Hammer
Success on my first official mountain bike race of the season! I went down near Monterey for the second CCCX race, a flat and fast course snaking around Fort Ord, and won the Cat. 1 19-34 age group. I felt really good from the start. The whistle blow and sent the Pro and Expert field off on a blistering pace. From there I quickly settled into a groove and hammered for an hour and 45 minutes. I looked back a lot making sure I could hold my position and control my own race.
Course conditions were absolutely perfect. The trails saw a bit of moisture, making the dirt really fun to carve. The cloud cover kept the temperatures near perfect. Not too hot or cold. I raced my Epic with some fast tires. Feeling at a disadvantage weight wise the bike proved, yet again, to be the perfect setup for me. It was a bit chattery in a lot of spots and the FSR suspension just soaked everything up. I had both Brain settings to full firm. Great for all the punchy efforts
My buddies Josh and Ryan were out there battling in their respective races. Always good to have friends racing with you. Takes the pressure off and makes it really fun. I also had a few Muscle Milk Specialized team mates in the field. John Hauer took 2nd in the Pro field, and my bud Ryan got the last podium spot.
The high school scene is very much alive and well. My start group was mostly made up of Junior experts. A few of them even hung on with the pros. I watched a handful of them fly by me at the start only to be caught at the very end.
Now that I've got my first win of the season under my belt I'm feeling really pumped and ready to race this year. Tomorrow I continue the pain and suffering with another race up in Granite Bay. It'll be slightly different, being more of a marathon-like course, a bit more technical than the trails of Fort Ord, but a bit faster and longer. Hopefully I'll find my legs and recover quick enough to do some damage.
Race Notes
- Fort Ord has a lot of poison oak throughout the year, so make sure to bring some Tecnu.
- The course isn't technical, so an ideal bike would be a hard tail with some fast rolling tires, just watch out for sandy turns.
Equipment
- 2014 Specialized Epic Expert World Cup (Size: Medium)
- Front Tire: Specialized Fast Trak Control 29x2.0"
Rear Tire: Specialized Renegade Control 29x1.95"