I’m not exactly one for race reports and a blow by blow of the action.  What I do like to write about is how fun racing/riding is, going on new adventures and exploring new places. In this specific case I want to relate how fun racing my fat bike was.  This past Sunday was the Bear Springs Trap race.

I headed out with my friend John.  Then Dean and Yue-Yun came out to watch and take some videos and I got to see Trevor, Matt and a few others.  It is starting to feel like I actually know the racing community around here……after 5 years…….

Let me start off with a little complaining (bitching) first.  This is the 2nd year in a row that I was the only fat bike racer on the start line.  Where the heck is everyone?  I know that the fat bike is not as fast as a true cross country bike but it sure is fun as hell.  The other thing that tends to happen is that the start the fat bikes with the Clydesdales.  This generally means we are the last group to take off from the Sport (Cat II) groups.

Generally my goal has been to pass/catch as many of the groups in front of us as I can.  I’m more successful sometimes compared to others.  This Sunday was a bit of a crazy start.  Sport group was set off at 30 second intervals on a paved road which turned right into a short, but steep, climb.

As myself (solo fat biker again this year) and the Clydesdales took that right corner onto the dirt it appeared as if a bomb (or giant hand) had come down and splattered the group(s) in front of us all over the place.

Dean and Yun later told me that one of the women in the front bobbled and it set off a chain reaction of falling over racers.  As you can see from the video I picked my way through with one little dab as a racer I was passing almost took me out.

I got into catch and pass mode pretty quick on this course.  This race does have a bit more of a New England vibe with lots of rocks and roots early on.

Speaking of courses…..it was about time we had a nice dry and fun course.  Echo is fun but not overly exciting, Mudslinger lived grandly up to it’s name for 2018, Coast Hills was just nasty and sloppy, but Bear Springs was superb!  Dry weather leading into the race with some rain the day before made for a fast, but tacky, loop.  So far it has been my favorite race this year.

I’d love to get out to this area when a race isn’t going on just to explore.  It is an OHRV area so also avoiding conflicts with motorized users is preferable too.

Huge thanks to the Sellwood crew and Team S&M for the event.  You scored high marks on this one! I was first and last in the Fat Bike category but if I had raced the Farly in my normal age group I would have been 7th.  Not too shabby racing the big wheels!

Thanks for reading,

-Pete