Author Topic: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ  (Read 9968 times)

Vipassana

Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« on: September 08, 2014, 06:38:29 PM »
I’m about to post a novel here, but I’m super excited and wanted to share for those who like story time.  I accomplished a major milestone this past weekend by completing the Barn Burner 104 endurance XC race in Flagstaff, Arizona, my first MTB century ride! 

A bit of background: The Barn Burner 104 is one of six qualifier races for the Leadville 100 in Leadville, Colorado.  It is the longest of the qualifying races.  It consists of 4 laps at 26 miles each or 104 miles total distance with 8760 ft of total elevation.  It is mostly doubletrack and fire roads with a couple of decent climbs and very rock descents.   Basically if you’re going downhill on this course it’s going to be rough.

I attempted this race last year (June, 2013) as my first MTB race.  For a variety of reasons (all tied to mental or physical shortcomings on my part), I only completed two laps before throwing in the towel.  At the time, it seemed like an impossible task to complete this event.  I didn’t train enough.  I didn’t know my gear. I didn’t have a strategy. I didn’t understand nutrition or eating.  My mind wasn’t right to deal with the stresses during the ride.

I sat around all year thinking about the race and this past February, I started training again for the event this year, which was moved to September.  Thinking back on last year’s performance I was embarrassed.  I used this as motivation to train and step up my game.  I have been doing spin class at least once a week, long rides on weekends and at least one night a week, short hard efforts at least once a week.  All totaled, probably 6 to 10 hours on the bike a week as work and home life allowed.  I’m certain I can (and will) do more, but that is a huge improvement from basically zero consistent training schedule going into BB 2013.  I even built a new bike for the race, which many of you have seen.

Fast forward to this past weekend:  Myself, three riding buddies, and our SO’s headed up to Flagstaff.  All week, the weather forecast was predicting rain.  Lots of it.  We drove up Friday afternoon to set up camp and pick up packets and all.  The drive up from the Phoenix valley was beautiful as the temps dropped from ~105° to ~75°.

Here is the trusty Subaru Forester (204K miles!) ready to go.  The bike in the back is my new carbon hardtail.  The bike in the front was my buddy’s seasoned Pivot Les carbon hardtail.



We stopped at a reststop between the valley and Flagstaff.  It was beautiful, but clouds were rolling in and it was obvious a storm was coming.



Just as we rolled into Flagstaff, it started to rain hard.  I found out my windshield wipers were shot (we don’t use them much in the valley) and I stopped at Autozone to buy new ones.  The race was down a 10 mile dirt road and I new the bikes would be covered in mud unless I protected them somehow.  My wife and I spent a few minutes coving the bikes in trash bags which the Autozone customers looked at us like we were nuts.



On the way to the trailhead, the storm blew past and it was nice again.


When we arrived at the race area, there were already a lot of people there.  The place was SOAKED and all of the roads were rutted and barely passable.  Many non-AWD/4WD vehicles were stuck everywhere.  We set up camp and got soaked in the process (wet trees, grass, ground).  It was dark just as we finished and went to pick up the race packets.  There were some instructional and motivational speeches that night, but we were all so nervous and tired that we made dinner at camp and went to bed.  I crawled into bed at 9:00, but didn’t fall asleep until 10:30 or so.  Mostly due to nerves and stragglers coming into the camp area late.

I got up the next morning at 5:00 to start eating and preparing.  Line-up was at 6:30 and start was at 7:00.  Even at 5:00, there was a steady stream of participants coming in.  Due to rain in the night, the roads were WAY worse than the day before and cars/RVs were stuck everywhere.  Some started the race late as a result.  You can see the string of headlights in the distance below.  It was brisk, but not cold and the sky looked relatively clear.  Maybe we would get lucky with the weather!  As nervous as I was, it was so peaceful out there.





After breakfast and kitting out, I took my pre-race bathroom break.  Everything was going good until I realized the Port-o-potty I was in was out of paper…  I ended up using a folded up paper in my jersey pocket because it was the only thing I had.  This would be the theme for the day.

Traditionally, this race is a LeMans style start, but due to all the mud it was canceled and replaced with a standard roll-out.  Shotgun start.  Tons of riders.



The first lap felt great.  One of my buddies was gone immediately as he is fast.  Me and the other guy set into a good pace (we train together weekly) and got to work.  Things were going great until about 13 miles in he punctured his tire so bad the sealant wouldn’t hold.  So we stopped and threw in a tube.  This set us back about 10-15 minutes, but no big deal since we had hours and hours ahead of us.  This was our only mechanical for the whole day.  We polished off the first lap with ease.  I felt strong on the climbs, steady on the straights, and went SLOW on the rock garden downhill sections.  The mud at the start and end was crazy.

