bummer of a day at the Cool XC race, but lessons learned

[Ryan Gibson]

Yesterday was tough, no way around it. It was one of those days that you hope to not have, especially for a race that is a season target, but at least lessons can be learned and experience taken from it into the future.

 

The Cool XC just outside of Auburn is in its 21^st year and a fun event that is traditionally a muddy race of attrition. Last year was pretty dry by historical standards leading up to the race, but the promise of mud came through at the last second with rain the preceding three days. I had a great time in 2012, despite a flat, and finished 2^nd in Cat 2. Last year was a year of big transition as I moved successfully from Cat 2 to Cat 1, and I really hoped to do well at Cool this year. It was not to be.

 

My training has been going great this year, on par with base and weight. I did a small taper the week prior to the race, ratcheting down miles, footies and effort, doing shorter rides with just a few intervals. I rested Saturday and felt fresh and ready to charge on Sunday.

 

Riding up in a big diesel can with teammates and a friend that was competing in his first race was great, and the 2.5 hour drive from the northbay went by fast. After a short 20 min easy warm up I lined up next to Clint Claasen and Jim Hewett at the front, with Shiloh Kantz, Jason Moeschler and other fast guys nearby. The start of the race is a little chaotic, as the 30 bike wide start line quickly funnels down to a three bike wide double track-no one wants to give up position here and there was plenty of bumping as we headed around the first few turns. I was able to pin it pretty good off the line and stay near the front, probably 10^th or so, with teammate Jim Hewett getting the hole shot.

 

As the pack started the first few short rocky climbs it thinned out and I was able to take a few spots and found myself in something like 6^th or 8^th maybe. I felt great, a “dancing on the pedals” kind of day, and was ripping along the rocky fireroad before the first creek crossing with the leaders…when I had a sidewall tear in the rear out of nowhere, didn’t see or feel what did it-weird. I had opted for a 2.0 Specialized S-Works Fast Trak on the front and a 2.2 of the same on the front. While this may be an okay tire for the front, and rear for super buff non-rocky terrain, its paper thin sidewalls (how it gets to 550 grams) just are not up for rocks.

 

Probably 8 minutes later after I fumbled trying to stretch a 26” tube on my 29” wheels, I am back on the bike and charging hard to try and make up lost time. By this time the rest of the categories had passed me and I lost lots of time passing with as much grace as I could muster after a frustrating start. The bell helped-love my bell. I started seeing lots of white number plates (indicating Cat 1), and felt like I may have caught many of the Cat 1 racers by the time I rounded out my first lap. Feeling great and on the gas big time I continued to charge, thinking maybe, just maybe, I could salvage a decent Cat 1 result. That was until I took a hairball line to eager and anxious to get through traffic, which had a lot of rocks…sidewall tear number two. This one was probably my fault, although the flimsy tire (which I also chose) didn’t help. In my defense, I am used to running 1000 gram tires on my AM bike that I train on, which is a 5” full suspension beast that eats anything. At this point I am really in trouble, having used my Big Air CO2-while I had patches for the tube, I had no air. As I begin the hike out I notice a pump on the trail that appeared to have fallen off someone’s bike-YES! I broke out the patches and wrappers in my pockets and got rolling again, limping back to the paddock to call it a day. I rode as carefully as I could possibly do, but managed to get ANOTHER flat (probably debris from the dirty wheels due to water crossings). I hiked two miles back to the start/finish so had a lot of time to think about what went wrong and how to turn a negative into some kind of positive.

 

What did I learn? Run tires with more sidewall beef, don’t take hairball lines to pass, consider carrying a pump, and bring a 29er tube and forget about saving the extra 30 grams with the 26er one. Lessons learned the hard way, but had fun watching my friend place second in Cat 2 in his first race ever.

 

I ended up with a 48 minute first lap, so probably around a 40 minute lap without the flat. This was faster than the first lap of the winning Cat 1 racer in my age group, but who knows what would have happened without the flat. I am more motivated than ever now, and am looking to charge hard at my next race, Napa Dirt Classic.

[Jim Hewett]

Tough luck yesterday.  I think you would have done well and I sure could have used a teammate at the front.

If the 26" tube was giving you that much trouble, you weren't doing it right.  Always use a very light one, as they stretch more easily due to thinner wall thickness.  Put a little air in the tube to give it shape (as you would also do with a 29" tube in a 29" wheel) and insert the valve in the rim.  Then start on the opposite side of the wheel (from the valve hole) to work the tire back on.  It doesn't hurt to "pre-stretch" the tube by overinflating it outside of a tire at home and then re-folding it for the race.

I only own 29" wheels and I don't own any 29" tubes.  I have always found the 26" tube just as easy and fast to install.

[Aa ron]

Tough one Ryan. You were riding really fast and I'm sure you would have finished at the top without your tire issues. Great to ride with you and the rest of the Summit team. 2013 is going to be a great year of racing! 

[Ryan Gibson]

Thanks guys. @ Jim re: 26er tube-I was doing it as you say, just kept wanting to jump out of the spoke bed; the slimy stans didn't help, and I had not pre-stretched it. Thanks for the tips. Next time.