Lodi 2K9

I decide to try something new this year. Forget all that solo nonsense. I went out there with 15 year old Danny O to rock the duo class. I knew we were fast enough to have a good day, but there were too many variables to predict early success.

I led out lap 1. Found myself in 3rd place on the Mocha Fisher Rig in 32x19. Was feeling good till about 1.5 miles in when I washed out. When I got back on, I stumbled and ended up pinning my leg between my top-tube and bars. I pinched it badly, and it hurt. I freed it up and got going, but it hurt for the duration of the race. It didn't impede me too much, just aggravating. I held 3rd. Later, maybe 1/2 way through the lap, I burped a bunch of air out of the rear. I rolled it for a while, but quickly realized it would need air. I pulled off and dug out my Genuine Innovations inflator and quickly got back up to good pressure. Bike Factory teammate Jeremy Senn overtook me, and I rolled a mile or so with him before I took 3rd over again.

Rolling through the creek was a surprise. Hadn't expected that since we bypassed that last year. I also expected to be nearly done at that point, but the new, fresh singletrack section drug on for a bit. I pulled in, had a good exchange with Danny and he was off. I think I turned a 51:30 or so. The leader did a 49 and change. I had decided to be done with the mocha Rig with the Jones ACX rear and took the 2009, XDX equiped Rig in 32x20 out for the rest of the race. I think that was a good call.

Danny and I made the best of the good weather for the first 7 laps, averaging 55 minute laps between us. After I finished 4, the rain came, and it came hard. It would rain off and on for the rest of the race. The conditions went from bad to worse to awful. The new singetrack was a disaster. Somehow or another, the Bonrager XDXs managed to bite very well in the slop on my first wet night lap. I was out of the saddle up most the hills and didn't spin out. The roots weren't even an issue for me. Lap times went way, way down between the darkness, fog, slop, etc. Danny got in from his 5th lap around 10:20 or so. We were in 1st by a bundle, so I headed out with the intention of just surviving my 6th lap. It rained for the duration. Conditions were the absolute worst. Leafy branches were hanging in the trail everywhere. I lost my helmet light, and riding with just a bar light out there on that twisty course is a nightmare. I lost most of my rear brakes and the front was gone entirely. But I survived.

We won Duo. To the best of my knowledge, we won overall as well, fending off the 3 person teams as well. We were as consistent as the conditions would allow, and it paid off.

Nice work Danny, and Happy Birthday race, Dave.