Caney Creek Enduro Race Report...

What a Race!!!

Enduros are always tough. Every single one of them. It doesn't matter if it's the rockiest, nastiest, toughest terrain or a cart path- you ride them all as hard as you can, and you know it at the end. This particular course, the Caney Creek Enduro, is put on by the Trail Riders of Houston. It winds through the Sam Houston National Forest, full of trees, sand, whoops, and some nasty roots. Conditions were a little dry, but somehow the dirt had a touch of moisture in it earlier in the day.

The drive down was easy once I got rolling- the dogs didn't want to cooperate with me leaving for the weekend. But I finally hit the road - new goodies on the iPod and everything I needed to snack my way to Houston for a race. Since this was a solo run, I opted to run my stinger rack on the back of the excursion and tent camp it, banking on mooching an outlet for my box fan (Thanks Ryan). Camp was set, bike passed sound check fine, and check in was smooth and easy- row 41. The Reynolds crew was in full effect, so I had a good time kicking back in my camp chair and chatting over a couple cold pre-race beers - as Papa Pierce likes to say "It's just pain killer and carbos." Good times were had and we all called it an early night.

Coming soon: "Enduro Cribs"

I knew coming in to this one that there wasn't much elevation (climbs) or technical terrain to be involved. It would be just like a skinnier Cycleland- lean back, pinch the seat, clench your butt cheeks and shut one eye as you pin it a touch faster than you're comfy with. I'd love to see the pro dudes go balls out on this stuff, because they smoke me like a turkey and I felt like I was flying. I went off course once, and took a spectacular 4th gear over-the-bars sandy face plant right before I realized my body and brain were done communicating. That last section was exhausting- same stuff, just more of it, and you need to keep the pace up. I pushed through wanting to puke and gasping for air and got the finish as hard as I could- a feeling I'm growing more and more comfortable with thanks to CrossFit Solus. Dehydration was a factor despite the two Camelbaks I went through. Temps in the 90s and Houston humidity will inspire some cramps. It was strange to pull my fingers off the bars after they cramped on in a pure hillbilly death grip. I felt good about my ride, just a little nervous about that last section "fade", but at least I knew I gave it all I had- the moment of truth comes later when they post scores and hope it was just as rough for everyone else.

And that was a strange moment. At first, my score was incorrect, only giving me a ONE second lead. That's absolutely ridiculous, especially considering we were on course for 5 hours. We sent the scores in for double-checking, and mine came out corrected, but still only a six second lead. 6 SECONDS!!! It was hard to believe, but that was good enough to bump me into first for the Open B Class win! A great day of racing, and thoroughly exhausted drive home. There's just no better feeling than putting it all on the dirt and it paying off like that!

Memory Lane: MY first dirt bike was an 86 Yamaha IT 200...

Klim F4 Helmet Review

As cool as everything seemed, I eBayed it.

Here in Texas, we have a little heat to deal with. That said, when it's time to get a new lid, I pay very close attention to venting and weight. I'm a sucker for murdered out black graphics and tough looking helmets, but after having my brain boil in a few, I've come to appreciate the better things in life- like a well vented and light helmet.

Enter Klim's F4. I was a big fan immediately after seeing the slick design and of course the orange. I ride KTM, so it's a well known fact based on solid science that all things orange are in fact faster and perform better than any other color. Add to that the slick vents and nifty graphics, and I was typing in the credit card number pretty quick. The closest shop to me is about an hour away, so I'm all about the shotgun web orders.

The box arrived, got opened, and dumped out all over the place- LOTS of cool stuff. The helmet bag was sweet, and nearly stayed with me. Also included was a spare visor, the nifty cold weather liner, and the breath deflector. Very well packaged and those goodies made it seem like a very adaptable helmet for Texas between our summer racing and winter series.

Problem was in the fit. If you're looking at one of these, go try it on first or make sure you have a backup plan if it doesn't fit well. For me, it sat up way too high on my head and left my jaw exposed. It also meant that those top vents were even higher up, which is no bueno for me. I'm already tall, on an open class bike, and you can see just how many limbs my head comes in contact with by taking a good look at my helmet. I probably would have lost at least that top vent pretty quick. For reference, my Troy Lee and Fly formula helmets fit like a glove.

Other than the fit to my head, it was pretty slick. I'd consider the usual riding you do and whether the vent clearance would be an issue. But as with everything, find somewhere you can go try it on and put your hands on it! There's no substitute for forming your own opinion on things like this. The Internet is full of opinions, junk, and a touch of decent info- but you'll learn more in five minutes of handling this helmet than you can reading for hours. Go check it out and go ride!

Well slap me naked and hide my clothes...

24 Hour Race was CANCELLED!!! It took a lot of wind out of my sails, so I went off grid for a little while. Did some camping, spent a lot of time with the crew, and I've been back to the designing board with some stuff I'd like to release in the fall. I'm looking at doing another nice fitted shirt with a design that I'm steadily falling in love with. I'd like to pair it with a batch of military caps also. Currently digging up the proper chassis to use, and making some good ground doing it. Come back soon to see the release of VB's latest and greatest- one word to describe it... RISE.