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19th Keyesville Classic |
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Team Bikeman -
Race Reports
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Written by R. Jorgensen
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Wednesday, 21 March 2007 |
19th Annual Keyesville Classic
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Historic Keyesville, located astride the longest whitewater river in the Sierra Nevada, south of the Sequoia National Forest adjacent to Lake Isabella and a mere three hour drive from Los Angeles is the setting for last weekend's three stage race events. The Bureau of Land Management operates the 7,133 acre multi-use recreation area. The quickly played out 1800's mineral exploitation and land grab soon was followed by flooding, drought and adverse trade and travel conditions that has fostered today's recreational bonanza.
This year Saturday's events included the "Downhill" running along Dutch Flat Trail and infamous "Snake Pit Trail" and the "Short Track". I am still partial to last years 8-hour race. We sported a 4-man team using a single speed bike to hand off with the race baton. A few of the race crew still laugh each time they see us!
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So my mechanic told me something about short track and after finishing my first event it's pretty much true! You go out, wondering who will be the fastest and how long you can hang on. My strategy was somewhat different however, first off because the Keyesville Classic is the renowned "Vintage Bicycle" stage race on the West Coast, I choose my class very carefully. On the downhill, how many gears do you really need? One. And that was the class that I raced. Fortunately, only one other brave soul entered that class. It was exciting to witness the starting gate with the young and restless and the overly engineered, but the bottom line was the number of racers in class.
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The next event up was the short track and again I opted for simplicity. Single speed. I did change gearing and ran a 36X18. It was a nice tight rolling course and I had about 7 laps when I heard the bell. At that point I was tired of getting my picture taken at the same spot by the same folks so I started to fade. I was grateful to the geared speedster who took us all out of our misery. Again luck was with me having only to answer to two other single speed entries. The weekend medals were actully coffee mugs in the best "Irish Green". The weekend's main sponser was Southern Sierra Fat Tire Association.
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The weather was ideal for the XC on Sunday. Mid 80's, a little breezy thru the canyons, the water stations nicely spaced, little erosion to the single track thanks to another Southern California drought. I was the last out of the starting gate, seemed that the leather strap tangled in my tennis shoe and the rest of the vintage racers left me. Always remaining focused and riding the course with equanimity, I just enjoyed the ride. The Specialized Stumpjumper that an acquaintance gifted me only required a set of tubes and tires. Running in the pre-1986 division pitted me against riders on Ritchey's, Bontrager's, and even the granddaddy a Schwinn Excelsior. The Keyesville Classic course is permanently marked and has been ridden longer than most riders have lived, yet the older or simpler the ride the better. An 8 mile, 1200 foot elevation course set amidst blue oaks and foothill pines offers abundant views, spring wild flowers and comradeship.
Roger
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