The Return to Iron Hell err Hill and my second gift of the season.
I swore I'd never return to Iron Hill after the race in the rain two years ago. Not the promoters fault,but mother natures. So it was with trepedation that I returned to Iron Hill. It was a hot dry day and the course was fast and dry. Very fun. Nice work guys.
So it's good to see my fellow racers again. I'm using a 34x18 gear figuring that will be fine. I get the holeshot and plan to runaway and hide. I can hear the clattering of full sus bikes behind and turn it up a bit. The noise lessens. I start to catch the 40-49 group. Wend my way through them amd get on a train on one of the fast downhills. No place to pass. So I bide my time. Over a few logs and the leaders yells "Shit we missed that turn". What? I turn around and sprint up the hill and find it. I'm pissed this is the second time this year.( I show that in the photo). So I catch back to George and Bill. I figure Karl must just be up ahead. I rest a bit on the one climb behind George. The attack him hard. I'm thinking I must be in second,reach for the gelflask and it's not there. Damn those things. The bike starts to feel like I'm getting a flat. I check it after I have to run a section due to traffic. Seems OK. Then on the fourth lap it's going flat. I debate trying to ride it in. Nope. I stop and shoot it with Pennzoil Fix a Flat. George closes to 50 feet of me. I'm not giving this up and go flat out to the finish. It held. but was flat again by the time I went bacjk to change. All photos by dennisbike.com. He covers all the races ,races himself. Good people and a tough competitor.