Fat Cycle Challenge

So good to get back out and bike race.

The Fat Cycle Challenge is a little 40 minute long fat bike race in Aspen. Good course, good competition. And since it’s Aspen, there was some good money involved.

Actually almost enough to pay my rent this month. No way I was going to let that slip by.

I got out of work at 9:30. Ran to the car, hopped in, and Colleen hit it. We made it to Aspen two minutes before the start. I scratched my name on a waiver, jumped in the front line, and “Go!”

Hot damn. I clunk into the highest gear on my Alfine, and I’m off the front. Foot out, slide the back around the first corner. Hold a straight line over an icy bridge, through some twisties, downshift mid-turn. Wheels slip over a soft spot, then out of the saddle on a straight away.

Oh shit. I lock up the back wheel, but way too late. Slide off the trail at a sharp corner I wasn’t expecting. Jon passes while I try to wrestle my Pigsley back on the trail. I run up the little climb and remount. Ok, keep it smooth now. I catch back up to Jon and settle in for the rest of the lap.

Next lap near the start finish, I gun it and make a pass on a narrow section of snow. Open up the gap. Foot down on the bridge, almost crash. Get back on, keep it going.

Five minutes later, I’m starting to cramp up, going all out. But I’m making time.

“How long?” I weaze to a spectator.

“21 minutes left!”

Nuts. I’m not even half way done and I’m ready to explode. Oh well, not backing off now. I stay on it and start making my way through lapped traffic.

Including the Magical Mr. Novy, on his borrowed prototype longtail Twenty2:

I did manage to hold out for another 20 minutes.

And then my coworker The Aaron Taylor and I took a ride on that sweet cargo bike:

Which went well for a very short time:

The wheelbase is short so the bike can pop sick wheelies, but that means a passenger sits behind the rear axle, which makes the steering pretty light.

Good times though.

And Kevin at UpSki/ Defiant was showing off some new zipperless frame packs. His designs have come a long way- this one mounts to the seat and down tubes with bottle cage bolts: