Bike Nights at the National Sports Center

The Minnesota winter is a long one. Bike racers are left without a lot of options for many months of the year. Some nice folks thought it would be a good idea to get people together to do some fast riding for fun and hard training. Well, that's a fine idea but one that isn't likely to be achievable outside. So they took the riding inside, renting an enclosed series of soccer fields for us to use. Only trouble, those fields get a lot of use and we couldn't start until 11pm. Yes, that is 11 at night.

Racing/riding would consist of a series of short events in 2 categories, one for advanced and one for more beginning riders. Specifically cross bikes were recommended but there would not be any obstacles or dismounts. We would complete a series of track style races over a changing course on fake grass.

In the week prior to the first of these events, I was talking it up that I was going and how much I was looking forward to it. This was true. It was also true that at about 8:00pm of race night, I was less than thrilled with the prospect of waiting another hour and a half to leave. Registration opened at 10pm and while I was not expecting a huge crowd, I didn't want to rush. After much internal dialogue, I willed myself out the door.

Showing up, all seemed to proceed well. I got registered, put on my number and once the warm up period began, started riding around the fields. And the fun started. I was enjoying myself.

Here is a view of me riding with some folks ahead, actually can't see me as I'm holding the camera . . .

Above is a pic I took of myself, you can tell how fast I'm going by the very blurry view:)

After warm up, the action started with a 10 lap mass start event. The initial course was simply a square marked with cones on the field. To get around the corners with some speed, you ended up riding an oval. This course layout was basic but fun and I enjoyed pedaling a bike and having it move under me. The initial field was small for our event, like 8-10 people. I lined up on the outside and off we went. I slotted in towards the front but not on it and hung on as a few different folks took turns at the front. I never got to the front, though I did practice moving around a bit. I am not a bad bike handler but I want to get better, particularly in tight conditions that are not on the road. All went well and with about a lap to go, the push to the finish started with a jump from one guy. He stayed clear and I came in 3rd.

Next race was a win and out. Group did 5 laps and then at the end of the 5th lap, the first across the line won and stopped. Two laps later, same thing for 2nd place. I started mid group in the early laps and then moved up towards the end of lap three but a guy got a gap and nobody would or could pull him back. I hit the front with about half a lap to go and tried without success. I had a choice to make as I watched the guy coast to a stop. In my quest to get the leader, I had separated from the rest of the field. I knew I could drop back and then surge again or I could gun it now and try to hold my gap for the next two laps. Since part of the fun of the evening was all about the work, I opted for the 2nd of the two options. I gunned it and worked the last 2 laps hard. My plan worked as the rest of the field shut down the chase with a lap to go. I rolled across for 2nd and got to stop, yeah!

Next race was unknown distance, in that the race official was the only one who knew how many laps we'd ride. Off we went and all proceeded pretty well. I worked towards the end and came in 2nd or 3rd if I recall correctly. More group riding action and I enjoyed being around others and moving around within the group.

The fourth race was a combined field for the two different categories and was a miss and out. Last one across the line had to quit. I was excited to mix it up with the big boys, so to speak as I had been in lower category field. With each lap, the tension built as the pace up front didn't quit. I was working pretty hard and was doing quite well. With the field down to about 10, it started to get real hard for me. A group of 4 to 5 was up a few seconds and me and the 4 or so guys around me were not closing that. Each lap became more difficult as we battled to stay in. I made it several more laps before there were only a guy or two left after that initial group and me. I did what I could be was last across the line and was out. I was pleased with the event itself as I made it longer than all the other low category riders and farther than many of the A category guys. Likely my best event of the evening.

Last race was to be a 1.5 lap 5 rider spring from a standing start. Of the 5 in my field, 2 were track female track racers, a strong cross guy and one other guy. The start was uneventful though I had been hoping to get into 2nd position and ended up 3rd. I held this for the first lap. Since the initial couple of races, the course had changed to include an S turn that was pretty close to the finish line. I was holding 3rd position into the S, I wanted to be close to the front but I couldn't pull it off. I was resigning myself to 3rd when out of the S we came and a huge gap opened in front of me. One of the track racing women had gotten the hole shot and held the lead throughout. As we came out of the S, she drifted right to start the final sprint to the line. The guy in 2nd drifted too so as to keep a draft. This is what opened what looked to be a major gap on the inside for me. Being that I'd turned on the racer in myself, I saw the gap and jumped! Here is my chance I thought and while I don't have a great sprint, my chances were good. At least they were good until the two folks in front, who had left the gap, closed it. The leading woman came back towards the left and so did the guy in 2nd. His rear wheel came to where my front wheel was and you can guess the rest. Rear wheel touches front wheel, someone goes down and it is almost always the front wheel rider -- me. Damn!

As my bike shot left, I fell on my right hip and elbow with the bike hitting on the drive train side. While I was fine, the derailleur hanger was not. Major bend there. All in all, not a bad outcome given what happened. The dude whose wheel took me down was nice about it, though the blame goes on me. I saw a gap and tried to put myself somewhere that I might not have fit. While the gap was huge when I jumped, in any race, such gaps are not guaranteed to stay there and it surely didn't. Oh well, while I was not thrilled to hit the deck, it was not an ending to detract too much from a fun night. I enjoyed mixing it up and plan to be back in a few weeks for round 2.

Post script, I had been planning to double back with an outdoor ice race the next day, in fact less than 12 hours after this ended but due to the logistics of bike repair, I was not able to make it. Oh well, I'll work to stay upright next time!