Vegbreath: I’m pretty much a dilettante when it comes to sport cycling & I finished on an old beater $100 mountain bike (it gave me lower & easier gearing than most of the serious roadies). Good on you for trying– you may well get it next year if you feel like it, & I hope you had a good time stretching your boundaries.
Steevo: I’m worried about the cannondale optimo after that crash, but I think there were two or three other folks with the same frame. Maybe I should just talk with those riders to see if they’re in the market for something new and want to unload. And congratulations on the win. I saw you finish with a handful of guys in front of you on Rialto and got worried for you and your crown.
Carbon freak me out, but I was saying that a few months ago about aluminum frames. There’s a little dent in my top tube, but the carbon fork seems fine. I’m just really glad that everyone behind me was able to react quickly enough to make sure I didn’t cause a pile up.
And I’m fine physically, but still mentally unsure; just like always. My hill failures were on the few hills that I had actually seen before (Canton, Logan, Rialto [which, despite freaking me out because of its proximity to Route 28, was probably the easiest on the day]), and the hills where I went in with no clue were, while not easy, absolutely possible. Does anyone have any good reading recommendations for Breaking Mental Barriers, on a bike or otherwise? Or am I just hard-wired to freak out and defeat myself?
i was there at the start and on my way up Guyasuta had a malfunction – still trying to figure out if it was mechanical or mental.
by the time I worked it out, the field was long gone. i’m going to just call it a red shirt year and hope to return in twelve months bigger, stronger, faster . . .