Bumbling around on Buck Hill
From: David Schueller
Date: Jul 12, 2007 11:32 PM
Congratulations on the win, Rich.
I was looking for a good workout, so I went to do the Buck Hill
Thursday night race. Penn Cycle puts them on most Thursdays in the
summer, with a 2 lap rec race and a 4 lap advanced race.
So in doing this race, I gleaned a list of things to do if you want to
have a bone jarring, Wheelman-against-machine-type of trail race:
– Ride a mountain bike, oh, twice during the entire year, then race
it on a ski hill.
– Install a new rear derailleur cable as fast as you can the night
before the race.
– Make sure your front derailleur only shifts to the big ring half the time.
– Ride a worn-out 1998 fork with as much stiction as possible.
– Pump up your tires to a higher pressure than you’ve ever ridden, to
avoid pinch flats (because you’ll be going so dang fast). Then ride
the driest, loosest course you can. Your butt will love you.
All in all, it was a good workout and I got some cool scratches on my
arm. I got 26th out of 60 or so starters, in 1:08.00. I’m definitely
digging the road racing though, as my favorite parts were the climbs
and the straighaways where I could really jam. But bumbling and
bouncing around in the woods is always a good time.
David