Last time I entered a PNP race on a Singlespeed bike I finished last, so I didn't hold high hopes for the 1st race in the series. Combined with a flu like symptoms, a sore throat and it was raining heavily outside, if I hadn't pre-entered already I would have stayed home in bed.
Often when people see a Singlespeeder they think of a fast rider, I am not that person, I am not fast on a singlespeed. I had initially planed to enter my race bike, my (geared) Blur XC, but I just couldn't face the servicing nightmare after a good thrashing in the rain. After all aren't singlespeeds more reliable on wet weather rides? And I pre rode the course last week on my SS and all wasn't too bad.
Feeling soft I entered the Enduro class, I didnt want to race T3 and I had some friends that I often rode with entering this class so I felt it would be nice and competitive.
On the start line the rain started up again (it had stopped briefly) and it pretty much didn't stop until well after the race had finished.
I felt the race went pretty well for me, at times I felt I didn't have a big enough gear and at other times I felt a bit fatigued on the climbs. Throughout the race I held my position pretty well and not many people passed me and I did pass a few. On Nikau Valley I over steered on one corner and rode into the bank bringing pain to my foot that I managed to ignore for the rest of the race.
After more climbing I was at the top of North Face, this meant there was no more uphill. I also found that there was no more pads on my front disc brake and a sparingly amount on my rear. I managed to get to the bottom without crashing but there were plenty of sketchy moments where the use of effective braking would have helped greatly. I passed a few more riders.
I was across the finish line in 1:43:46 earning me 11th place, nothing to be proud about. The Singlespeed felt like it had had a good thrashing. I think I would have been a lot faster on my race bike but it was great knowing that it wouldn't need a overhaul before my 12hr solo in a couple of weeks (Day Night Thriller).
Unfortunately after the race, my cold kicked into full gear. Today as I write this I feel terrible and don't believe I will be back at work tomorrow either :(
