Racing in Oklahoma for the first time

419 my first race in Oklahoma

On Sunday I will be taking part in an endurance mountain bike race at Lake Thunderbird. The race is 4 hours and 19min long though I assume if I cross the line at 4:18 and 59seconds I will be able to go out for another lap and ensure my ride is longer than 4hrs 19min.

The weather guessers down here are absolute champions at their jobs. On Monday they were warning everyone about the extreme cold that is coming in, it was looking like a high temperature of 15℉ for Sunday. I was excited that I would get to use some of my Alaskan biking skillset and shine.... 

Weather guess as of Monday 14th January 2019

Alas by today the forecast has changed significantly. It may be 29℉ before we start and going up to 44℉+ before we finish, oh well time to re adjust what I will be wearing. 

Warmer than I was expecting earlier in the week. 

When I prerode the course a couple of weeks ago, my bike (Emma) was acting a little strange. There was a distinct lack of rebound from the rear shock. A trip into the Bike lab and the diagnosis was that the rear shock had blown. This meant the shock needed to be sent off to Specialized for a rebuild. Unfortunately this was going to take around 3 weeks which means I wouldn't have my mountain bike for the 419 race. Luckily I have been living by the n+1 formula for bikes, note this is always a good formula to live by for cycling. 

Henceforth for the 419 race, I will be riding my trusty (lets hope I haven't jinxed it right there) Borealis Yampa (Gloria). I have ridden many many miles on on Gloria in the snow, although this is the first time I have raced her on dirt. I will be riding my 27.5" plus wheelset and since I never invested in a suspension fork, I will be fully rigid, luckily the course is fairly smooth or at least it seemed that way when riding Emma. Gloria has a fresh dose of sealant and a new chain so we are all set to ride. I'm looking forward to taking part in my first race in Oklahoma, even if it isn't riding Emma. 

And finally 

I had a Retul 3D motion capture fit carried out today at the Bike Lab by Tony Steward. 

It was fascinating for me to learn about my body and how that relates to fit on the bike. A few minor adjustments were carried out and I am looking forward to seeing the difference when I next get out on Cross/Gravel/Road bike early next week.