North Shore Classic NE Championship Series

Expert 30-39:
1st/13
Overall Expert:
3rd/48

This race was another add-on thanks to my coach’s advice. I thought it would be appropriate to lay low heading into NORBA Nationals next week, but he recommended I do it to make sure everything was in working order. He was probably referring to my body, but it turned out to be a much needed opportunity to get accustomed to my new Aegis ProAxe.
After some brake boss issues, I picked the bike up Wednesday hoping to get a trail ride in and start dialing it in. Unfortunately, it was raining of course and the front shock was having lock-out issues. I took it home anyway and did a road ride to try to get the cobwebs off it. The shock was definitely not operating properly. It wouldn’t even give me full travel when unlocked. So the bike was dropped back off at the shop Thursday with my SID Race from last year and a riser bar to be installed.
Picked the bike up Friday, headed to Cape Cod on Saturday for the night, then hit the race on my way back north.
Sunday saw sun for the first time in years! However, the enthusiasm was tempered by the fact it had rained for a zillion days straight and even though we wouldn’t be racing in the rain, we’d suffer through the aftermath: MUDVILLE! The 10-mile loop was cut to 7+ as a result.
I warmed up on my trainer to keep the bike clean as long as possible. Sprayed the drivetrain with Pam and headed to the start only to find out we’d be delayed ½ hour. For once I placed myself at the front of the line which was a good thing because it was a mass start and the field was 50+ strong. Typically, however, I wasn’t even in the top-10 heading into the singletrack as my lack of aggressiveness slowed me down. Having not ridden the course, I had no idea what lay ahead so I trusted the guys in front of me and made split-second reactions to the trail. Many struggled on the first technical climb and I made some passes. We then hit a sweet singletrack section that was textbook New England. It was a little early for me to test my bike handling versus the course so I was a little slow at first. Plus, not knowing what lay ahead made for some cautious riding.
The loop was fast from then on, mostly double track and fields, plenty of opportunities to pass. The mud was prevalent everywhere. The preferred line in the fields would get higher into the deep grass every lap to avoid the slop. In some places, it was actually better to go through the real soupy stuff because it was more water than mud and would the tires would just push it aside. There was one place where this wasn’t the case. I choose a wet line to make a pass and buried my bike to the hubs in a mud rut! Amazingly, the bike flushed the junk out and I kept going. I stayed in the middle ring the entire race for fear of developing chain suck. Luckily, shifting was flawless throughout. I attribute this to my new favorite crew member: Pam!
The field spread fairly quickly and I rode alone for most of the 2nd lap until I came upon a group of 5 other experts riding together. When we came to an open road stretch, they seemed to slow to recover so I took advantage and passed them all right before going back into the woods. This proved to be a pivotal move as after the first technical ascent, I didn’t see them again. The funny thing is, I was going to work with them and allow someone who was perhaps stronger than I in the singletrack to lead, but they were already too far behind.
I crashed twice on speedy/muddy descents and I blame my tires. Hutchinson Pythons are NOT mud tires. Although they cleared the mud easily, they more or less rode on top of the slippery stuff providing little steering or braking control. They were great on the open road sections though. The bike was predictable beneath me as I think the cockpit is set up well. It’s definitely stiff. Going from my Surly steel hardtail to the ProAxe is a significant change. I think I’ll play more with tire pressure next to gain some comfort.
I’m obviously very satisfied with the win, and I hope it’s a good indicator of where my fitness level is and how good the bike is.
Mt. Snow is next, my biggest MTB race of the season.