Bike racing can be cruel. No matter how much you prepare yourself and the bike there are certain things that are outside of your control.
The regional champs are the second most prestigious race I'll race this year. In my first year as a Veteran I was keen to get a good result and ranking points ahead of the Nationals. Unfortunately the opportunity of a competitive result disappeared half way around the second lap of 5.
First the rear tyre started going soft. As I put the hammer down along the fireroad section I could feel the bike bobbing up and down. The pit area with my pump was several minutes ahead, so I doggedly carried on. Despite the flat tyre I was still catching and passing riders after a poor first lap in the tricky conditions.
Then as I dropped down a steep rooty section the front tyre deflated instantly. The tyre bead popped completely off the rim. I still had to negotiate two usually very fast sections of open trail before the loose gravelly climb up to the pits. The front tyre was flapping around on the rim and the rear wheel was banging on the ground as the tyre wobbled from side to side. It wasn't quick and negotiating the corners was almost impossible. Riders came through before I reached the mechanical zone. More passed as I used the track pump to reinflate the tyres. I had lost around 3 minutes.
Now, to be honest I didn't seriously expect both tyres to stay up. Mentally I was already thinking about a depressing hour drive home after only 30 minutes of racing. I certainly didn't believe the front would stay up, since it now couldn't possibly still contain any sealant. As I expected I could hear air leaking from the front as I rejoined the course. I had over inflated hoping it would seal before the pressure dropped too far. At this point I really thought it was just a matter of time.
However, the hissing slowed. I had to get used to a very squirmy front end as the pressure in the front tyre was very low but it was staying up! As I started the 3rd lap I began to realise I might actually finish the race! Mentally I had to re-engage. I got used to the handling and as the course continued to dry I even set a competitive lap time, recovering a couple of those places I had lost.
I rolled home just inside the top twenty in 19th place - not the result I had hoped for. I'll hope for better luck at the National Champs.
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