Indie Series #5 (Methow Mountain Challenge)

Hi all,

Thought I would fire out a race report from Winthrop and Indie Series #5 (Methow Mountain Challenge) on Sunday:

I should have known something was up when I eavesdropped while visiting Methow Cycle the day before. I catch only snippets: "...dangerous. Some people are going to get hurt for sure", "...I don't know how you would ride that", "...old downhill course". Despite these ominous words, and the fact that I am racing an untested set of tires purchased the day before after rolling through some puncture vine, I line up to race under overcast skies and occasional drizzle.

Ten minutes from start I am in a no-man's land between a lead group and the rest of the field out of sight behind me. This loop hits a lot of trails I have ridden before, although you'd never have guessed it from my bobbling some of the more technical sections. Catch a couple of people on the first incline, then swap spots with a few folks on the gentle rise that concluded the lower loop. Generally pretty mellow. I think I'm around tenth.

Ends up all the talk in the bike shop pertains to the upper loop, which is new this year. I get caught by another guy early, but hang on his wheel up the lower pitches. Catch Cosmic from an earlier start group, then the trail turns right onto about four miles and a couple thousand vertical feet of brutality. I hit the granny with no shame, lose my lead's wheel, and wish I had another gear. Pass a single-speeder walking his bike, and take FAR too long to get around him. Back on the forest road at the top of the pass. Guy up the road dives off left. I think I remember that trail. Twisty descent. I must have topped out. Thank god. Closer to the turn, and...145 degree turn onto a bushwacked, sandy, 20% grade! I spin out near the top and have to PUSH MY BIKE for about 50 meters. Finally hit the summit and I understand the "old downhill course" reference. Catch my tire in a rut, and I'm over my bars. Luckily the slope is too steep for any trees to grow to interfere with my course to the ground. Knee throbs but works. Chain back on and clear my yard sale for a guy to pass. Confidence rattled, but the trail gets more rideable and I cover the last four miles at warp speed. Somewhere in the forest Cosmic screams "WHOOOO-HOOOO!"

Roll in bloody and dirty for thirteenth, to complain about (relive) the hell (glory) that was the "upper loop".

-jason

Mason Lake #1

Here's my sad little hack at a race report...

Mason Lake 1 (my first ever road race = lots of lessons to learn) was mostly sunny and pretty nice, with a nice turnout despite the dire forecasts. The only meteorological challenge was a nasty wind, which made a mockery of any attempts to get away in our race (despite what seemed to me to be some serious blocking efforts going on up front). The Joe Bar Two represented with a nice appearance near the front for most of the first lap of the Master C/D race (Lesson 1: Don't blow your wad on the first lap unless it is a 1 lap race). As J wisely settled into position to let others do the work of chasing people, I squeaked by a block in a sad attempt to join said people being chased. A minute of hammering resulted in little more than the pack getting a free ride for that same amount of time (Lesson 2: Don't half-ass an escape attempt). I did get an "atta boy" as I passed the other dude who made it by the block, so I got that going for me.

J positioned himself nicely in the front third for laps two and most of three, while I sucked wind for a lap and experienced the frustration of the accordion (Lesson 3: Don't sit in the back of the pack thinking it will be a nice place to recover). After finding the support vehicle right behind me in the early miles of lap three I managed to squirm my way back up next to J in the closing kilometers, and we both entered the sprint poised for top 20 finishes...

Unfortunately the sprint didn't work out too well for either of us. For me a lack of good position (Lesson 4: Don't to left like everyone else does in the sprint) quickly followed by the will to sprint for 30th being sucked out of me, while J positioned himself nicely but as he put it "was in the wrong gear or something". The sprint drills will commence until the results improve.

The Bottom Line:
J: 25th
Jason: 37th

Cheers,
Jason

Bike Club begins

Winter training has officially begun! Wilbur hosted the first Joe Bar Bike Club last Wednesday, our weekly indoor team trainer workout. Nothing relieves the tedium of the trainer more than being in a room with the team and Wilbur barking out workout command. Anyone who's heard him at a cross race knows that man can bark. In attendance were bunnies Wilbur, Matt, Jason and Thad (and briefly J, who forgot his shoes) and former bunnies Shawn and Peter. Dinner was Wil's famous veggie Buffalo hot wing pasta - don't knock it until you've tried it. Next week, more Bike Club.

