2025 Winter Shart Tarck: Race Duas

You might think after one billionty laps of Shart Tarck racing, it's time to stop thinking "what could I be doing differently?"

You might.

I don't.

Getting dusted off the line and down the pavement forced me to make a lot of efforts to make my way up through the field last week.  Obviously a taller gear would be faster (sometimes), but how tall and will it kill me?  Only one way to find out (well, two but bear with me).

I had the 30 tooth oval hanging on a hook since I experimented with a very long time ago and came to the conclusion that I have no idea if it was any better or worse.  The 13 tooth cog came with some spacer kit I bought some time back, and I hung on to it for novelty's sake.  When would I ever want to use it?

MLK Day 2025, apparently.

It worked out as well as you might think (if you're a single speeder who can do math).  I determined it wouldn't kill me... as long as there was little to no wind (on top of a giant exposed landfill mountain)... as long as there was no energy-sucking mud (after the last ice/snow storm and a week of freeze/thaw)... as long as I don't get stuck in any slow traffic where I'd need to stay on top of the gear...

Basically, the very essence(s) of Winter Shart Tarck.

Go home, struggle to get the tiny cog off with my homemade chain whip, leave the oval on because why not?

I guess the other obvious way to have found out if this would work would be to just show up with it... and I might still... because... burrito?

I can't bring myself to write a blow-by-blow race blerhg.  I found myself in the same purgatory I was in last week.  I watched as the usual suspects rode away until they were out of sight.  My familiar nemeses were all just there outta reach, and if I tried to extend myself to do anything about it... I think the term I'm thinking of is "Sisyphean Task."

Head meets brick wall; repeat.

Look over my shoulder and the gap back to the next single speeder is so big that I'm only motivated to keep hurting myself just enough to not get caught.

Obviously (or mebbe not?), I'm probably just pissy because it's been since January 5th since I've ridden anything other than the Shart Tarck course and a few Sad Dad™ intown  rides.  I've had a fresh Minion DHF on the Vassago Radimus Meatplow V.9 for over a month, and it ain't seen dirt yet, and also a Minion DHR that still has Pisgah fairy dust on the tread from its one and only outing.  

What will dry rot first?  My tires or my brain?

Oh... did you care about the race results?  I slipped back to seventh place with two new interlopers in front of me, and because if I'm good at anything, it's attendance, so I'm now sitting in the fifth spot on the wide angle final podium.

Now to start a GoFundMe to help me prepay some lower back surgery so I can run 30X13 at least once before the series is over.