Mountain bike endurance racing is a test of mettle and skill that is quickly becoming a favorite format of the midwest mountain bike race scene. The WEMS series (Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series) has proven to be the benchmark for 12, 6, and 3 hour mountain bike racing. This is a different series altogether from the typical cross-country format of the WORS (Wisconsin Off-Road Series) races where the concentration is on a maximum distance of 25 mile race. The courses are held at venues that are equally if not more challenging than a typical XC (cross country) race. Technical terrain in the midwest is surprisingly abundant and the midwestern weather can make the course even more challenging if not impossible - and yet, the race will go on.

This past weekend was WEMS #2 - Northern Kettles 12 Hour Race. The race venue was far enough away that I decided to enter the 6 Hour Solo race so I could leave and return the same day. I went with teammate Ben Levitt, a new xXx dirtbagger who was used to east coast riding where slippery trails are the norm. We also had the luxury of having a good friend of mine come along for race support as our one man pit crew. A pit crew of any size is the real key to being truly competitive in an endurance race as a pit crew can take care of your nutrition, hydration, and mechanicals quickly as you just concentrate on the ride. We drove up early, ate a hearty Wisconsin breakfast, and made it Greenbush in time to register and setup pit camp. The weather was sketchy as we drove through Wisconsin, hitting rain in Milwaukee, but arriving to the course in a warmer than anticipated sun. This was the start to the three course meal we were about to eat.

The shout goes out for a LeMans start as we ran 1/4 mile to our bikes resting on a hill, and then sprint down the hill around a few quick turns to hit the holeshot into the singletrack - the warm sun may have affected all of the 6 hour solo competitors as we sprinted as if were heading into a short track race, my heart rate was spiking already in the first mile. I had a good position in the top 10 and held my pace. I typically like to pre-ride a course but in an endurance race, its not as necessary as you’ll be seeing a lot of the same loop for the remainder of the day - you’ll learn the spots quickly. I hadn’t ridden singletrack in a long while (January!) before this race and my handling was a bit sketchy and it proved horrible at about the 3 mile mark in the 7.5 mile loop. I took a very fast route, straight into a tree. The racers behind gasped and even slowed down to ask if I was alright - and I thankfully was, I got right back up and caught my wind and shook it off and inspected my bike. My brake lever was pushed down and out of whack but no matter, I got on and started the hammer to catch the group again. I made it out of the 1st lap into the pit a bit ailing and my pit crew corrected my brake did a quick assessment on the rest of the bike and gave me the go. I took off determined to make the time back - and I surely did as I found my flow and cornering instincts back on point and caught up with the leading group as they too sprinted out too fast and were now dropping back.

The third hour felt very comfortable as raindrops brought a nice refreshment to my skin and dust filled lungs from the dry and dusty corners of the forest. The rain is also helpful in keeping the dirt patted down and making the course faster - I took advantage of the rain and kept the pace strong. The downside, it didn’t stop raining for almost over an hour and the once dusty trails turned into a mudfest that had everyone slipping and sliding all over the course. I was amazed at how well I handled the course in spite of the peanut butter thickened dirt on the climbs - my technical ability helped me gain a few more positions as well as avoid the accidents that were happening all around. The sound of shifting gone bad and the gasps of air from riders who couldn’t shift anymore and had 5 pounds of mud caked on their drivetrain was evident at every climb. I was on my new format race bike for this year - a singlespeed. I carried extra mud weight, but had no shifting problems and was able to continue spinning to keep momentum going. My tire selection was not aimed at mud, but miraculously, my tires kept a good amount of traction. My SRAM Juicy Ultimate brakes were superb in the slop as they kept my speed in control and in check with the course conditions.

The 5th hour had the rain stopped and the sun peeking out again, riders were burnt out and spent walking up many parts of the course, but the sun and the wind helped dry the course out almost as fast as it had made it muddy and my legs found renewed strength to push harder as the mud subsided to a tacky mixture which brought back traction and the fun of singletracking. I took advantage of the new tackiness of the dirt and gave a hard drive to hammer down another lap before the end of the 6th hour. I arrived at my pit at 5 hours and 13 minutes with 50 miles under my belt - just enough time to do another lap, but I would have had to finish that final lap in 46 minutes as the clock stops at 6 hours. I made a judgement call and felt that I didn’t want to risk injury or worse by trying to complete another fast lap only to not have it count if I don’t beat the clock - my pit crew told me that I had secured a top 10 finish, and I was satisfied with that given how difficult the course was. I had completed 6 laps total.

The great news was, yes, I did get a top 10 finish. The bad news was, I spent a good 5 minutes talking to my pit crew, and then to other fine dirtbagging friends who were also present and we shared the war stories of the day and how incredibly dangerous and difficult it was to ride in the mud on the rocky descents throughout the course. Those precious minutes I spent talking would have been better served checking myself out at the lap timer point, I lost my 10th place finish by checking in late - by 3 minutes and 4 seconds. I ended up with an official 11th place. I’m disappointed in my lack of competitive conscience to know better - but I was still very proud of my 1st race performance of 2009 and how I was able to take on a course that was incredibly challenging when it was most dry and loose, when it was turned into a soupy muddy slippery mess, and when it was tacky and perfect. I ate the 3 course meal where other teams simply had one course and dropped out or held out afraid of taking on the challenge. xXx dirtbags rise to the challenge and make the best out of any condition thrown at them - and with that ethos, xXx will continue rising to the top of the endurance mountain bike racing scene. 11th place finish among a top 10 crew riding dual suspension fully geared bikes - and me on my hardtail singlespeed. Simple is better, and experience definitely makes up for a lot, hopefully I can keep this momentum up and strive for victory. Thank you SRAM for making the king of brakes, the stiffest and most awesome singlespeed cranks, and a carbon handlebar that can take a full frontal tree collision!