This is the elevation profile of a single lap:


The second lap was OK, but I really over did it on the second climb trying to pace my buddy.  I had to let him go and met up with him back at the pit stop a bit later.  Coming in from the second lap, I was pretty beat up.  I started to think about last year and was worried I was no stronger than before.  This was the start of me getting up in my head, which is probably my biggest weakness.  My buddy and my wife ultimately pushed me out of the pit.

The third lap was painful for the first half.  Again, I tried to pace my buddy, but was struggling.  While he won’t admit to it, I know he was sandbagging to keep me in sight.  He was super encouraging and kept telling me to light the last match.  The clouds turned grey at the end and I got dumped on which made me cold and wet.  Third lap was over before I knew it.

Once in the pits before the final lap, I was super excited, but also SUPER tired.  To make matters worse, my gut was acting up and I could feel trouble brewing.  The longer I stood there, the worse it got.  I tried to use the bathroom to no avail.  My buddy told me he wasn’t going to leave the pit unless I was with him.  I convinced him I would be going out, but that he should leave, so finally he did.  After about 5-10 minutes of screwing around feeling like I was going to throw up or **** myself, I decided to just hop on the bike and go for it.  I still had 3.5 hours to make the cutoff.

Immediately out on the fourth lap, the adrenaline hit me as I realized that I was going to finish this beast.  And that as long as I didn’t die, I would even make the time cutoff!  I banged out the first 10 miles like it was my job.  But then my guts went south.  I rolled into the only aid station out there and flew into the port-o-potty.  I literally threw the bike down and was stripping off my jacket and jersey to get to my bibs as I waddled to the toilet.  I made it and all was well.  No sooner did I get out of the john (with strange stares from the aid station workers) and got all dressed, it hit me again.  I stripped back down for round two.  Before I left, I grabbed a huge wad of paper as I knew this wasn’t over and there were no other toilets on the course for the next 16 miles.

The next 4 miles went smoothly.  Then the gut struck again and I ended up ****ting my brains out 10 yards off the trail behind a rock.  I left my bike, jacket, jersey, helmet, and headphones by the side of the trail and ran off, which must have been strange for anyone who passed.  That toilet paper I used came in handy.  Once again, I got dressed and no sooner did I swing my leg over the bike, I felt it coming again.  I ran back off towards the rock as fast as I could manage without letting everything go.  I made it just in time, only to realize I had zero to wipe with.  Damn.  I briefly considered the leaves on this velvet looking weed, but was worried about a rash.  I then thought about just sticking it out and getting dressed.  The thought of that meme with the poor marathon runner crossing the finish line with **** running down his legs came to mind and I decided that wasn’t how I wanted to remember my finish.  I then realized I had an Uncrustable PB&J sandwich in my pocket.  Actually I had two of them.  I realized the plastic wrapper was useless, but the sandwich would work great.  And it did.  Feeling pretty smart, I got dressed and went on my way.  I finished the forth lap with time to spare.  And a funny story to boot.

Rolling into the finish area was an incredible feeling.  I didn’t think I was capable of this.  And as painful as it was, all I can think about is doing it again.  How do I get stronger and faster?
I ended up very solidly at the bottom of the pack.  Out of all the solo riders, 168 finished.  I placed 157.  But there were a heck of a lot of DNFs and I wasn’t one of them! With rest stops and all included I was 10 hours, 17 minutes.  104.96 miles.  8760 ft of climbing.

Myself (middle) and my teammates.  Super stoked!  The guy on the left was the buddy who pushed me the whole way.  He did a 9:46 (he’s done this race successfully once before).  The guy in on the right killed it with a 9:09 (he’s done this race and Leadville successfully once as well).  We all go the belt buckle awards. 

 

The rain cleared up for the end of the forth lap and it was beautiful out:


My buddy coming in for the finish:


My support crew and my bike:





Vipassana

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2014, 07:03:27 PM »
I'm also happy to report that the IP-256SL performed FLAWLESSLY!  Besides knocking the mud from the pedals twice and oiling the chain at each lap, it didn't give me an ounce of trouble.  Similarly, my buddy rode his black on black IP-256SL on to finish without issue as well (issues relate to the Chinese carbon that is, he had one flat tire).

Here was my 256 ready to go the morning of the race.  I really didn't want to get her all dirty with the crazy mud out there.


At home ready to be cleaned:














All cleaned up and detailed for the next race this coming weekend:


A few thoughts:

1)  The protective vinyl tape did its job really well and the paint is till in perfect shape despite constant beating with rocks and mud throughout the day.  Even the inside of the stays is perfect.  I will replace the lower tape though as it is pretty battered.

