Chivalry is Dead

The Icycle.  This weekend.  Much excite.  Never can I remember such horrific weather... for drinking.

I'm going to want to make some good decisions.  The weather will be too nice to not enjoy 21 miles (or so) of riding in Western NC, assuming I don't get caught up in all the heavy breathing and racing stuff.  It might be a little on the muddy side, but being that I haven't been on a real mountain bike ride since January 1st, I'll take it.  For almost the whole month of January, I've piddled, raced cross, watched cross, rode across the city to do laps on a short track course and to beering establishments, but nothing I would consider a "mountain bike ride."

My back is in okay shape (my shoulder is still a bit clunky), so I should really make the most of this opportunity.  Then I'll cross the finish line...

I can't remember how many years it's been since I made it to the actual downhill race.  There's usually a plethora of available beer at the XC finish and lots of racers who aren't doubling up as well as spectators with no intentions to race anything at all.  So many bad influences.

The temperatures at the top of the downhill will be something above freezing, which is a pretty rare occurrence.  I feel that not making it to the start would be another wasted opportunity.  I would love to be up there this time... so no risking too many practice runs just because the shuttle is there waiting for me at the bottom.  Also, clean tires on every trip down.  I found out the hard way that showing up to the top of a greasy descent with bagels for tires is no bueno.  To say that last year's wreck took some wind out of my sails for more than a month would be a huge understatement.

Once I get my race run out of the way, business as usual.

Saw this from across the room the other day:

First place prize for winning the Icycle Night Downhill Sport Class... don't even remember what year that would have been.  2000?  Who knows.  Being that it used to be a black hat and its now sun-faded gray/brown, I guess I wore baseball-type hats back then.  That was also a time when the downhill was the night before the XC, so it was even harder to make good decisions.

Or was it?  I don't remember.

I think I need an accountabilibro for this one.

Skipping tomorrow, because I have to load up my car in the morning and drive to work in order to facilitate my early exodus from town.  I hope Nick "Dip 'n Spray" Barlow has lots of sports talk to discuss on the four hour drive.  It will help me sleep.

Oh yeah, this morning's dream...

I was on course at the Fontana XC race.  I saw an unwrapped candy bar on the trail, so I stopped to eat it.  People were passing me while I was enjoying my found treasure, so I got back on my bike, got to the finish line of lap one, and started drinking beer with Eric and Erinna.  Then they told me I was actually still winning when I quit and reminded me that I said I was going to enjoy 21 miles of fun riding regardless of my standing.  After some hemming and hawing and gathering of things, I went back out.  I had to pee, so I leaned my bike against a tree, but in the trail.  Three women on a bicycle built for three went past me, wrecked into my parked bike, and were tossed all over the place.  I walked away from my bike like it wasn't mine.