State CX Championships

Sunday was State CX Champs at SIR! DJ came through with a wicked-good course that never really seemed to let up. Good mixtures of off-camber grass and dirt, hard turns on and off gravel, 2 run-ups, infield barriers for spectating, off-camber mud downhill and a bumpy section running behind the start/finish line left everyone tuckered out. A work party Saturday night did most of the work, so Sunday morning we only had "the pit" to clean and a few sections to tape (Rory panicked a bit at 8:30 when the whole grass straightaway wasn't done yet, but Joe Bar pulled through!). A crack team of registrars kept the lines short as people rolled in.
In the first race Jason took 2nd for a pretty bit of bling bling (I think you should get it cut into pieces and get it mounted on your teeth like grillz) and Beth took an awesome 4th. Karen looked like she was riding hard and enjoying the course too!

Andrew was our man in green for the 10am race and put that mtn bike to good use. In the mud where everyone else was sketching, he just swooped through. The 11am race went off super fast compared to the first two. J and Matt were both near the front as the pack moved through the s/f and both held on strong for the rest of the race (J 8th, Matt 20th).

For 1p, Dan and Thad rep'd the singlespeed and Dan claims that chipotle beef sticks are the new gu, but I'm going to have to stick to my cliff bars... Greg and I both had front row seats to the start and when the whistle blew, it was on. I was sandwiched between two rad racing kids, but thankfully they pulled pretty hard and I sat in 4th wheel as we made the first turn, then dropped to 6th past the s/f, Greg was only a few bikes behind. In the first lap there were something like 3 or 4 crashes, so I was super happy to be up near the front. Greg passed me at the end of the first lap with a nice butt pat and an Ethridge-esque "nice race", but I got him again just after the steep rideup since he flatted and went for a 3k jog. Sucks because he was chilling in 4th place and probably would have held on... anywho, i got 12th and greg recovered to 18th/26. Not sure how the s/s fared, but Thad was laying on the ground and coughing after the race and dan went to first aid with a 3" laceration across his shin (Dan 7th, Thad 8th). Looked like good cx to me!

Big up to Wilbur, the team cheerleader who stuck around all day to keep everyone psyched as well as all the Joe Bar people who came to help and weren't racing. Also thanks to DJ for a rad course and getting the Joe Bar name out there.


-jeremy

Woolley Cross

Whew, i am as the french say, "le tired". Saturday, Greg and I rallied up to Sedro-Woolley for part 3 of the Cascade Cross series. The course was long and pretty much non-technical. Lots of wide turns and a super long straightaway through grass with a hidden inch of water under the blades to make everything soggy. Also some gravel paths, 2 slippery uphills, a nice steep run-up and a bit of muddy farmland for good measure. We did a Le Mans start with the master Bs, with the women and SS 1 min behind. Greg rocked it, coming in 4th and I was a bit behind in 11th/19. The fun part for me was ending up mid-race near this dude from Cycle U who kept attacking, trying to get away, and I didn't let him go until the last lap. I think he burned way too much energy b/c he was darn near the back on Sunday's race.

-jeremy

SCX #6, Bremerton

yeehaw.
sorry i didnt make it to the earlier races, a lack of prep on the ferry almost kept me from my own race.
looked like jason did well in 7th.
in the masters 3, j took 16th and matt and thad got 25 and 26.
beth took 14th in her field and sounded happy after her race.
in the 3s, greg got 22 and i came in 33.
brandon was the joe bar star of the day in 3rd place in ss and dan not far behind in 6th.
big props to matt for helping greg and i out as we rushed to check in and to everyone who yelled at us.
the course was fast except for the deceivingly thick mud in the field, lots of cool twists and turns mixed with power sections made sure that everyone got a chance to show their strengths (and weaknesses).
word up yallz, anyone up for wolley cross next sat?

SCX #5, Donida Farms

sweet muddy cx racing! i dont remember all the results off the top of my head, but here are some:
jason rocked it for 3rd in the master men 4
j was upper mid-pack?
matt wasn't feeling super -psyched and decided to cut the insanity short mid-race (I don't blame him a bit!)
beth kicked total a$$ to take 4th (and apparently 3rd yesterday!)
in SS brandon got 7th and thad and dan were somewhere behind him racing next to.....
the taco! greg wore my halloween costume, a giant taco, and got mad props all race (except when he rode into the cucina tent and knocked it over!), taking 35th and I suffered immensly during my race taking 50th. i do have to admit that i was really really excited when i saw craig comming out of the woods behind me and passing me in the muddy bit, eliminating 1 more lap of muck for me :)
we had a sweet cheering section going for the 2:30 race.
see y'allz next weekend.
-jeremy