Stage racing is hard, this race in particular has some major challenges associated with it but in general stage racing is hard. Getting up for an extremely hard effort 5-6 days in a row is a challenge mentally and physically. Keeping your body up to the task is not easy either. You really need to be planning your nutrition for the next day while you’re racing. I don’t think I did this well during stage 1 and paid for it dearly both the evening of stage 1 and stage 2.

Don’t plan on doing much else while the stage race is going on, even with the racing being done by noon-1pm most days, I had to go back to the race tent to pick up aid bags and go to the evening meeting every day. Those things combined with how beat up and tired you are don’t leave much time/energy for much else.

I was really excited to be able to make stage podiums on 4/6 days riding with some of the best singlespeeders around, particularly in a race at such high elevation on courses that I’d never seen before and all of them have. I really didn’t know what to expect coming in. I wanted to do well and really wanted the chance to get onto a podium but I actually kept that as a stretch goal as I had heard from so many people how hard it was to come from the east (lower elevation) and do well out here. My main goal for the event was to come out, ride my race, and have a blast doing it. That was accomplished.

The scenery and trails utilized for the event are so good. It was my first time really getting to ride in the mountains of Colorado and it really didn’t disappoint. So much variety, so much elevation, the scenery, it really was pretty much all that it’s cracked up to be. With that being said, I still love my east coast trails and I’m proud to call them home. I will be back to ride more of Colorado and hopefully ride some of this stuff again.

My bike worked close to flawlessly all week with just about no maintenance other than cleaning/lubing the chain. The only things I think I might have done would be to check the air pressure in the fork, it doesn’t appear that I came close to using all of the travel in the 120 mm Pike and maybe have the brakes bled at elevation, they did get a little wonky up on top of Wheeler pass. Neither of those things were enough to consider a real mechanical issue. I ran a little more pressure than I might normally in the rear tire but there were so many fast descents with square edged rocks that I felt like this was a good plan. I did hit the rim a few times pretty hard but managed to get away with it. More about the bike at the end.

Katie deserves a medal/belt buckle of her own for putting up with this goal/event/training. The week of the event was one thing, she was so supportive all the time and wanted to help me get rest, food, reminding me to take nyquil/dayquil for the cold I was battling. She really was on top of so much and kept people updated on the day’s events. There is more to it than that, ever since we decided that this was going to happen back in January I’ve been somewhat obsessing over it (it’s what I do…) I actually followed a training plan that got fairly intense a couple times, I built a new bike, and really put a lot of effort into getting ready to be out here. While she wasn’t always excited about everything she was always supportive and encouraging even on the days when I didn’t really want to go ride (believe it or not those do exist although few and far between) she encouraged me to get out and get it done. I really would have had a hard time doing it without her and honestly crossing the finish line every day to find her and Lizzie there waiting is so cool and really a little hard to describe.

The technical bits on the bike

“Ti Timber” The Bike

Frame – Salsa Timberjack Titanium

Fork – Rockshox Pike RCT3 120 mm

Wheels – I9 Trail S

Crank – Shimano XT

Drivetrain – Endless Bike Co. (32-20)

SeatPost – Specialized Command Post IRCC

Stem – Thomson

Bars – Thomson Ti

Grips – ESI Racer’s Edge

Tires – Maxxis Ardent 2.4 Front/Ardent Race 2.35 Rear

Saddle – WTB

This is a bike that I’ve been piecing together for a while and has quickly become my favorite bike and a build that I’m really happy with. Andy from New River Bikes has really helped me put together a bike that I’m proud of and enjoy the hell out of. It’s not all of the flashiest components or the lightest things out there however it is all very good quality and very durable. It also rides great. There are a few components on this build that I’ve had for a long time and some of them were handpicked for this build specifically.

I ended up going with a new fork and wheels. The fork was one that I was trying not to buy, but after riding it for a little while with the more XC oriented fork I realized that with the geometry of this bike and where I do 95% of my riding at the moment it really wanted a proper trail fork. After putting it on there and getting some rides in I made the right call, the Pike really brings that bike to life. The trail fork may weigh a little more but the downhill confidence and amount of smiles that it induces are worth the weight in my opinion.

Then the wheels, I’ve been eying a set of I9’s for a long time, they have a great reputation and it really doesn’t hurt that they are a local company based right in Asheville. However their traditional mountain bike wheel is not the cheapest thing out there and I’ve always had a hard time justifying it. Recently they released a cheaper version that utilizes steel spokes and a slightly different rim but you can get it with the same legendary hub. The biggest difference to the naked eye is that it doesn’t come in all the fun colors and customizations. However this new version fit the bill perfectly and New River Bikes made it happen once again.  

For some reason I still really enjoy my single speeds, with only one gear it’s certainly not the most efficient bike in a lot of situations but it seems to be the bike I feel the most at home on and that has to count for something. I also don’t have to worry about that hangdown thing in the back getting ripped off. Anyhow, I’ve got a gear that I know really well and I like to ride it so what else is there.