Mountain bike races tend to be an entire festivity and celebration of all things dirtbaggin', with a race going on also. Chicago Area Mountain Bikers, Cambr, once again successfully pulled off a celebration of all things knobby tires , rock gardens, mud, dirt, tree roots, log piles, creek beds, with descents and climbs haunted by all the above. Above all, they did it the best way possible: The Chicago Way.
It was fantastic to see Sram AND World Bicycle Relief out in full support with each having a tent set-up. Sram and company had product laying on tables for those of us that needed to see and touch the new XX group (teh hotness!). All the while World Bicyle Relief was dishing out knowledge on the power of bicycles.
As for the racing. Well . . . xXx Racing-AthletiCo made quite the showing. This was the most fun that I have had racing all year. The support from teammates was outstanding. Being harrassed by the ever treacherous and infamous Bonebell, was the perfect compliment to the cheering to get the mojo pumping. Enough thanks cannot be said to my fellow xXxer's for ringing that bell, screaming, and running at me to have my best finish on the dirt all year. Errr . . . my only one so far.
Thats right, third XC race of the year and my first finsih. Total puke-fest in Iola in May, and a blooper of a fall passing someone at the Alterra Race earlier in the month haunted my XC season thus far. I was bound to finish and finish strong this time.
The Meltdown was the first bike race, beyond BMX in my younger years, I ever did. So it is special to me. Along with the fact that I learned to ride a mountain bike on the exact trails the race was held on. Killer course, that once again delivered enough pain that halfway through I repeatedly asked, "WHYYYYY are you doing this to yourself!!"
Well, not only did I finish, but I finished 4 in my age classification and 59th overall. Thanks again to Cambr for putting on this fantastic event, AND thanks to Goose Island for making the perfect recovery/celebration supplement in the form of 312.