Chilling and shilling

Tuesday I finally got around to checking the tension on the new IndustryNine/355 wheels.

After the first three to four hours of riding I'm happy to say my wheels just needed a little spoke turning time. For all you people that care about "tire talk" the Mountain King 2.4 got pulled off and a Rampage went on. The Rampage just has more "visual volume", and since I stare at my front tire quite a bit that's very important. I did put the MK 2.4 on my "training wheels" (which have Flow rims) and it plumped up like a Ball Park frank. Good times.

Now here's some nice-nice promo talk for the Breck Epic:

This is the time of year when most folks have made their plans for the "season" or are at least firming them up. So far the Breck Epic has filled about 50% of the allowed spots. Comparatively the Trans Rockies and the BC Bike Race (which in the past have been full or near full by now) are also lagging slightly behind their normal blistering registration pace. I realize it may be a sign of the times, and I certainly understand folks wanting to sit on their nut for as long as possible before jumping in.

Here's what I've been thinking. Since my first stage race back in 2004 (La Ruta) I've heard a lot of Americans say the same thing, "Why can't we have something like this in the states?" We all came up with a laundry list of excuses; liability, location, expense, logistics... you name it. I'm talking about a full-on, week long, epic days, fun nights kinda stage race. Well now we got a guy (Mike McCormack) who saw the opportunity to offer something totally unique, and he didn't look think of all the reasons there can't be a stage race in the U.S he thought of all the reasons to promote a stage race somewhere up in the purple mountain's majesty above the amber waves of grain (cue music and display flag to provoke patriotic feelings now).





So let's see what Mike is offering:

Breck Epic is a six day race where a team of two can sleep in an already set up tent and eat two squares a day for @ $1,330 a person* (if you're racing on a team).

BC Bike race gets you seven days of racing and all the above listed amenities for around $1,800 per person* (+ 5% GST @ $90 and any conversion charges your credit card company inflicts on you).

Trans Rockies is also a seven day race and includes the same stuff for @ $1,500 per person* (+ the same 5% GST and credit card crap), so it's safe to say more than $1,600 per person.

*All entrants get a free number plate included. Shazam!!!

So we finally got a pure, week long mountain bike stage race in the US, with a huge purse ("$10,000 plus a ga-jillion dollars in merchandise"), in the mountains of Colorado loaded with singletrack (one of the biggest complaints I hear at the other stage races: "Too much fire road, not enough singletrack"), and people aren't falling all over themselves to get their asses to Colorado this July? What are you waiting for?

Now sure, the Breck Epic doesn't have the traveling circus feel that you get with the other races. Everyday we'll be staging right outta Breck, and every night you'll go back to the same tent in the same place every night. I've always liked the traveling circus style races like BCBR and TR, but they have their drawbacks. Packing and unpacking your shit into a "not quite big enough duffle" everyday is a PITA. Hauling 75lb duffel bags across two football fields after seven hours of riding is hardly a treat. Finding out that the quaint little town your staying in only has one shower for the men is always a bit deflating as you find yourself in a long line with a bunch of stinky, skinny, naked guys. Finding out that the water truck got stuck on a mountain road hours from the "remote" finish, and that you'll have to go without a shower for a day was really fun. Having no breakfast because you're out in the middle of nowhere and the gas griddle stopped working was certainly sheer joy. Not to mention all the late shuttles (or non-existent in some cases), having to figure out where all the important stuff is when you're dog tired (supper, awards, showers, the next day's start...). It is all part of the adventure, but for that certain somebody who's looking to get their feet wet in stage racing without worrying about all the things that fall through the cracks (ever had a bus break down in the middle of Costa Rica the night before you're flying home, and nobody really knows how they're gonna get back to the hotel because there's a mudslide between you and San Jose??)

I'd love to go on and on, but I have to go to work now. I think if you're someone who's been on the fence about doing a stage race this is the one for you. I'm not saying it won't be hard (it will), but most of the things that will cause you the greatest amounts of stress (outside of the actual riding) have been reduced or eliminated. Wake up, ride, repeat. It's gonna be sweet. Mike has a great reputation for putting on some stellar events out west, so I have no doubt he's gonna pull this one off in a super duper manner.

And don't forget, if you can't find someone stupid enough, er... I mean willing to partner up with you Breck Epic does offer a solo category, so even if you're the world's biggest misanthrope (by biggest I meant fattest) there's a place for you.

At Work BTW: I am in no way saying that I don't treasure every little mishap or adventure I had at La Ruta, BC Bike Race, or Trans Rockies. Since I lived through them all I can look back and laugh at the river baths, hard boiled egg and tiny pie breakfasts, midnight bus shuffling, hitch hiking, and all the other logistical pitfalls I fell into. They are all great races, and the promoters do/did everything they can to make sure the same mistakes don't happen twice.