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The race started southbound along the parking lot off 200 North. Mike
put up the UMB canopy to give a little protection from wetness while
watching the races and working on bikes. Meghan
Sheridan hits the canopy during the second wave. Still another 45
minutes before her race. |
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The snow was about three to four inches deep, with more
falling. It packed into tread, then flew up to melt on shoes and mess up
the bike's drive train. The Men B group heads out from
the start line. |
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The race was a test of skid-control. I learned that my right turns
are totally spazzed. Five times I slid down and landed on my right hip
while turning to the right. Shane Horton sprints north
after the shakeout of the Men 35 B group. |
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The double barriers were opposite the start /
finish lane. Riders were a bit nervous about skid control (both for
tires and for feet) when braking and dismounting. Dallin
Hatch (yellow jacket) hops the second barrier on his first lap in Men B. |
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The race course frequently merged onto sidewalk. The
change in texture made these transitions spooky. Dave
Benson, riding Masters 45-plus, finishes a tight turn in the trees and
heads for sidewalk. |
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The volleyball pits -- there were two -- were deep and
loose. But the moisture made it dense enough that it was possible to
blast all the way across. Sometimes this put you three or four riders
ahead. But when you got out of the sand... Northbound
through the second sand pit of the loop. I made 7 of 10 sand crossings.
But maybe that wasn't such a good idea. |
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Sand flipped up onto the cogs and fused with snow. After a
couple of laps, many racers found their chain was jumping all around,
skipping and slipping when trying to accelerate out of a turn. This
showed the wisdom of a second strategy. My rear end at
the end of the race. After a shift, it might take 50 to 100 yards before
the chain would settle in and grab the cogs without skipping. |
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Many racers simply planned to run the sand pits. This
kept the brakes and drive-train free of the sand-slush mixture. Mike
Engberson runs the sand, thereby preserving his drive train. |
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As the day went on, the turns got more and more slippery as tires
ground the grass away and exposed a snot-slick layer of mud over frozen
ground. Obviously, somebody on the UMB team has
experience with winter racing. The pump sprayer is filled with
windshield washing fluid. (If I'd known it was there...) |
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The race loop was 1.7 miles in length. Being careful in the turns did
slow things down. In the first wave, the fastest riders got in five
laps. Shane Horton (at left) runs the sand pit. |
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I'll be happy to add your crash story here: Anyone? Anyone but me?
I confess to dumping five times. Well, maybe it was four. Not sure
how that soft snow and grass managed to draw so much blood. My
right leg. I'd better work on those slippy right turns. |
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This was a fun course, made even more interesting by the weather.
Good times.
Kudos to the UMB CXers who came out in the ugly weather. Jason
Sparks has the lead in the Masters 45-plus group. |
