![]() Chalk Creek 4X action Thanks to Josh McGuckin from motionboy and cameracourage for the photos. The deal Early season local-style mountain cross races run by Keith Darner of RPM/Yeti and Eric Jean from Cycle Cyndicate. Out in Nathrop, between Buena Vista and Salida on Highway 285. They raced on both Saturday and Sunday, but I only hit Saturday. Here's my report: The conditions Cold and windy! It was 30-40 degrees here around 8,000 feet. Snow flurried in the nearby mountains, and a few flakes made it our way. Everyone seemed to be freezing arse, at least until racing started. The wind made the final straight sketch-o-riffic. For a boy from California, this was both a shock and a treat. The course ![]() Think of a nice, flowy BMX track, only downhill. Get a few strokes out of the ABA gate, suck up a steep roller then hammer to the first corner. If you're on the inside, early-apex it and cut off the rest of the gang on the berm. Pump a dip, float a step-up then backside into a nice left. Pump that baby and swing into a 180 right. Pedal! Clear the table into another 180, get in a few strokes then hit the crux rhythm section. Most fast guys rolled the first bump, sucked up the face of the table, doubled from the table to the back of a roller, then doubled into the right berm. Land as high to the left as you can and carry speed to another step-up. Careful though: This guy is easy to over clear. Puuuump the smooth roller, then sail over the table. Pedal! Manual, roll or jump over the last four rollers, then you're done. Whew! The builders -- Keith, Eric, Ross Milan and others -- really nailed this course. I could ride it all day long. Wait ... I did! The format ![]() The Chalk Creek way: No qualifying. Names come out of a hat and go directly into brackets. At the line, everyone draws cards for their positions. If you end up in Lane 4 with Steve Wentz, Jon Watt and Ross, too bad for you! After the first round, the top two advance in the "primary" bracket, and the bottom two keep going in the "secondary" bracket. On Saturday, all of the experts got to go three rounds, with the last round deciding the final placing. Not that anyone cared about the result sheet. We were stoked to keep riding the course. The action ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() There was lots of great racing: slips, recoveries, passes, power and deviousness. A good 4X is like taking a week's worth of riding drama and boiling it to 30 seconds. Great fun. Highlights: ![]() ![]() ![]() After racing, everyone sessioned the rhythm, did coaster races (Bobbi and Lisa were beating me with one stroke each), and basically digging the fellowship. I've only been living in Colorado for a couple months, but I'm stoked on the scene. And let's not even talk about Sea Otter. After I win everything, they're gonna ban me for my high-altitude hematocrit! Next time If you're remotely local, come on out April 10 and 11, the weekend before Sea Otter. If you miss that action, check out the May 9 race, which is part of the Mountain States Cup. More info on the RPM/Yeti site. Bonus backyard action ![]() ![]() |
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