Broke Axle Mountain

Well the first installment of the Cross-Country Race Series was held yesterday out at the Swasey Recreation Area. Seven hearty riders braved mild 60's temps as the ride began up the Wintu loop switchbacks. One man in particular, who was wearing something similar to the suit depicted here, took off at a breakfast-tossing pace. Ten minutes into the climb at a space shuttle launch pace, I was left breathing like a pipe organ at full cry. I tried desperately to stay in the top 5 to the all too infrequent rolling sections. Finally we started downhill with me on the front but almost immediately I heard the sound of a thousand charging buffaloes behind me, so I ran a turn wide and four riders blew past me. I decided to wait for my buddy SanFranCup who was out there riding at a nice recreational pace. But no sooner did we hook up when something snapped in his drive train and his rear wheel began shivering in the rear triangle when he pedaled. Using a solid axle, I realized that the only thing holding it together was the axle nuts so we bailed at the Meiners Loop junction and limped back in to the truck. Due to the lack of a solid race director, the main field soon became split and confused and within an hour, the event (at Swasey) was over. See ya'll next Sunday!