Singlespeed at Riverbend Cross

Sunday's double-header race venue was at the Riverbend golf course in Red Deer. Very good turn out for their 2nd year.


the girls heading up the steep climb - photo CABC

The start was on a slight inclined long gravel road which was perfect for me. Around a few grassy corners then thru the mostly rideable sandpit. I was just dismounting for the last pitch of the sandpit when "poof", my front wheel bit the sand. Bike and I went down.

Pepper in the Expert Men's race powering out of the evil sandpit - photo CABC

New jerseyed woman (Kim from Northern Ontario) and Shantel passed me. Kim shmucked the barrier with her bike's rear wheel which was funny as we both laughed when I passed by.

Shantel on the rutted downhill - photo CABC

Shantel rode smoothly on a course she didn't get to pre-ride. I caught her on the back straight-away then as I was shifting gears "no click" "no click"... ahhh my shifter was hooped! Possibly from the sandpit. Only a couple lower gears worked in my big chain ring - not my choice though now I was single-speeding! I whined for abit as rider's passed me. Pepper's mom passed me and told me to get on her wheel! It's a long loop, maybe 8 min when we normally have 5-6 min loops.

1st loop up the steep climb when I had gears! - photo CABC

At the mechanical pit, someone tried to help save my shifter though really valuable riding time was ticking away. When the Commissaire asked if I was out of the race, I hollered back "NO"!. I jumped back on my bike and gutted out the 50x15 gear (small chain ring would skip). I had to run thru areas I might have ridden.

Annie from Red Deer in the scenic backwoods - photo CABC

Actually, it was a good single speed course. I wasted abit more time when guys offering assistance said there was a bike I could switch to. Then the pedals were shimano and I use Crankbrothers. It wasn't worth the time to switch pedals.

Elite race, Matt leading the Hardcore boys up the hike-a-bike climb - photo CABC

Off I went again. Next loop I decided to just keep my bike as I was getting used to where I could go hard on the course, where I could coast, and run.

Tim usually riding the sandpit, went for a run - photo CABC

I wish I gave into the single-speeding lots earlier as after being way past last place after lap 1, I managed to catch 3 or 4 women. I didn't realize I was not that far in time from the front women.

Best thing is I got to finish!!

I saw Deadgoat Pat Doyle at the end of the race and told him I thought about him as he is an avid singlespeeder mountain biker.

Awesome shot of Derek powering up out of the sandpit - photo CABC

Shantel had Derek from Red Bike look at my shifter. He said sand was the cause. Back in Edmonton, he worked magic with the lubricant spray (alot of it!) and had my shifter clicking away again!