Pinenut Cracker -- Josh Rennie

I received my initiation into the mtn. bike world yesterday with the Pinenut cracker race in Minden. I signed up as a beginner because that's what is on my norba licence and I was alright with that as the only four other times I rode a mtn. bike was during the cyclocross races.

I roll up to the race and there were a lot of RW jerseys but I didn't recognize most of them for reason stated above. I sign in and then find out that I can race the sport class by just asking; I wish upgrading on the road was this easy. I already have my number on the bike(not jersey, just weird) so I stay. They started the race in several waves first with the expert/pro then a couple minutes later was the sport 19+/women, couple more minutes sport 40+ then finally us lowly beginners. I got the advise that the best thing to do in a mountain bike race was just go for it right from the start so that is what I did.

After a couple of miles I came to the first granny gear climb(which the race promoters were nice enough to mark as such) and at this point I left the beginners and was rapidly making catches on the 40+ and some women. This is where I didn't like mountain bike racing, trying to pass on single track and then the bottle neck on the climb resulting in me getting off and running because three guys couldn't make it. I continued to motor up the climbs and when I reached the top I figured I had enough lead on the rest of my class to coast on the single track descent and keep it upright.

My asphalt loving really shown through on the rolling descent. I was riding just in front of a woman in the sport class. I asked her if she wanted to pass and she said, that's ok you leave me on the hills. I told her I preferred the road and it all seemed to make sense to her at that point. She said "You guys(roadies) go great uphill but suck going down" I know a couple of guys that would take offense to that but it was pretty accurate for me so I just laughed. I cruised back to the start/finish line a couple minutes ahead and still with all the skin I started with.

Give me asphalt, skinny tires and 98 other guys dive bombing a corner any day.

Josh