Chose the single speed for this one this time. Why? Well, a couple reasons: First, I have never raced a stage race SS. Second, Breck Epic was so cruel last year, I couldn’t dare a repeat so I forced a differenct conclusion by riding a completely different bicycle! The race was different, too. Six full stages–no weather shortened prologue timetrial foolishness. Just business. Brutally knarly, high elevation, get-your-climbing on sorta business!
Knowing this, I geared “down” for Breck, starting at just 34-16 on my 26″ Ibis Tranny. I also installed a full 100mm of Manitou R7 suspension up front and my trusty Jandd framebag to stow all my spare parts… minus a spare pedal (we’ll get to that later).
Stage one got off to a decent start and I was going well until I noticed that the pedaling seemed to be getting harder. Yeah, I was going uphill but it was HARDER! Appartently I had neglected to tighten my seatpost clamp, and it had migrated a full inch below normal. So, I stopped and fixed it all up and of course got passed by a lot of folks. Got them all back and then my entire seat fell off. At least I was consistent at NOT tightening bolts! By the end I had opended a gap on my competition and won but a couple minutes.
Stage two on the Colorado Trail had been on my mind since last year. Basically it was where I came to the distinct realization that I man not leave Breck alive or at least without coming unhinged countlessly. Everyone thought it was benign on paper, but I remembered it would be tough. I begged and borrowed a 17 tooth cog from Jake Fitzpatrick–guess he didn’t need it since he was riding some special belt driven thingy. Two to one… are you kidding me? That is what singlespeeds are sold with–how wussy is that? The real story was that this gearing will either destroy its rider or the competition at this venue. BONUS: the cog was Ti! With tight bolts and a lower gear I smashed the second stage and increased my lead.
While stage two had everyone thinking “easy”, stage three around Guyot was creating fear and trembling in the groupetto. Starting with a not-so-easy climb up Little French, then twice over the continental divide before a ridiculously hard finishing climb that was also distinct memory from last year. We rolled out of town and up an old flume. Flume means they used to run logs etc down a water slide of sorts. Now we ride mountain bikes on them because the are perfectly graded singletrack. They ARE singletrack because they have a dish shape and are generally narrow ie. designed for one log… Well, apparently one of the not-so-fast geared guys was upset about a lowly single speeder being ahead of him and decided to “on your left me” resulting in tangled bars and arms and me riding into the bank on my right. Of course the bank was composed of numerous rocks, one of which ripped my pedal body off the spindle. After about eight miles of riding, running, slipping and hoping I wouldn’t become me own new pedal body, I made it to the first feed/tech zone and bummed a pedal and cleat. With some minor bike/shoe surgery I started up the continental divide–the first time.
This got interesting since it was now misty and even precipitating, and getting colder by the minute. I was angry and frustrated, but the weather just was the proverbial straw to set me off! I like it hot and dry, it is supposed to be hot and dry in August. It was cold and raining, so I just got ‘er done and ripped down the descent only slowing to blindly run off the trail and remove my glasses. At the bottom we got on the road for the trip back over the top and it was just getting colder and wetter and I rode harder and faster passing, all but two other single speeders. Near the top my old buddy Garth Prosser told me Dejay and Mike were only a couple minutes ahead. I started this section of the Colorado Trail remembering a hoo-ah session chasing Cory Wallace down it last year–me on full squish and him on his hardtail. I also distinctly remembered thinking “this dude is crazy to be riding his HARDTAIL down this silly rocky root fest this fast.” Now, I was going to do it… and then the sun came out!
Game on. It was like being in a tunnel of frustration and suffering for hours and then popping out into nothing but awesomeness! I let go of the brakes and had one of the most superbe downhill rides in years and in the rockiest of rooty switchbacks, saw the singlespeed leaders flailing around just ahead! I just rode by as we got onto the gravel proceeding the final climb. My Ibis did have wings that day and I flew up the senselessly steep grades only having to dismount once to clear the top. It was good and I won–against jut about all odds!
Stage four on the Aquaduct was beautiful in every way Guyot wasn’t. I was off the bike very little and while Mike Melley forced the issue, I was able to overhaul him partway through the day and never looked back padding my lead even more.
Wheeler Pass. Stage five. This was what I wasn’t looking forward to. Way high alpine, and hike a bike. Lots of bike walking and that was even with gears! I struggled and humped it for what seemed like forever this time chasing an inspired Montana Miller. He was 100 percent commited and I was just trying to keep him in sight. Over the top and down the ridiculous knar descent to the bike path. Then I caught M&M and dropped him until two (one I mentioned earlier, one that wasn’t even racing) degenerates with a “J” on their kit decided to draft him back up to me. Eeewwww, light that fire from two days before, baby. I just did a slow burn, smoldering along the paved trail until we turned onto the Peaks. Then I shoved the pedal through the firewall! Full gas for the first time this week. It felt good, as every fiber of my being screamed in protest and then unified in effort to crush this silly insult. And that I did, they were all gone and I eased up and rode to another stage win!
Number six, the final thrashing on Gold Dust. If I was wrecked yesterday I utterly caving today. To that end, I just gave er. Up the climbs holding the wheel passing the geared guys even with Pua. Sorry guys–ladies and single speeders go fast too! Over Boreas, down the flume ‘Dust and back up the pass. I could smell it, feel it, taste it and up ahead I would soon see it–Breckenridge one last time. Pua caught me on the second descent of Boreas and it was nice to draft… she even gave me the singletrack and I let it hang, my own private celebration of a stage race fully in my corner. Then over the bridge, onto the pavement and I was finished with Breck Epic singlespeed style. Six days, six stage wins, the overall… nothing better than that in bike racing! Oh, and I won a sweet new frame from Misfit Psycles– http://www.misfitpsycles.com/ Rock on!
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