redkow97 Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 These races are not very well attended - enough people to be fun, but unless you're racing expert, there will probably be 4-10 people in your class. Vulture's Knob is a very cool trail system. More like the Medina Huffman (and surrounding trails) than the metroparks trails. Virtually all obstacles have a bypass (even the suspension bridge), but there are plenty of jumps for those looking to have a good time. Assuming they run the typical XC loop, it's between 6 and 7 miles per lap, with two climbs of real significance. Beginners ride 1 lap Sport class rides 2 laps Experts ride 3 laps I will probably enter in Sport class again. $15, which supports a fantastic trail system. If you podium, you get a discount on your next race entry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkow97 Posted September 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2017 good turnout, but a bad race for me. I got a little overconfident and tried to stay with the "sport" class pack. Not the leaders, but I burned myself out about halfway through the first lap. I made a dumb mistake (set up too wide on the first steep switch-back, and fell pretty hard on my left side. I must have hit my knee harder than I realized, but it felt okay at that point, and I slogged on. (this was after a stop to realign my handlebars with teh front wheel... the impact of my bars hitting the ground had knocked them about 20 degrees out of alignment. I was able to twist them back, but nervous for the rest of the ride that the stem was loose) Never really recovered from that crash. Just felt tired and out of breath. So then I hear people catching me. It turned out to be the expert women's leader, but I was thinking it was the beginner men's leader - which was making me mad. Anyway, when she caught me, I pulled off to get out of her way, and promptly fell down a small hillside, with one foot clipped in, and the bike tumbling over me. More dumb/tired idiocy on my part. I didn't know it at the time, but I also ripped a nice hole in the ass of my bib shorts, and my right butcheek was hanging out for the rest of the race. The mens beginner leader did catch me, but that tends to happen when you spend 2 minutes on the ground, and another minute or more bending your bike back to rideable condition. I stopped after my first lap to tighten the head tube and stem bolts, then realized my ass was exposed, and my knee was swelling pretty good. At that point, i turned in my number, told them to mark me as a DNF (so they wouldn't be looking for my body on the trail), and raised one beer to my lips while the other one 'iced' my knee. Kind of a frustrating and humbling day, as I biffed a few features I had previously been able to ride without dabbing, and also failed to complete the 2 laps I'd done at the last race. That said, i cleaned cheater's hill with a damaged bike and a gimpy left knee - and man did those beers taste good. Knee is still sore, but i've been icing it, and it seems to just be a really bad bruise. No meat to shield the bone there. Hoping I'll be riding again Thursday, and racing CX on Sunday at Brooklyn. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkow97 Posted September 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2017 Almost forgot - my lap was about 55 minutes. That's with all the falling and stopping and garbage pacing. My best there is a 52. The winner of the beginner class (in my age group) rode a 56... The 40+ winner rode a 45 or something. Seems like I may need to go back and win beginner at a faster pace, and then maybe just gut out a second lap for fun and training purposes thereafter. Live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk Posted September 19, 2017 Report Share Posted September 19, 2017 Good report! Will be heading to Royalview Thurs around 4:30 and be at CX race Sunday, see ya at either one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkow97 Posted September 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2017 Sorry i missed you at the CX race. I did a short ride Saturday, and my knee was still sore. I'm also fighting off one of those annoying cold/flu bugs - the kind that makes you feel like shit, but not shitty enough to get any sympathy from your wife, or stay home from work... Anyway, racing on Sunday would have been a waste of money, and probably hindered my recovery. I woke up this morning and didn't have to blow my nose for 20 minutes, so I'm hoping to be riding again pretty soon. I also got poison ivy (or something) from my fall in that race. Fuck. That. Shit. misery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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