Source Endurance

Here is how it went down:

I got to start in the same front group with Armstrong and defending Champ David Wiens. My front brake is zipp tied to my handle bar after ripping it off earlier in the week. Shotgun goes off at 6:30 Saturday morning, we roll out and I keep a position not too far behind the leaders on the first two climbs. I am leading a chase group on the Powerline descent when I have a catastrophic flat on the front that rips my front tire off the rim and I end up crashing. As I found out all day Saturday, Bontrager Tubeless tires and Super Juice is CRAP, and doesn’t not work worth a damn. I use up all my sealant, CO2, and tube trying to fix the flat, but the flat was not fixed. Michael broke his chain on the second climb, but he quickly fixed it and was on his way, asking me if I needed anything as he passed me on the descent of powerline.

My day was done I am walking down the descent, which is never ending, with my front wheel in one hand and my bike in the other, thinking, damn that’s it,this is going to be the worst day I have had in a very frustrating and low past 4weeks, and I have a very long hike ahead of me. As I walk I am asking passing riders for anything. I finally run across two guys with flats trying to get their pumps to work, and I ask if I can try one. I thought at this point that my tube was flat from the CO2, rocks and grit in my tire and wheel, or who knows? Miraculously the tire and tube inflates and doesn’t flat (I can see the tube poking out of the big hole in the tire. 40 minutes later I am back on the bike, going from top 20 to 600 something or there abouts. I figure screw it, I ride as hard as I can until something else blows, I am blowing through traffic and throwing caution to the wind. I catch Mike and come through 40mile check point 30 minutes behind myself last year. I am riding faster than last year, I think, “maybe sub 9hr is still possible, if every thing goes perfect from here.” I climb Columbine on pure anger, I wasn’t really riding, it was Bolt, my alter ego that I have not seen since June. I fly down the decent, these 29er bikes is where it is at, they descend and climb like nothing else around. I come through 60 check point 14 minutes faster than it took me to do the Columbine Mine Climb last year. I think, ” I can still do this.”

After I come out of the check point @ mile 76, I know I have a rear puncture, I can feel the sealant hitting me on the leg. I think,”OK just seal up, do your job.” No such luck, have I mentioned that this Bontrager stuff is crap. I make it to power line, pass Carmichael for the second time, and on the steepest part of the climb, my rear tire is too low, to safely ride. I dismount and start walking, again I am asking anyone for supplies. Finally someone throws me his Saddle bag and says, “see me at the finish line.” I hit the rear with the CO2, and get going again. The leak is slow but will not seal. I make it over power line out of CO2, and on the descent I am asking passing riders for a pump, my tire is getting to low to ride again. Another guy hands me his pump,and says, “see me at the finish.” I pump up the rear tire, I will have to do this 2 more times before the finish.

I come across the finish line around 8:41ish, 74th place looking like a used bike part store, but its gold buckle time! My total riding time is around an hour less than my actual time, what could have been, top 15??. I am so very fortunate to simply finish though,so many unselfish riders helped me, and I have learned some hard lessons. Michael comes in around 10:20, silver buckle well earned!

Will I back? Yep, so will Mike, and so will Lance (he got second)

To watch a video from the race click here