Who plans on attending the Glocester Grind?

Start times:
- Novice: 9:30 am
- Elite: 11:00 am
- Expert & SS: 11:01 am
- Sport, Tandem & Touring: 11:05 am

I should be able to go as Sport. I vote we use the Bus again, that is if Brian is going.
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

Great race, not much climbing, but rather technical.
I'd love to go, but it's Charles Massey's last show in Newport. It should be a big time extraviganza, the are kids gonna love it.
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?

Do we have a head count for this? Dana is planning on doing Novice. I am hoping to do Sport, but not sure if I can make it.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

I plan on going down. Probably want to be on the road by 5:00 for Dana's race.
 
[img:7c60f52a7e]http://www.team-pinnacle.org/albums/bc_personal/120x90.png[/img:7c60f52a7e]

If I go down, it will probably be with Dana. We were planning on leaving between 5-6.

If there is room for you to bring me back and you don't mind, then Dana can either wait and watch us race, or head home and I can just ride back with you.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

If Dana does not mind waiting it would be the cheapest solution for all of us. I do not mind going early, but fully understand if he does not want to hang around.
 
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I don't have a problem waiting for the sport and expert to finish.

Where are we meeting? Who's vehicle are taking? I have a van and trailer, but I would have taken my car if it were just Ken and I.

I want to do this the most fuel efficient way possible. If we take my caravan it would be $15 apiece, pretty reasonable. Dana will set the departure time since he races first at 9:30. Plan on three hours drive time plus a couple quick stops along the way. We can either do a neutral meeting point, probably Richards school, or I can pick you both up at your homes.
 
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Brian,

I've been to the old race site a few times, but this new race site is in a different area not far away. I printed out directions stating the driving time as 3 hr and 9 min., but it is not the way that I have normally gone to the race. Although, the time will be close to 3 hours.

Ken thought that you live over near Unity road. We could meet between 5-5:15am in the Rite Aid parking lot or at Irving, because Ken and I will probably ride our bikes down to one of those locations. Ken and I live less than 100 feet from each other.

Dana

I'm not sure I can make it. I am still trying to get a straight answer. We will see.
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

Sorry guys, I won't be able to make it tomorrow

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

Looks like it is just the two of us Dana. Give me a call and we can make a plan.

863-7678
 
[img:7c60f52a7e]http://www.team-pinnacle.org/albums/bc_personal/120x90.png[/img:7c60f52a7e]

Here is the report.

The course was pretty much all freshly made trails, so things were fairly soft. The entire 5 miles was on just a few acres of land, so you never really went anywhere and could always look through the woods and see racers going the other way. There were several muddy spots and rock gardens scattered throughout. And much to my dismay, it was probably the flattest course I've ever raced on.

I had been sick since Wednesday, so my plan was to go out easy to get a feel for how the body would react. Hit the woods fifth and fairly quickly worked up to third by taking advantage of others mistakes. First place guy was fast and long gone, so the focus turned to trying to keep second in sight. Near the end of lap one I went through a rough spell where I could not do anything right and he got away. So I calmed myself down and focused on riding smooth. Lap 2 went well and at the start of lap three I got him back in sight. Couple miles into lap three I was on his wheel when a twig got wrapped up in my cassette and I had to stop and unwind the pesky little sucker. I caught him again at the end of lap three and it was pretty obvious he was fading. Made the pass easily and gapped him quickly. I started fading not to long into the final lap which lead to some funny riding techniques and one perfect endo right in front of Dana. He seemed to get too much pleasure out of this. Finished the race in second, many minutes behind the winner. Even if I had not been sick he would have smoked me, just by a couple minutes less. Won $25 which went right to Dana for gas and lunch, so pretty much a free trip and a good time. Dana smoked his competition and earned $20 for his effort. With $3/gal gas, these cash prizes are very nice.
 
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Good job guys. Sounds like the course stunk.

Brian and I started out at about 5:15am, just turning light. Mapquest and Yahoo maps couldn't find Anan Wade Rd, but data supplied by one of our sponsors "Tele Atlas" had it, showing 3 hrs 9 mins for the trip. Although, we cut down through the middle of NH then picked Google's route at I290 west and made it in about 2 hrs and 50 mins. Of course the car didn't quite stick to Google's suggested speed limit. You may not believe it, but the was some water fall just as we were arriving, but ended before the start of the Novice race.

Brian's description of the course was exact. The course did have some cool dirt bike curves in it though. A couple of technical spots here and there that seemed to get many riders, mostly sport and down.

There were three master in my class including me. Two curves into race I never saw the other two. However, three Juniors passed about half way through first lap. The first one I never saw again. The one wearing long jeans came back about three quarters of the way around and sort gave up. The first Novice woman went by me somewhere in the second lap. I finished ahead her at Sunapee last year. So either she was in better fit or I had lost somethng since then.

I battled with third Junior for almost a lap until the rock fields and fatigue most likely did him in. A second woman rider had closed on both of us at the last big rock section and I believe she passed the Junior as well. Not training much through the winter, believe me, I was feeling fatigued as well, but for some reason as the finish line got closer, I seemed to feel stronger. I had distanced myself from the two and could not see them when I finished.

Brian started as I was laying my bike down, so I didn't catch him on the course for photo opts until the second lap. I think I got 3 to 4 miles of running around the course taking the pictures. There should be some pretty good photos of both of us when Brian posts them.

If I knew he was going to do a perfect endo right next to me, I would caught it, but he gave me no fore warning. He said taht he didn't even know I was there until he was looking at me upside down, just before sprawling between two other riders. When you see the photo of him on a bridge with another below crossing in the water, just imagine a second later his front tire wedging between two rocks and sprawling head first on the ground. He wasn't the only one catching that wedge on the fourth lap of the race, but should have won the prize for the best endo. That made the whole trip worth it!!!

Man that sounded like the photo op of the year, too bad you didn't get it Dana. My guess it you were too busy laughing to snap Brian on the ground (a rarity to say the least).

Sounds like you guys both did great, congratulations.

Ryan

The pics look great. I wish we could have had one of the crash.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

[quote:cf85a5670b="Dan"]Good job guys. Sounds like the course stunk.[/quote:cf85a5670b]

If more people had that outlook we wouldn't need "Promoters".
Then without promoters to set up the courses we wouldn't have races.

Doug's (Promoter) original site, same as last year, was disallowed due to insurance and other complications with the land owners. Hence the change in venue site. The race was held on Doug and his next door neighbors land with the school across the street made available for parking. I'm sure Brian and PJ understand the situation and know the problems of putting on an event.

Dave Maz

[quote:32cc920ba9="Brian"]First place guy was fast and long gone, so the focus turned to trying to keep second in sight.[/quote:32cc920ba9]

Well, maybe if you weren't doing pushups on course then you could have caught him. :D
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

It's nice to see so many TP Colors in all of this years race photos.