24NTOP ~Video~ and RR



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Bill Porter

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The 24hr in the Old Pueblo was a blast! I had thrown my legs over a singlespeed for the first time
just a couple of weeks before the race. I was pretty sure I could put in a couple of good laps for
the SCUMBAGS SS team but I was a little concerned about recovering between laps as I always felt a
quite a bit more thrashed after the training rides on the singlespeed. Out at the race I loved the
wonderful speed at which you are forced to climb even though it often comes with a healthy dose of
pain, particularly on the b!tches. The cactus trail (first singletrack) was where the singlespeed
really shined. It was a gradual climb and there were only a few turns that required any substantial
loss of momentum so I could keep up a good cadence. However the new singletrack was a different
matter. It really beat me up, as it was bumpy and tight requiring a little more use of the brakes
than I wanted. This is were I came to loath my brakes as every time I squeezed them it meant
additional pain in my quads and lower back was just seconds away when I had to regain some speed. By
the third lap on the new section of singletrack my lower back was on fire and I lusted for the
smooth plush ride of my Spider back at home. The final climb was actually not bad on the singlespeed
at all. I was pretty whooped by the top of it last year on the geared bike and I was pretty whooped
this year too, but I got to the top quite a bit quicker. Lap for lap I was a couple of minutes
faster on the SS than I was on the geared bike last year even though I don't feel in any better
shape than last year. I squeezed out 5 laps and I felt totally humbled by the laps those kick a$$
solo folks did. The bottom line is I think the SS thing is hella lots-o-fun and I am going to giving
the legs some SS luvin, but I have no plans on chunking the Spider. I had toyed around with the idea
of racing a lap or two with the camera gear on but after my first lap I decided the hell with that.
I had also planned and catching some footage of people in the transition area, but after the first
lap I found myself just eating or resting between laps. Of well, here is the video of 99% pre ride
and 1% race at the Old Pueblo. www.mountainbikebill.com/videos/24NTOP-Web.mpg

Bill Porter www.mountainbikebill.com
 
> www.mountainbikebill.com/videos/24NTOP-Web.mpg
>
> Bill Porter

Cool vid, cool tune.
--
Slacker
 
looks like fun! great job with the video AND the 4th place.

charlie
 
Charles Beristain wrote:
> looks like fun! great job with the video AND the 4th place.
>

God I love the desert. Although that was a helluva lot of cholla for a 24 hour event.

Greg
 
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 07:13:02 GMT, "G.T." <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Charles Beristain wrote:
>> looks like fun! great job with the video AND the 4th place.
>>
>
>God I love the desert. Although that was a helluva lot of cholla for a 24 hour event.
>
>Greg

Yep. Almost every corner had some flavor of cacti setting in a really good spot to grab a shoulder
or ankle. As the laps went on you could see were riders went a little wide or cut a little close and
paid for it. It mad for some "obsticales" as you would come out a corner and there would be chunk of
cholla right in the middle of the trail. I managed to only get a couple of scratchs, the kind you
don't even notice until later. There were several of times per lap where I pulled in my shoulder,
arms, and knees to clear an turn.

-Bill
 
"Bill Porter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 07:13:02 GMT, "G.T." <[email protected]>

"As the laps went on you could see were riders went a little wide or cut a little close and
paid for it."

That was me last year! On the first cactus ST I blew a turn and bumped my left shoulder up agains
some cholla. I get back on course and only then do I see a chuck of cholla the size of a small apple
sticking into my shoulder. it didn't really hurt but I couldn't figure out how to get it off and
keep riding at the same time. I had full fingered gloves on but the needles went rigth through them
so that didn't work. I finally was able to just pull the sleeve of my jersyey out enough to bring
the cholla with it. I resisted the urge not to rub the area and when I got back to camp I pulled
about a dozen little needles out.

as the race progressed though, I wasn't the only one to blow that turn and it actually developed
into an alternate line!

The one thing you quickly learn about Arizona Desert riding: you can't bounce off the bushes the
same way you do back home.........

Michael
 
Of well, here is the video of 99% pre ride and
> 1% race at the Old Pueblo. www.mountainbikebill.com/videos/24NTOP-Web.mpg
>
> Bill Porter www.mountainbikebill.com
>

Very nice. While watching that I can almost feel that dry desert air cooling my skin.

Thanks for the video.

S
 
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 02:43:22 GMT, [email protected]
(Bill Porter) wrote:

>The 24hr in the Old Pueblo was a blast! I had thrown my legs over a singlespeed for the first time
>just a couple of weeks before the race. I was pretty sure I could put in a couple of good laps for
>the SCUMBAGS SS team but I was a little concerned about recovering between laps as I always felt a
>quite a bit more thrashed after the training rides on the singlespeed. Out at the race I loved the
>wonderful speed at which you are forced to climb even though it often comes with a healthy dose of
>pain, particularly on the b!tches. The cactus trail (first singletrack) was where the singlespeed
>really shined. It was a gradual climb and there were only a few turns that required any substantial
>loss of momentum so I could keep up a good cadence. However the new singletrack was a different
>matter. It really beat me up, as it was bumpy and tight requiring a little more use of the brakes
>than I wanted. This is were I came to loath my brakes as every time I squeezed them it meant
>additional pain in my quads and lower back was just seconds away when I had to regain some speed.
>By the third lap on the new section of singletrack my lower back was on fire and I lusted for the
>smooth plush ride of my Spider back at home. The final climb was actually not bad on the
>singlespeed at all. I was pretty whooped by the top of it last year on the geared bike and I was
>pretty whooped this year too, but I got to the top quite a bit quicker. Lap for lap I was a couple
>of minutes faster on the SS than I was on the geared bike last year even though I don't feel in any
>better shape than last year. I squeezed out 5 laps and I felt totally humbled by the laps those
>kick a$$ solo folks did. The bottom line is I think the SS thing is hella lots-o-fun and I am going
>to giving the legs some SS luvin, but I have no plans on chunking the Spider. I had toyed around
>with the idea of racing a lap or two with the camera gear on but after my first lap I decided the
>hell with that. I had also planned and catching some footage of people in the transition area, but
>after the first lap I found myself just eating or resting between laps. Of well, here is the video
>of 99% pre ride and 1% race at the Old Pueblo. www.mountainbikebill.com/videos/24NTOP-Web.mpg
>
>Bill Porter www.mountainbikebill.com

nice, bill The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind
should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]
 
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