100k.
yes cold start but I had nothing but a short sleeve jersey and bib pants, this is the OO man, its the htfu time of year, I knew it was only minutes before I'd be buzzing along with the group to keep me warm.
I started in front third, pace was good, then they upped it slightly out of forrest, look down at garmin no heart rate ... got it working later, anyway backed off a bit and tried to spin as much as possible and draft the group/s. hit the sandy road, its compacted, great that slowed me down last year, next the climbs to KOM - looking a bit wet, now sloppy mud riders walking - wtf I rode all this last year, in the end no traction and walkers across track so had to run some bits. top of KOM, feeling good, on my target time (5hr.55 pace). hit the descents, tuck, drink, eat, recovering beautifully from the climb catch up to softek - rolled and TTrailed as much of road as I could - softek climbing past me on the 1x10 having a chat.
Into Motos section, nooooooooo ... more walkers, come on man it aren't steep how did so many of these gumbies get in front of me. oh well can't do much about it, just got to go with it, so rolled through moto tracks - couldn't get the speed I'd like then again its energy saved so not all bad.
through forrest oval, quick camelbak change no down time, and out into loop, softek climbs past me on first climb - he looks comfortable. I'm eating and drinking getting my mind ready for loop. We're into it, some riders hammer past must be 50kers so we get onto them and its a train through the ST. Into grass trees, softek and I are owning the trails, bang bang berm to berm, catching riders so we sit as pace was good. Into marriner's run sections, about 5 riders in front, I'm watching them closely as a timid rider is going to put you off the trail pretty easily as I"m right on their line. all good, so sit on them, pick them off after marriners - keep seeing softek on switchbacks so know he's there. pass the 50k mark, under 3 hrs (2;56) that's good and where I want to be, legs smacking out the single track - the mountain bike demon is burning inside me, more single track, more, more.
last part of loop with about 8 ks to the oval bang, rear derailleur catches a big stick that I didn't see. happen so fast no time to stop pedaling so RD is toast. so a few options, run back to oval, convert to single speed and ride back. I convert to SS, get the chainline right but chain is super tight so have to pedal very easily. I've cooled down now the demon has gone, and shows over, that's mtbing .... mechanicals happen. roll back into Oval, could snag a demo bike or mates from 50k, nope he aren't in yet and lost too much time so that's it for 2014 Odyssey. In previous 4 have never had an issue not even a mechanical, so outside of my control this one. I'll be back - awesome event, nothing like riding with so many mountain bikes.
