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Team Bikeman -
Race Reports
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Written by Art DeGraw
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Monday, 09 April 2007 |
 Spring Mountain Bike Series #1 Cental Park, Schenectady, NY April 8, 2007
 | | clickto enlarge | 25 degrees, wind blowing, clouds dropping snow, who could want anything more? Well, about 40 racers did. They competed at the second annual Spring Series in Central Park located in Schenectady, NY. With frozen derailleurs, water bottles and countless numb extremities we battled it out on the very fast course (which included a mandatory water crossing.)
 | | clickto enlarge | The race is put on by a fantastic group of people. As I tell other riders considering the race, it is organized by people whom love the sport of cycling in all aspects and this comes across in the laid back fun atmosphere of the race. The main organizer is Heather Mason a pro endurance bike racer.
The course was modified due to the excessive mud and trail conservation attempts on the usual trail sections and included some open fast field crossings, small amounts of paved trail, and 2 or 3 short hills. Most of the course was frozen so was very fast.
 | | clickto enlarge | After the 2 hour deadline and 12 laps of battling a frozen front and rear derailleur I came in first, a few minutes ahead of the rest of the open class. Not a bad return to the sport after exactly 1 year off the race scene due to knee surgery. This was the first race on my Salsa El Santo and I could not have been happier. The suspension took the edge off the frozen earth and so reduced the vibration fatigue greatly
Art
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