So I have just completed day 3 of my 5 day course at United Bicycle Institute (UBI) in Ashland, OR. I have always struggled with bike maintenance since my first real experience with bikes was when I first started riding downhill…a downhill bike is pretty intimidating to learn beginner maintenance on. I don’t think that it is fair to me or my sponsors to have to deal with preventable mechanicals and a mediocre working bike…I want it to be the best it can be. I want to be able to talk about my bike and its components with real knowledge and have a real understanding of the products i am representing. I want to be able to fix something when it breaks…I hate feeling so helpless, its awful. I am so excited to learn all this stuff…I love it. I have learned that I really enjoy working on my bike- its pretty cool. The instructors here are great…such good teachers they break it down for us dummies. hahah. I would HIGHLY recommend this school to anyone and everyone that loves bikes. Do it!!
Oh yah also there is a race here this weekend so I am going to check that out. It is called the Spring Thaw. I am not sure what the weather is going to do the weatherman has been wrong every day since I have been here. I just hope it doesn’t snow…I have become a baby to the cold since I have been chasing the sun this winter.
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So another year of Sea Otter has come and gone. All in all it was a great week/weekend. I always seem to be a disappointed with my results at Sea Otter but I know that the particular style of course is not a strength of mine so I really shouldn’t get too distraught over it. I have my sights set high on some other races this year. We shall see.
I do want to congratulate Melissa Buhl and Greg Minnaar because they both absolutely killed it this weekend. Greg had ended last season with a shoulder injury and his first weekend back he wins DH and Slalom! He is def one to watch this year. Melissa Buhl is freaking strong…so much power. I think I need to work on my sprints and squats. hahah.
I am only in California for a few more days now and then i am heading to Ashland, OR for a bike mechanic course. I need to have some bonding time with my bike because it is frequently abused. My lack of bike maintenance is really holding me back a lot so its time I do something about it. I just found out that there will be a race down there while I am there so that is pretty sweet. I have never ridden in Ashland before.
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I had loads of fun today, As much as I complain about the DH course…I always love it. So fun. Today was a nice mix of riding and catching up with friends. I was feeling pretty good on the downhill. I just took it easy, tomorrow I will start to link things together at speed. I am looking forward to a looser course tomorrow. Once the track gets ridden in it will probably get pretty good…I like it loose. I did lots of talking on the side of the track today…haha. It is good to see everyone…there is no other way to describe it other than family…the riding community is a big traveling family and I missed ‘em. I hijacked the picture from bones over metal… check ‘em out (www.bonesovermetal.com). There is a lot of good content up there and mark is a great blogger.
I will get some pictures of my own up tomorrow…I didn’t take any pictures today.
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I love slalom…there needs to be slalom at every race. So fun. It was freezing and overcast this morning but the clouds burned off and it was nice and sunny and still freezing and WINDY! It was soooo windy. Made things interesting. Apparently this huge kids blow up slide in the pits blew over…crazy. Anyway I had a lot of fun in practice and I was feeling pretty good. In my first run of qualifying I hit a hay bale out of the gate and I was devastated because I thought that it would cost me my position in the main event. Luckily I had a solid 2nd run and qualified in 11th position. In the round of 16, I was up against Mio Suemasa- I was nervous because she was absolutely slaying the course all day but I held my own. She won the first run and I won the 2nd run. Unfortunately I didn’t make up the time differential so my day ended early. I was definitely a bit bummed but I had a great day..next time. Melissa Buhl finished in 1st and was looking so strong all day- she can pedal like crazy. Rachel Atherton was looking so smooth and fast, I think she ended up in 4th with a mechanical or something. Sabrina was 2nd and Fionn was 3rd. Minnar won the mens…Peaty was 2nd and Voreis was 3rd or 4th. I need to get some rest so I will give a full run-down tomorrow.
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