FireCracker 50: Race Report

Dave Weins: Hi Shawn, we are going to rip your legs off, and leave you for dead.
Shawn: No way dude, I'm going to crash going up hill on a dirt road, then get two flat tires!

In no way did this conversation actually happen, but I was able to crash up hill on a gravel road and get two flat tires.

The crash: The pro field split pretty early with the top 10 RFG's taking off, and me picking up the stragglers. This was actually working pretty well as I picked up 4-5 guys, and we choo-chood up the hill. I don't know if I have felt as good as I did up that climb as I have all season. But never the less, I had my hands in the mtb aero position, when I hit a pot hole, and went off the bike. Handle bars were at 90 degrees, saddle askew, and I was pretty shaken. I left quite a bit of elbow skin down there. After a few moments collecting myself, I realized how shattered the pro field was, and I was still in a descent position. So I got my head together, and started working it again.

All went pretty well until mile 18ish? I got a flat going down a gulch I knew I was going to get a flat in. I was running pretty low tire pressure in the rear, and knew if I got even an inch off the line, the show was over. So naturally I got about a foot of the line and flatted. Put in a tube, and I'm back off. However, I was able to flat one more time on the final dirt road descent.

Oh well, I hope I have that out of my system for the rest of the season.