Damn am I ever ready for Steamboat. The anticipation has me in it's grip like a good buzz. 24 hour events are special - when else does one get to ride without constraint for 25 hours straight? It takes a lot of time to prepare, both physically, mentally, tactically, mechanically...so many details. When the gun goes off the easy part begins.
Yesterday's training was a nice ride to High Point on the Colorado trail, starting at 4am. Today was Missionary ridge, a bit shorter than yesterday and tells me all I need to know. How cool is it to be at 9500' at sunrise in the summer? Livin' large in the Rockies.
A quick trip to in Farmington and I now have a new XXX racelite disc wheelset. To my surprise, it is of the centerlock variety - not what I need with the Hope Mono Minis...but no worries, Ralph got me so dialed in with that and other stuff too, like sweet new Oakley lenses. I didn't know they had a "heater" version of lens - sure could have used that at OP! Anyway, I gotta plug Ralph and Cottonwood cycles, if you need serious cycling goods and are within 150 miles it's worth the drive.
There's an interesting showdown going on this weekend. Granny Gear is doing a monster 24 hour coast to coast series (not sure if any teams or solos will actually compete for the series title though, it'd take serious funding) and this weekends GG event is Big Bear, WV. Solo Goat (aka Ernesto Marenchin, 2nd at 24 hour worlds last year) vs. current National Champ Cameron Chambers. Should be interesting. Them boyz better watch out for banjo pickers out there...
Looks like entrant #s are down at 24 hour events this year. There are so many events to choose from these days...it's watering down the fields. Choice & variety is good, but so are big competitive fields. Kinda torn on that one. Steamboat registration I hear is down considerably over last year, likely becuase there's an MSC event this weekend and Erock was last weekend.
Saturday begins "the climb of your life", round 2. Look for updates early next week.