and Brian got caught up in a passing scuffle.  Although their races were tampered with the both of them came across strong and ground it out to the finish.  Brian was able to keep within the top 10 in his Expert 40-49 class out of 33 racers

While Mitch finished just outside the top 10 in the Expert 30-39 class of 24.

Jon and Aryn faired better in the Expert 30-39 class and finished 2nd and 3rd with Jon leading out the class for about 75% of the race.

Jon and Aryn, along with Mitch were in the lead pack with Jon being the Alpha Dog for most of the first lap.  Jon and the eventual winner turned some screws and put some space on the rest of the pack at the end of the first lap but Aryn made sure to keep the hammer down and stay in the hunt for the leaders going into lap two.  Jockeys were battling for position the entire second lap but when it was all said and done Jon finished less than a minute behind the winner with Aryn coming in a minute behind him.

Debriefing

Jon starring as himself with co-star Mitch as Aryn

As the sun got higher it was time for Ken, Mike and Gerry to shove off.  Just like the expert classes, the Sport classes seemed to be packed to the gills as well.  As good as this is for the race series, it does make the classes far more competitive than normal.

Mike was first to fire off and did so in fashion with his new Twin Six METAL kit now that he is official.  Still working on getting his legs back he focused on having a clean race and making sure he stuck to his training plan.  There was no taper for this race as this day was used to pocket some gains for later in the season.  Mike kept to his word and managed to avoid and ride around two big crashes that happened in front of him.  Although he finished 18th in his Sport 30-39 Class he was very happy with how he did.

Ken and Gerry both raced Sport 40-49 and there class was 27 deep.  Ken was proud to show how much he has improved since last season and knocked out a personal best.  While he PB only netted him 16th place it was still a step forward in his hunt for a top 10 finish.

And last, to the man none of us thought we'd ever see on the course again, The Captain, Gerry Heath.  A few of the guys have a very long history with him and we more excited to see him out there again than their own finishing places (the editor being one of them).  No one cared what his time was, where he placed or even that he probably didn't bring his own beer.  He was out there pedaling again and now the cycling world is in balance again.....

Damn good day at the races when everyone finishes and there are no serious injuries.  Another great race put on by Tailwind Racing LLC.  

The Gathering

Young Youngblood showing daddy how to keep the whites clean.

I was dreaming when I wrote this, so forgive me if it goes astray....

DUB9'S DOUBLE DUTY

MUD, SWEAT AND BEERS:

The drive up was the usual 3 hour cruise through the rain.  It seems like every year is the same April weather in early May.  Loaded up on carbs at Red Mesa.  Back at the hotel, I went to the pool to relax a bit but there was a birthday party going on with kids all over the place so I retreated back to my room.  Later it appeared the bday party was moved to the hallway outside my room as night fell.  Eventually I had to pop my head out the door and ask a mom if the volume could be turned down so I could get some sleep.

Then it was breakfast, and loading up the Jeep as this was a 1-nighter.  We headed off into the gray toward Mt. Holiday.  At least we got the VIP parking area that comes with owning a Jeep.  The weather was cool and misty, probably mid-40s.  I got dressed and did a bit of spinning to wake the legs up.  Then hopped back into the jeep with the heat until race time.

Lining up for the start, this is when the rain began.  I moved front row among some fast singlespeeders and expert women.  At the gun I took off, and was second wheel under the Kenda tire.  Dr. Andriese was pulling the group, which I was Ok with since he had the goggle, I figured he could see where he was going.

He kept a brisk pace out of the ski area, and started grinding up Heart Attack/Will Power hill.  He was geared bigger than I, so as his cadence fell, I moved around and crested the top in the lead.  I pedaled consistently through the subdivision and I could hear him whirring behind me.  He made a move and I clung to his wheel.  My glasses became useless in the spray, and were tucked into my pocket before we hit the dirt.

The pace was fast, but I was hanging on well.  we were catching traffic frequently.  As the rain continued to fall, his combination of high torque and semi-slick tires made the singletrack a chore.  He slid out in front of me twice.  The third time was on the VASA (I think) and when he went down in the corner, Eric Freewheeler and I went past.  He kept a good pace, but I knew Steve would be charging quick.  I moved tot he front about 10 miles in to increase the pace.  I don't know how long Eric was back there, but soon I was alone.

My plan became to remain quickly cautious on the singletrack.  Consistency there would keep me ahead, and spin like hell on the flats.  On a couple occasions I heard shouting for Steve to catch up, so I would did a little deeper.

16 miles in and through Timber Ridge my hands were cold and numb.  Soaked to the bone I knew if I had to be clear when we hit the pavement at the end.  Mile 18 and I was spinning 130+ RMPs, tucked behing a Quiring jersey and holding on for dear life.  I let it rip back down Heart Attack, then back up into the hill.  I made a pass on the right and spun out in some sand.  My first mistake of the race.

Crossing the hill I was pretty sure I was safe, the off camber grass was slick, and closing would be tough.  I splashed down and crossed the line, excited to finally win.  That was short lived as not I was soaked, and cooling quickly.  Shivering is an understatement, more like convulsing.

Then it was waiting around 3 hours for awards, and a 3 hour drive home to repack for Sunday.

FORT CUSTER STAMPEDE:

On the request of a teammate, I was coerced into racing again on Sunday at Custer.  Tire legs and a tired brain were loaded into the cars at 6:30 in the morning.  The trip over was uneventful, but I needed more coffee.

Upon arrival, I was greeted with the news that I was flying solo,  The sun was out, but it was windy.  There was a chill in the air but at least it wasn't raining.

A large class lined up, 2 rows of 10 aiming for the small off-camber chute through the grass.  Entering the woods I think I was 5th wheel.  I didn't have much "snap" in my legs, nor ant sustained power.  I just tried to keep a good candence and see what happens.  The leaders were fast, and soon pulled away.

The trail was a different route than I was used to, less high-speed 2-track after the horse seperation.  The first lap was just learning the course.  I did remember granny garden, and when rider #4 lost traction, I came around.

Much like the day before, it came down to consistency and riding within my limits.  I came around after lap 1 in 4th.  I did not know at the time, as numbers were jumbled, and we had 30's, 40's, 50'2, and 300's in our class.

I kept picking my way through, and the second lap was nice as things had opened up a bit so it was easier to look ahead.  I made my last pass on the paved tank course right before the finish.  I diddn't know if he was racing me, but I laid down whatever I had left in the final section and crossed the line.

I don't really know how hard the race was, as I had forgotten my Garmin at home, so I have no data to tell me.  If I had to estimate, I would say somewhere in the 2-10 range of RPE.

J'son won by nearly a minute, so I was happy to hold on for second, and score another pint glass.  My total for the weekend was 2 pint glasses, a beer mug, and a really big beer mug.  I guess I need to start drinking more.

After the race I was able to spend some time hanging out with Team Big Kahuna.  Uncle Fred took 7th in his Sport Class and sub team rider, TEAM SKY, took 2nd in her Women's Beginner 11-14 Class.

Until next week, Stay Metal!