Old.

And new.

(but what the hell are those guys tugging against, anyway?)

Faster? Absolutely.

Had some good fun doing two laps of the Old-Fashioned Mtb Race course. Messed around on the first, finding trail junctures and letting my legs stretch out after yesterday. Then I changed bottle and put the hammer down, clocked a 1:04 in spite of fools who wouldn’t let me pass (does it feel good to blow by guys on Stumpjumpers with shiny new King hubs, on a fixed and rigid Surly!) and the aforementioned crash. I was cookin’ down Fort Valley, a bit less than a mile from the end, when the front Nano washed definitively. I was in the dirt before I knew it. First hard crash in a good long time. Got a Resolution to replace the front Nano, along with my gaudy new lid.

With fresh legs and smart riding, I think I can pull the race (3 laps) in close to 3:10.

Another surprise, this one good, is that Randy Mason is back in Flagstaff. After his mystery illness (toothache gone systemic?) put him out of GDR contention he fled back to Flag, and has been the puppet master behind the upcoming endurance SS series. Talking with him got me psyched on doing the 12 hour next Sunday fixed, Lenz or not. The goal will still be fun, just really fast fun.

Beautiful afternoon, sore knee, and right now it’s hailing.