KENDA CUP WEST SERIES - SAGEBRUSH SAFARI

This past weekend marked the opening race of the 2010 Kenda Cup Qualifiers / SO CAL State Cross-country & Super D Series! (Team Big Bear Race Schedule) What an opener it was! With well over 200 riders from around the Southwestern states, it turned out to be an extremely memorable experience...



Memory #1-
16 hours of solid rain blanketed So. Cal the day before the race! Several people we were camped by packed up camp early Sunday morning and headed home without racing. The prediction was the course would be unrideable because of all the water. Their prediction wasn't too far off...

Pete walking the dogs early Sunday morning at Lake Morena County campground. These people in the RV were one of the groups packing up and going home. You can sense the moisture in the air from all the rain the previous day.

Drew showing off how dirty he was after he finished the race. Now, some people (those from the Northwest/Alaska) may think this looks normal after ANY ride! If it wasn't for the 3' by 8' water crossing 1 mile from the finish line, trust me, Drew would have been A LOT filthier!


Memory #2

Before each race there is a certain unsettling feeling that every racer experiences. Whether you are a professional Nordic skier or a Canadian Curling team we all experience certain emotions leading up to the race. For Pete, his unsettling curiosity was about how his new Gary Fisher Superfly 29'er would perform. After pulling the bike out of the packaging just TWO days before the race, his concerns were how he would attempt to control this braided/woven piece of material they call CARBON!
(Pete) "I knew I wanted to go out HARD and hammer the first 5 mile climb. This would put me in good position for the down hill because Justin and Drew would be breathing down my neck with their fully suspended Turners." Pete did go out hard. In fact, he went out so hard he left the entire Cat 1 field worrying about anaerobic capacities and lactic thresholds in the first 10 minutes of the race!
(Justin) "I looked up and saw Pete out of the saddle doing what he does best! Hammering! I couldn't help but think that I wouldn't be seeing him again."

After the climb we began a wild, rutted, washed-out decent down one of the most pristine single-tracks I've ridden. (Justin) "I was just starting to recover from the 5 mile starting line climb and came around the corner to see Pete standing there with his bike 20 yards down the trail! Pete didn't look right. His helmet was cracked, jersey was torn and he had this glassed-over stare. My instinct was to stop and help out my teammate. As I approached him I yelled, 'You OKAY?' He made it clear that he was okay and that I should continue racing. As I disappeared around the corner, I heard him say, 'I think I cracked my frame.'"

 

 Here Pete is after returning to the truck. The story goes: "I was feeling great after the long climb. I was just settling into the race when I lost my left handlebar and crossed it up. It all happened so quick from this point but the only thing I remember was that I landed on top of my bike."  

One thing I love about Pete is even after he returns home with his brand new toy essentially trashed he can SMILE (as he's doing here) and say, "I wish I would of broke my arm or something. It would have been cheaper to fix...."

Memory #3

It's NOT always a fun experience riding a new bike. I can remember the first ride I had on my new Turner Flux race bike (Thanks DT and RTR) thinking, "I don't know if this was such a good idea! It (Flux) feels so much different then what I'm used to riding." With only 4 inches of travel, super light-weight, the new DW link suspension and the steeper rake out front, I was thinking of the quickest possible way I could sell it and get something I was more comfortable on.

 

Here she is. Just a "tick under 24 lbs." without pedals. This bike can absolutely fly! It feels like it has a motor of it's own. 

After putting several hours in the saddle I am beginning to fall in love with this machine. It has incredible climbing characteristics, superior stiffness, and classic "Turner" downhill prowess. For anyone who wants to experience riding at a different level contact the boys in Murrieta, Ca!! 

 

Here we are with the creationist himself, Dave Turner. He loves to talk bikes and one things for certain, you won't leave a conversation with him without being stoked about bikes and riding!

Next Race: US CUP / BONELLI PARK March 13-14, 2010 directions and info