Bringing the mayhem

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The winter mountains of Colorado might be better known for skiing then bike racing, but that is quickly changing as riders discover the fun of Fat Bikes. BPR MI and other new chapters might laugh that it has taken this long for the CO crew to realize this, but now we have. And things will never be the same in winter again! Of course, Pit Boss and Leader try to cram as much into one day as possible decided that playing on planks was a fantasic way to warm up for a twilight start. Fun times at the butterfly, working on the turns meant for some tired legs for both of them when they arrived in Leadville. 

Mineral Belt Meyhem - the third of the Leadville Winter Bike Series. Set on the Mineral Belt trail that encircles the town, with the addition of some groomed singletrack. PBville is rightfully proud of their  groomed trails and they are quite fun to ride. Even more so at night when you never really know where you are or if the lights you see are ahead or behind you... But I digress. MBM is held in conjunction with the Leadville Winter carnival, meaning we fatbikers aren't the craziest people in town. That award goes to the skijorers - those nut jobs who willingly get pulled down Harrison Ave by horses at full gallop... That snow means we get to start right downtown as well. This year, with the rather warm temperature, the starting snow was a bit of a shit show. Luckily, it was a neutral-ish start and everyone was mellow for the most part - just a few nose wheelies into the soft slush. Once we hit the Mineral Belt trail, racing was on. Surprisingly, the warm temps hadn't messed with the trail too much and the snow was firm and fast. Even regular mountain bikes were staying upright. Of course, all that changed in the groomed singletrack, where an inch off the trail led to some spectacular face plants. And then never ending climb back to the sprint finish on Harrison Ave...

The results:
Pit Boss (59:55) middle of the front of the pack - he didn't let the absence of hands free drinking hold him back and had a very solid performance, crushing the roadies in the singletrack. 

Old Guy (1:11:26) front of the middle of the pack - without as many stars to mesmerize and the full moon to dazzle, he was able to stay on course and guise through the fast riding singletrack just ahead of Leader. 

Leader (1:12:13) middle of the front of the pack - having solved the low battery issues of the prior race, she was ready to go. Downhill fast that is! Carrying extra gear and a warm cost certainty add the pounds and makes the downhills fun - climbing on the other hand... It was a long week and she was longing for some rest. 

Backpack Dan (1:16:01) middle of the middle of the pack - he realized that having some psi in the fat tires is better then none this year and it showed in his racing. Still sporting the huge backpack, he was ready for anything the snow served up. 


And the Data on the ride - for those who care!
Elevation - total change of 863, with a max of 10,436 and a min of 9,751
Race distance - 13.4 miles
Functional clothes - there were some to be seen, on the usual suspects, as well as some functional wool jerseys. 
Suspension - not that it helped... 
Gears - yep. The entire range, just one at a time. 
Other notes - there were some flat pedals and some efficient mechanical transfer devices as the foot-pedal interface. 

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