|
SSWC 2008 |
|
|
|
Written by Vikki Logrbrinck
|
|
Thursday, 11 September 2008 |
Single Speed World Championships
Napa, CA
August 28, 2008
 The Single Speed World Championhips for 2008 was held in Napa, CA on August 24th. To enter one had to apply at midnight, last New Year’s Eve. After viewing the racers, I’m surprised they made the deadline. (View pictures and you’ll get an idea why.) For us old folks, it was not a problem, and my husband Mark Logrbrinck was accepted into the race.
 This race was filled with the most experienced, yet absolute crazy mountain bike riders. No other race has come close to matching the bizarre nature of the dress code and festivities of this race. I highly recommend it both for viewing and for the pure pleasure of really having a fun and grueling ride.
 As is custom for this race, two days before the actual event, they do something fun in the city closest to the event. In this case, it would be San Francisco. They scheduled a ride from American Cyclery, the oldest bike shop in downtown San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin, to a coastal beach, for a bar-b-que. The ride was open to family and friends as well. In the laid back nature of this event, nothing started on time. Plenty of time to look around and view the various characters and bikes getting together for the ride. Everything from pink hubs to dual colored beach cruisers. I sadly missed the event, being sick that day. Back in the 70’s, when I still had no idea what Wearing Flowers in your Hair meant, I had biked this route. Mark was told there were no hills to climb, and I knew, being the native I am, that it just wasn’t true. I had to pass. After waiting in the cold foggy city for over an hour, everyone seemed to just take off, with no directions announced. Mark tried to follow the group, but quickly lost them in the maze of roads running through Golden Gate Park. He knew his way though, and did make it to the beach, only to see that no bar-b-que was in site. The craziness had begun.
 Back in Napa, the day of the race was sizzling hot with little wind. I see why the wine is so good from there, but why single speed racing is so brutal. Who would think rolling hills at near sea level could be so hard?
 As the riders started arriving it quickly became clear, this was no ordinary race. I would guess nearly half the riders were in costumes of every sort you can imagine. The winner of the race, no slouch to biking, wore a Batman costume. Second place was a man wearing a gold bikini and cape. Tattooed bunnies, Edelweiss dresses, head to toe gold metallic Lycra suits, wigs, masks and more; and these were the men!
 Before the race, the event coordinators announced that anyone wanting a pair of whitey tighties with SSWC08 printed on them could come up and get the dozen given out. The racers then found out that once taken, they were required to wear the underwear, with no lycra, the entire race. Some wore shirts; some wore nothing else but their tighty whities.
 To add to the craziness of the event, all racers were told to take their bikes down the hill and leave them there and come back up to the starting point. This was a fair distance, and once the race started, a mass of crazy bikers headed down the hill to try to remember where they placed their bike among the hundreds. And I believe the beer and wine had already been brought out, making the search a bit more interesting.
Mark told me it was the toughest single speed course he’s ridden, and hiked up. He rode his Salsa Mamasita with his Carbon Origin8 Fork. He rode down every rough downhill, breaking his Crank Brothers pedal. He had his gears too high for the type of terrain; 32X18. The racers had to do 3 laps. It really turned out to be 3 ½ grueling laps, in the heat and dust. Mark was spent after finishing 2 ½ laps, and decided to stop. But he totally enjoyed the event.
 Our highlight of the race was reconnecting with a long lost friend, Christine Culver. Chris, a course marshall for the race, spotted Mark while riding a downhill section she was telling everyone to walk. Mark heard his name called at the bottom, recognized Chris, stopped, hugged, and rode on. They couldn’t believe through the dust and helmet, that they recognized each other after so many years. What could be better when exhausted and hot than seeing an old familiar face? (No not beer.) Chris, is one of the first Pro Women Downhill Racers, and won the Nationals in ’86 in Mammoth at the Kamikaze. Now she is Executive Director of Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, an organization promoting and supporting bike riding. She inspired me as a downhill racer. We are glad for the reconnection.
For more on how Bikeman.com helped with educating racers and spectators world wide, please read my article on the booth Mark set up at the race for Lyme Disease. Bikeman.com was definitely noticed at this race, in a very positive light.
Vikki
 |
|
; "Image")
; "Image")
; "Image")
; "Image")
; "Image")
; "Image")
; "Image")
; "Image")
Show/Hide comment form
