flying tents and spaghetti

Gonna be a busy week for me, I've got to get everything ready for a trip to NC for the 12 Hours of Tsali. Today I gave the bike hauler and Eco trailer a bath, got the Mamasita tuned up and ready to roll with a little help from Alan. I still managed to screw up the crank and he finally set me straight. I still need to install a new set of brake pads but I think I can manage that one myself.

I've done a few of these 12 and 24 hour races over the past few years and the thing that always gets me is the price. Probably the best race for the money I've done yet was the 6 hours of Warriors Creek this year. For $40 (early bird reg. fee) I got a cool shirt, a BBQ dinner, and free beer plus I managed to win a door prize. The 12 Hours of Tsali, one of the more popular races in the area I paid $60 plus a $4.95 charge for something I can't remember to race at a trail I've ridden a hundred times. No T-shirt, there is a rumor of a spaghetti dinner (the cheapest dinner possible besides Ramen noodles) but I doubt we'll see it and no beer. For an extra $12 you can purchase a shirt but the past few years they have sucked so I always passed on it. Why am I doing the race, well good question, it's probably the best course for me to try out as my first 12 hour solo experience. In reality it does usually turn out to be a good race and is usually run pretty well and they actually do have a podium.

Enough complaining, how about some pics from last weekends Racks by the Tracks. Racks on the Tracks was a BBQ Rib cook off and beer tasting gig. Pretty cool event even though Pisgah Brewing Co. was a no show. I was really looking forward to tasting their brew. I think there ended up being around 15 breweries on hand and we got a cool little souvenir glass to take home. A few of us decided to take a wrong turn in the woods out on Bays Mtn earlier and were having to much fun so we were a little late and missed out on a few beers. I think I'd had enough anyway.

Anthony had a few too many and thought he was the Dog Whisperer for about 10 minutes. Caesar would have definitely said it was Anthony who needed rehabilitating.

This cat had it going on, that was one long ride. I bet he had hard time pedaling that thing up hill.

As soon as we got ready to leave a storm rolled in and the wind picked up several EZ-Up's and started hurling them in all directions. Everyone was running for cover and chasing flying tents down the street. I thought about helping but decided it was much more fun to laugh and snap pictures.