A hint of the future

Last Memorial Day, Scott first visited BC. He rode gears and full suspension. He rode baggies and a full face helmet. We went on our first date. A year later and another visit to Vancouver. Scott rode his single speed with front suspension. He brought a lot of lycra. We went on another date.

He also brought my new cross country bike over the border. A rhodochrosite red Siren with fluorite purple bling-bits. Color scheme inspired by the Colorado State Mineral type locality from the Sweet Home Mine near Alma. It's cool to be a geek.

Scott built. We rode.

Unlike my all-mountain Enduro, the Siren actually likes climbing. The 29" front wheel rolls like a dream and doesn't wheelie up at the first hint of steepness. The front fork is still enough for how I ride the Shore and the soft-tail takes the edge off the roots and rocks. I'm loving the Ergon grips.

Saturday we rode to the North Shore Bike Fest for the Marathon XC race. The race was only 40 kms. It started by heading out on a paved multi-use path before heading back to the start line on double track. The course then headed across to Seymour Mountain on technical single track before the double track climb up Old Buck and the Baden Powell. Then my least favorite descent on the Shore- Severed Dick, a hike-a-bike up C-Buster, follwed by descending single track and a steep climb double track climb to the start area. The finish line was a decsending, big chain ring ripping, 5 km crushed gravel path.

I doubt this will ever happen again, but as the start and finish were all about pushing the BIG chain ring I got in front of Scott. He just about caught me on the Old Buck/Baden Powell climb. I heard his voice part way down Severed Dick and stopped to give him a kiss. We rode together for a while until he crashed (not a bad one!). I stopped until he reminded me this was a race. The Siren *loves* to climb so I managed to reel in a few guys on the last long climb :) If I can't descend worth shit I should at least climb well! Scott finished a few minutes behind me. It was not a good course for a single speed. I almost felt guilty everytime I shifted to the big ring.

I learned that some people are bothered by chatting on climbs during a race... that there are a lot of sandbaggers in citizen class... and that riding home from a race is hard.