Damn that was fun! The Hell of the North was alive and well in Michigan this Saturday. I think what made this race so unique was that it wasn't a true road event and it certainly wasn't a mountain bike race. It was a combination of the two although, it truly suited the road riders. Hell, even the tandums were smokin' fast out there! In a nutshell, the race was a flat out time trial over kick ass hills and gravel roads.
The day started out cold and clear. Once the roll out began it I believe there were around 600 riders who had signed up and the road was pretty well clogged. Once the course left the pavement the dirt road climbs began. Immediately, there was a 2 mile stretch of rutted sandy two track that had riders strewn about. This was the only section that favored the MTB's. Once through this section there were some amazing rollers with sharp climbs and sweeping downhills.
The road was generally dry and loose and I tried to latch onto as many fast trains as possible. The road tems were working together and the pace was fast. My teammate, Jeffro passed me on his fixie at the 15 mile mark and I realized I was fading. At mile 17 my right calf started to twang and I knew it was about to cramp up. I took in a gel and downed some fluids and tried to spin it out. While I did I was passed by about 50 riders! CRAP. I settled in and luckily felt pretty good by the time I hit the 30 mile climb. There was some guy along the side of the road beating a tom-tom drum in a slow, rhythmic sound that resembled my pace as I climbed. Although I felt like I was on the Trail of Tears with riders weaving their way to the top, the drum was a great diversion. Also, the bongo player at the top helped break my trance and pick it up for the last 5 miles to the finish. I finished with an empty tank at 2:07:xx.
The team had some excellent results for the day. I met some great people and the event had a good vibe. Overall, this race is well on it's way to becoming another major event for the Michigan cycling scene. Promoter Rick Plite certainly has that Midas touch. A job well done to he and his crew!
RESULTS:
5 comments:
Great race recap! I like the reference to Trail of Tears.... that rhythmic drumming will very likely pound in my head for the rest of the season.
This race was a blast. It's on it way to being the Iceman of the Spring.
Right on Ali! It was a great venue for you to launch the new Quiring rocket bike.
Well said Dan. I think you are right. 3000 riders in a few years sounds about right.
So did you ride a fixie? If so, what gears?
Goth-
I rode the geared CX bike. I know, I know, I'm a lightweight! Two of the guys on our team rode their fixies. One rocked a 45 x 18 for 2nd place in the class. The other rider went with a 42 x 17. Anybody who raced that course on a fixie has my utmost respect!
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