SSWC08…

Closed up shop yesterday and headed over to Napa to hang out with Gordon and his friend Bjorn and watch the Single Speed World Championships. To say it was more fun than watching a NORBA race is an understatement. Spectators set up several “feed zones” on course. Feed zones in a NORBA race is the spot on the course where team members hand up fresh water bottles and food and if you have a sunglass sponsor, fresh sunglasses too. The “feed zones” at this race were more gauntlet-like with drunken spectators handing up beers – I’m not sure of the brand, but the colors on the cans were red, white, and blue. Beers were handed up, riders reached out and grabbed a luke-warm one, took a gulp, and tossed the can by the way-side with a “support staff” member racing to retrieve it before too much beer ran out into the dirt so they could hand it up to the next rider. Occasionally, an empty can was set down in the middle of the trail with a dollar bill sticking up. A few riders, coordinated and sober enough, reached down and were able to retrieve it.

The race started promptly when it started with a Le Mans style start. By the time riders got to where they left their bikes, it seemed like half of them couldn’t remember where they left their bike and a few “friends” of theirs actually moved some bikes to further confuse a couple of racers.

On to some photos. Pre-race. Yes that is a guy standing next to Keith, one of the many Soulcraft riders.

Bikes lined up waiting for their riders.

And here they come…

Yes, that’s a guy.

Rockin’ an IF cross bike on a nasty, rocky, off-camber switchback corner.

Carl Decker and Barry Wicks (two of the top US cross country racers) showed up with speedo-like outfits, capes and skate helmets. Didn’t slow down Decker too much because he ended up winning.

Smilin’ George Hope – local resident riding the bike I built up a few days ago.

Not sure why this event drew these guys out of the closet, but they did seem a little freerer during the race.

This guy wore the nacho libre mask the whole race. It was a fitting color combination.

One of the tighty-whitey wearers in a smashing sparkly blouse.

Not sure if this guy missed try-outs and decided to race.

Jacquie Phelan all business-like on her pink, uh, single-speed.

It’s hard enough riding a single single-speed, but these folks (along with one other couple) raced their single-speed tandem.