RT 66 Hopbrook Dam Race

First race of the season has come and gone. Great turnout for such a crappy day, but the weather just added to the challenge. Each lap it just got greasier and greasier. I stayed upright, but had some exciting fishtail monments to keep me on my toes.

I chose to race my age group instead of CAT 1 SS, figuring all the guy racing that class last year were moving up to Pro/Open. 4 people did end up racing that class, but I had already made my choice, so I stuck with it.



This video is the first singletrack of the race. After a drag race across wet grass, we crossed a road and entered single file. I was stuck back in 21st. I did manage to pass one guy in the singletrack, when he dabbed, but all and all the singletrack conga line is very frustrating. Once things opened up a bit, and we got to some climbing, I was able to claw some ground back to eventually finish 13th. As frustrating as it was being stuck behind guys sitting and spinning, I doubt it would have effected the eventual outcome.

Major props to James for racing the Pro / Open class. He finished arouund 12th or 13th if I remember correctly racing against national pros, and only a couple minutes down on Thom Parsons, our Semi-Pro series champ last year (and also another SS rider).

I would have finished 2nd in the CAT 1 SS class (third if James had raced it), but I think I'm going to stick with the age group for a while. I like the challenge.

Some courses might be more favorable to geared riders (like ones with long flat grassy sections), but others, like Winsted Woods, and Winding Trails, I believe, are perfect for the SS.