Cross Florida Individual Time Trial 2014 – Part One – Preparation
Spaghetti 100 65 Mile Dirt Epic Race Report 2014
Umstead Gravel Grinder 100 Race Report 2014
Sac O Suds 50 Ride Report 2014 – FarmerG’s Perspective
Sac O Suds 50 Ride Report 2014 – JOM’s Perspective
Camino205 Gravel Grinder Race Report 2014
K-Dogg’s L’Eroica Ride Report 2014
JOM’s Iron Cross Race XII Report – 2014
K-Dogg’s Pisgah Monster Cross Challenge Report – 2014
I love climbing. You suffer a lot but it’s peaceful. You can hear birds chirping and the deep, labored breathing of fellow sufferers around you. Everything is in slow motion and downright peaceful. You have plenty of time to pick your line. Nobody flats or crashes going uphill. I would much rather be in agony climbing for hours than experience 5 minutes of terror descending skittery gravel switchbacks.
For the last 3 years at extreme cx races I’ve tried hard to man up and go faster down the cliffs….but every time I get the courage to “let it go”… I crash spectacularly. At 59 (and living in Florida) drastic improvement is just not in the cards. So this year’s counter clockwise route of Pisgah Monster Cross should have been perfect with much more uphill, than down.
This year I didn’t crash but there were two close calls…. at the two exact spots they had warned us about. ” Two point three miles before forest service road bla, bla,bla and halfway between Bubba’s Still Road and Cherokee Revenge Holler.” “These washouts are real wheel grabbers so look for the multiple orange markers on your way down” said Cam.
Right.
Dave’s Pisgah Monster Cross Challenge Race Report – 2014
JOM’s Dirty 40 Race Report – 2014
About the Race
The Dirty 40 was the 5th race of the American Ultra Cross Series, held in beautiful Derby, Vermont, very close to the Canadian border. The second edition of the race took place on August 30, 2014. While advertised as a 60 mile race with approximately 40 miles of gravel roads, in reality it is a 70 mile race (113 kilometres as I prefer) with about 55 miles of gravel. I found this out first hand courtesy of my course pre-ride, or tribal knowledge scouting as I prefer to call it.
My race video documenting the experience is HERE.
Accommodations
I must give kudos to the Four Seasons Hotel in Derby, where I’d based myself for three days leading up to the race. Uber convenient location to the race, beautiful surrounding scenery, and comfortable accommodations were perfect. Because Derby is so close to Canada, people have no excuses to make a trip by bicycle or car, over the border. Just don’t forget your passport! Here is what I got up to on Thursday and Friday, before the race.