Should I Stay Or Should I Go???

So this weekend is the first mountain bike race I have scheduled for this year. I have been looking forward to The Bonita Xtreme Challenge however a 60% chance of rain for Saturday and a 70% chance of rain for Sunday are looming on the horizon. I feel the need to redeem myself for the poor road race performances so far and the dirt is my preferred terrain. So the chances of me going are high but guarded b/c the last thing I want to do is eat %!it and knock myself out of commission this early in the year.

After next weekend I guarantee the first photo blog of the year. I am spending 8 hours in a car going to Columbia, TN for an AMBC race. The Chickasaw Trace Mountain Bike Classic will be the first real test of my MTB skills in the Mountains of the year no less. Rocks, Roots and Fast Ass Tenn Boys here I come. This race is to be held just south of Nashville, TN in the foot hills of the mountains. I have been killing the mtb and my handling skills are coming out of hiding after a winter without dirt in my diet. My main worry are the Climbs. For LA I am a good at climbing however, this is a different beast than I am use to. I can hold on but will I excel??? That is the question. It will be the first real race at my new classification of Semi-Pro so the big Dawgs will rear their ugly heads and put me in my place.

As far as dirt riding has been going I have been hitting the dirt very consistently for the past two weeks or so. Many morning road rides are followed by dirt in the afternoon. For those of you that do not ride MTBs just believe that there is trust between the rider and the equipment. A bond like driving a car very fast through a blind and unfamiliar corner at excessive speed. You just have to know how to point and shoot and manipulate braking, acceleration and weight ratios between the front and rear tires to accomplish a goal, which at that time is to not crash and exit the corner retaining as much momentum as possible. This is also followed by a rapid or gradual acceleration back up to cruising speed to traverse the terrain as efficiently as possible. XC MTB racing is not a game of force or a show of sheer power it is rather a game of finesse and a lot of trust, skill and a lot of LUCK. Flat tires or mechanical malfunctions are the most common ways to ruin an otherwise great day of racing.

I have not had the pleasure of racing in TN nor do I know what tires to pack for the trip but I am sure I can find something that will work.

Till Next Time LAE,
Jr