I use the Thursday night series to try new things out. Tonight I went back to the hardtail after racing the FS last time. I have it in my head that I am faster on the HT but I am just not sure. I made a few last minute adjustments to the seat to get the set up more consistent to the FS and let it go.
The race was back to the "correct" direction after the mayhem from last time, but they were kind enough to add a couple of climbs. This was fine by me because I typically climb fairly well and at only 136# I should have an advantage over some. The start was fast as usual and as time goes on I am realizing that my poor starts have allot to do with my lack of "killer instinct". That along with the fact that there are a good number of people that are just plain faster than I am. Tonight we got there early enough to do a lap pre ride and I think it help me push a little harder on the start. The gravel service road was fairly soft, however, so I was a little cautious and lost a few positions. I held a decent pace up the hill, passing a few and getting passed by a few. The next added climb I passed a couple more, but at the top there was a tight right hand turn over a burm that I didn't take wide enough and went down allowing a couple of riders to pass and killing any momentum. The remainder of the race I felt good, but was loosing a fair amount of time on the flat sections that cross the sky trails because I was getting bounced around so much. This is where the FS really shines, it allows you to push hard on the bumpy flat sections and keep your speed and momentum. The FS also hookes up better on the climbs and there is less chance of spinning out due to rocks and bumps.
Overall the race went fairly well, but my entire body was more tired after the race. I am now almost convinced that the FS is a faster race bike, especially if the course is rough.
Race Results
The race was back to the "correct" direction after the mayhem from last time, but they were kind enough to add a couple of climbs. This was fine by me because I typically climb fairly well and at only 136# I should have an advantage over some. The start was fast as usual and as time goes on I am realizing that my poor starts have allot to do with my lack of "killer instinct". That along with the fact that there are a good number of people that are just plain faster than I am. Tonight we got there early enough to do a lap pre ride and I think it help me push a little harder on the start. The gravel service road was fairly soft, however, so I was a little cautious and lost a few positions. I held a decent pace up the hill, passing a few and getting passed by a few. The next added climb I passed a couple more, but at the top there was a tight right hand turn over a burm that I didn't take wide enough and went down allowing a couple of riders to pass and killing any momentum. The remainder of the race I felt good, but was loosing a fair amount of time on the flat sections that cross the sky trails because I was getting bounced around so much. This is where the FS really shines, it allows you to push hard on the bumpy flat sections and keep your speed and momentum. The FS also hookes up better on the climbs and there is less chance of spinning out due to rocks and bumps.
Overall the race went fairly well, but my entire body was more tired after the race. I am now almost convinced that the FS is a faster race bike, especially if the course is rough.
Race Results
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