Re:
The FRO and I survived the race last Sunday
! Together with a some 15 other retro enthusiasts on Marins, Treks, Panasonics, Slingshots (!) and a lovely RM Summit, we set off right after the mass start of the 75 minute race
.
Jeroen was also present with a nice excerpt from his Mountainbike Museum to complete the retro vibe.
Checking out the competition, just before the start of the race
And off to the start (follow the guy in the fluorescent lycra!)..
Weather conditions were sub-optimal IMHO: very warm (damp), but I enjoyed the laps I was able to complete a lot.
Had to get off the FRO at two difficult -rocky, rooty- descents that I didn't feel my XTR canti's would manage, but other than that, the bike felt fine!
Some nice uphill parts had to be conquered (the guys on a Slingshot, Marin and Panasonic right behind me..):
Followed by overall nice descents as
per the laws of physics:
Here's a short clip of me and some fellow retro riders passing by
https://www.facebook.com/helvangroesbee ... 654706184/: just listen to the roaring sound of that Ringle freewheel :twisted:
Some observations:
Retro is not faster (at least not if I ride it): man, those young guys on modern 29' ers seemed to have no fear at all! I guess I would've been considerably faster on my modern 26" ARC too, though.
Retro is HOT: I got a lot of very nice comments while riding. People were cheering and telling me the bike looked nice and a lot of pictures were made
.
Onza Pills aren't that Chill: I thought I had tightened them sufficiently, but they let me down in the end nonetheless. Think I'll be switching back to the Shimano straddle wires instead.
Felt some play on the CK HS after completing the race. This might also be due to my inability to install these properly: I'm always having a hard time with those bearing caps.
The aftermath of the retro race was largely spent on talking about bike flaws and mechanical failures
. I guess that is what you get when riding retro, but also what works best to distract from the fact that you're getting old (and slow..).
O, did I mention that I won first prize (a Greg Herbold tee) for the best (dressed) rider-bike combo?
Onto the next event!