It has been YEARS since i actually participated in a real race. So i decided to break the streak and sign up for one.
12 miles of pretty familiar trails in the Blue Ridge mountains. Since i work part-time (on my day off every week) at a local bike shop (Blackwater Bike Shop, in Lynchburg VA- an amazing bike shop that was my go-to shop long before i started fumbling with wrenches there) i felt it was appropriate to zip-tie a number on a bike, throw a jersey on, represent the shop on the local trail system, and ride my way to glory!
Ok, so not ride my way to glory! Here’s a summary: i didn’t ride in a way i am particularly proud of… but i didn’t ride myself into embarrassment either! i left myself room for improvement, and may have developed an itch… an itch for competition. There’s a spark kindled inside me that wants to get better, to get faster, to be more technically sound, to get faster, to build more endurance, to get faster… ok, i really want to get faster. Mountain biking is fun! Cycling in general is fun for me, and the faster i can do it the more fun it gets.
The race gave me an honest assessment of where i stand as a rider. Hopefully my next race will give me another glimpse into the single-track-mirror and i’ll find that i’ve improved. Maybe i’ll let you know… (unless i do really poorly, then we shall never speak of it!)
FYI: i rode the race on a Demo Bike from the shop. Specialized Epic: the more i ride the bike the more i like The Brain. The shop is currently rolling over the demo fleet so if you’re interested in an Aluminum Epic: look up the shop and reach out to us, it’s definitely for sale!
Grasshopperking(0) 