So Bozeman sure was something. It's been pretty dry for the last week and a wet race hadn't even crossed my mind as I headed out there. Pulling in, the driveway to this farm we're racing at is a giant mud puddle. Uh, that's weird. Go around back where the start is, see people coming out of the last corner covered in mud. They are on the other side of the divide, and got more snow in the previous week, and it seems it finally warmed up enough to melt. Took one practice lap to see what it was like, got my bike nicely gummed up, and I'm wondering how I'm even going to make it through the race with the wheels still able to turn. I don't have a 2nd bike and even if I did there wasn't a pit or anyone with me to hose things off. I scrape things clean as best as I can, warm up on the road for a bit, and head to the start line.
Wind up on the 3rd row, which is not where I wanted to be. No categories, just A group, so 1/2/3 and whoever else wants to race in that one. Like 17 people? First couple corners I'm pretty far back but things aren't really strung out yet and I make up a couple spots. It's slow, wet, and slippery, basically the whole lap is just mud of varying consistencies. Out in the open sun, it's starting to dry out and get thicker, in the shade it's more that really wet sloppy stuff, and out on the back of the course it kind of varies depending on where you are. Some spots were maybe originally grass, and there are ruts, and sometimes you can stay on a higher up, harder packed ridge for awhile. Later on I was aiming for the puddles and wetter sections because it seemed like there was less resistance and I was hoping it'd splash off some of the mud and packed up grass. Laps are taking 10 minutes. On lap 2 I'm still farther back than I want, but I'm getting some clean course in front of me and catching people and feel pretty good. By lap 3 I'm happier with my position and appear to still be moving forward. I'm getting the hang of the super slick, tight single track sections and the tires are working great. Then toward the end of the lap, I go to pedal out of a corner and my chain is off the ring. Well yeah I guess I can see why that happened as it's all jammed up with mud and grass. Put it back on, comes right back off. Try again. Same thing. Uh, should I just quit now? scrape some muck out of the chainring with my fingers, get it back on, oh hey I'm moving again. Guess I'll take that beer hand up on the next lap. Do that. Also get a dollar handup. Pass a guy back. Chain comes off again in the same spot. Fix it, pass another guy back who is messing with his rear wheel. Take another beer. Lap 5, pretty far back there now, chain falls off again. More scraping of the chainring. Have this comedy back and forth with a guy and tell him I'll see him in a few minutes after passing him again. But make it through the last lap with the chain still on and didn't get lapped. Find a hose. Eat tacos. Drive 3 hours home, put everything in the wash with an extra rinse cycle and take a shower.
Well there's your problem
I guess the good I can take away is that despite the bad start and chain falling off issues, I felt like I was riding pretty well. Before the first drop I was going away from the guy who got 7th and could see more people ahead of me. Tire pressures were 22/24 and probably could have been another psi or two lower if I wanted, but this is the lowest I've raced at and the cold mud and water probably dropped it a bit vs setting them after riding on the road in the sun to warm up. Despite not being the full mud tread they were fantastic - even when they were sliding there was some grip. I've never ridden in conditions like that but was reasonably comfortable with it and whenever I was around people in the really slick parts I seemed to be going faster (counterpoint- I was not at the front of the field). Now I'm wondering if just running some parts would have been both faster and nicer to the bike. On lap one things were backed up through the tight trees and I was basically just walking fast to keep up. It seemed like these parts were the worst for the drivetrain as well.
I found a few pictures but they don't fully capture what it was like out there
https://www.facebook.com/boballenimages/posts/2385312311578021
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TeamRockfordOwenhouse/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2669334829796484&__tn__=-UC-R
The course was pretty cool, sections of singletrack through trees with tight corners, a bridge and creek crossing you had to run across, some barns, loose chickens, some fields of ruts and mud, and two "aid stations." They also had a keg and tacos after.
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