Here we go. Race report #1 for Tram Bacon Strip: Thanks to Griss’ performance in the short track and our second laps in the XC, Team Bacon Strip was heard over the loud speaker so many times people thought there was a half dozen of us!
We motored south around 11:00 AM on Friday. Made a last minute course correction on the way out of town to head south instead of west so we could jet over Walker pass on route to the BBQ at Chez Hendo in Bako to ride the DH course once @ Keyesville. That’s where we both saw the root-stacle that would almost cream our corn.
Then we drove down to Bako. I told them I was bringing a friend, and as soon as we walked in the door my dad said, “Oh I recognize you from The Bacon Strip!”
Sat we rose early had some eggs and cruised up to the venue. Ran up the course and waited for the race. It was small, there weren’t 50 guys up there. And only about 6 or 7 retros. I started 3rd and Griss 4th 30 seconds behind me. First turn was fast and dirty had to work it right not to slide off. Then some rollers some more tighties and a dip by a tree with a root-drop. The kind of root drop that we can’t usually resist right at the fastest part of thr course. I went big and stuck the landing, but pinch-flatted, Griss went big, stuck the landing, but tacoed his wheel took a face full of dirt. He finished the run with no front brake and I ran to the top to change tubes and restart. Griss swapped wheels and the second run was more conservative, but I wore my backpack down and got some creds for that, and for riding the snake pit, a tight rocky chickane that was really challenging. Griss took 6th for his bad run and I took 4th.
Later on Sat Griss suited up in his CrankWhore kit and stole the Short track. Right off the line, only dude in the pack anywhere near him was the master men winner. Shawn nailed 11 laps, same as the pro/ex winner. And same as the sandbagass winner of the beginner class…
We could tell this guy was going to talk for a while, so we left Griss to deal with it on his own. good warmdown…
The MTBR Vintage Retro Classic Camp party was awesome. Or at least that’s what they told us. They all bailed to drive 45 minutes up to McNally’s for dinner and a few rounds of inside jokes while we hung around the fire with some SERIOUSLY fowl mouthed bastards with a laser pointer. “put it in my mouth! JR showed up on his MOTO before dark and I took him up to show him the root that nearly done-us-in.
Sunday AM we got Coffee @ the race, but had to roll to town for cakes. No problem. Got back and suited up for the race by 10ish. Some retro guys were bitching about the xc being 2 laps instead of 1. There was talk of a consensus that we all (all 7 of us) wanted to only do 1 so we should either all just do one and quit, or talk to the the promoters and get it switched. Of course Griss and I were NOT down with that. We came to ride not polish our top-tubes so we made that known and figured everything was cool. Well, turns out one of the guys went to the promoters and said we’d all agreed and at the very last minute they switched it. Griss stomped them on lap one and we both went around again while they went back to camp for grahmcrackers and milk.
I took 4th in the first lap and caught about half of the Sportclass singlespeeders. Caught a few more on lap 2. None of the other retros rode the second lap. I don’t want to bitch too much, but comethefuckon! 1) it’s only 8.5 miles 2) there are people along the course cheering for you 3) Some of you drove farther than we did and 4) all your other pretty bikes were locked up safe and sound and can deal with being away from you for another hour.
Because of some scoring shenanagins and the lap squiriliness it appeared as if Griss was going to loose the trophy due to his DH Tech and the fact that they did combined scoring rather than best of two. So I made some stink, ran my mouth, rallied some troops, and did what I could to get the goods in the proper hands. In then end we aren’t sure what happened, but there he is. Trophy #1 for Team Bacon Strip.
In then end I thought the Keyesville Classic was very fun. Good site, manageable numbers, great riding. The Vintage race was sort of lame. The pics they post on MTBR make is look like there are dozens of bikes and huge parties. That may have been somewhat true in the past, but those guys brought several bikes each and kept a pretty low profile around camp. Not much going on there at all. I’d like to go back next year with the same bike, but would probably run the Sport SS class rather than the show-n-shine.
-M
A Skykomish Granite point in a former life, but it’s mutated to win and now it it the Mutant Approved M-1.
the Keysville Classic looked like a pretty fun 2 day race, a bit mild overall, but fun. i guess i’m used to a different flavor of “event.” props to Wolfy and Grizzly Bike Geek for riding everything on their old bikes, and totally rockin’ the field!
i can’t believe that the retro class racers talked the race officials into changing the lap count from 2 to 1 laps. those guys must’ve been eating “lame and egg sandwiches with extra weak sauce…” at the cafe before the race. competitive events are supposed to be hard. if they wanted to ride one lap, they should’ve raced with the beginner class.
Japhy rider
Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time and I’m not crying foul or sour grapes or anything. I’m just saying that unless you know and are friends with those guys or have to see a chromed Mantis before you die, then the retro race wasn’t worth going out of your way for.
The Keyesville Classic was fun, and if I can get my dad and some strippers to go, I’d hit it next year. Maybe even the Retro race if I can help add some fun events to it and get a good Campfire thing going (cause McNally’s isn’t worth going out of your way for either).
-M
Would you like some cheese with your whine? Cherish that trophy.
Thanks!
We’ve already called the Waaaambulance (Reno whine-one-one).
-M
Hell Yea I’ll cherish that trophy. It’ll being in my living room thank you very much. It was worth doing 2 f*#king laps!
GBG