2)  The hardtail climbs like a goat.  It races on the flats like a freight train. I just wish I had the legs to do it justice.  It is seriously fast though.

3)  I could not begin to hold with the full-suspension guys in the super rocky downhill sections.  They simply point and shoot, whereas I needed to be more careful with my speed and lines, plain and simple.  That said, I reigned more than a few of them in on the flats and certainly the hills.  I could definitely see myself building a FS bike in the future.  But the hardtail was more than adequate for this ride.

4)  My hands, feet, and back felt no worse, and probably better on all parts of the course than they did with my full-suspension bike last year.  A lot of this was likely due to conditioning, but I'm certain the carbon frame and cockpit didn't hurt.

5)  The 30mm hookless Iplay wheels did very well.  The rock garden downhills were ROUGH and fast.  And I sustained more than a couple rim/rock strikes from rocks being kicked up.  Wheels are still true and undamaged.  My friend's front wheel did have a bit of play in the front Novatec hub that I will need to look into.  I'll report back what I find.

6)  The XX1/X01 with the 32T front ring was perfectly fine even on the steep climbs (you can check out the elevation gains above).  I didn't miss that front derailleur at all.  I used the big ring out back a lot, but as I get stronger, I won't need it as much.  I only ran out of gearing on the high side a few times and at that point, you're going 25+ mph which is faster than I need to be pedaling.  I didn't drop my chain at all.  I had one... ONE mis-shift (due to the derailleur being muddy I think) that caused me to break stride in 105 miles.  That's impressive if you ask me.

7) White grips look amazing.  But only for the first 30 seconds!

8 )  The SID was far too firm.  I was hardly using 50% of it's travel most of the time. There was <10% sag.  I should have dialed it in more prior to the race.  I did not use the lockout at all.

9)  The X01 cassette has this black coating on it vs the XX1.  They claim this coating extends the life of the cassette.  This is bullshit.  That coating is all but GONE on gears 4 through 9.  That's after about 400 miles of riding.  I think its marketing to differentiate XX1 from X01.  It's clearly the same cassette.  The XX1 just looks nicer as it wears.  Minor complaint though.

I'll add more thoughts as they come to me.  But in summary, I wish I could have performed as well as the bike did.  I am not doing it justice.  I'm a perfect example of $1000 fitness on a $3000+ bike.   :'(
« Last Edit: September 08, 2014, 07:11:18 PM by Vipassana »

325racer

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2014, 08:12:23 PM »
Awesome job!  I'm going to be doing a 12 hour Endurance race in November as one of a 4 or 5 man team.  Our laps will be about 10 miles each, so No where near the single mileage of the Leadville races.

Vipassana

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2014, 08:18:59 PM »
I did a team 12 hour ride for the first time last December and it was a lot of fun.  At 10 miles a lap, the laps should be short enough that you can blast on them I would think.  That's always fun.  And you shouldn't have to spend too much time sitting around.  Competing for the fastest lap time on the team is fun too.  Good luck.

Patrick C.

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2014, 12:18:56 AM »
Congratulations on finishing, and thanks for the awesome write up!

Maybe you can figure out a way to store some toilet paper in that hatch at the bottom of the frame... :)

MTB2223

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2014, 02:18:50 AM »
Whow, nice story. What a nice and big event.
Thank you for sharing you experience.
Nice to hear you don't have any trouble with your bike.

SamSkjord

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Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2014, 02:37:50 AM »
Good ride, good read!

I think this is the only race report I've ever read that features a literal not figurative shit sandwich.

Carbon_Dude

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2014, 08:31:29 PM »
Epic post!  Thanks for sharing.
2019 Stumpjumper Expert 29/27.5+
2017 Santa Cruz Stigmata
2017 Trek Stache 9.8 (29+)
2016 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Carbon Comp 6Fattie (27.5+) (Sold)
2016 Trek Stache 9 (29+) w/upgrades (Sold)
2014 -036 Full Suspension Chiner (Sold)
2013 -057 Hardtail Carbon Chiner (Sold)
Atlanta, GA

GunPilot

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2014, 10:56:45 PM »
Hi Ken (and everyone.) I was at the BB 104 with you also.  It was my first time riding that race.   I had intended to ride the duo class but my riding partner got sick Friday, so I switched to the 104 solo.  I had no idea if I could finish the 104 miles or not. 

I was riding my Chinese custom built titanium bike (can I say titanium here?) and I finished the race in time to get a buckle.  Very proud of my little Chitanium race bike.   

That was a hard race.   Congrats on your finish!
« Last Edit: September 16, 2014, 11:11:11 PM by GunPilot »

Vipassana

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2014, 12:05:30 AM »
Right on!  Congrats to you on the finish! That wasn't an easy feat at all.

How did you find this forum out of curiosity? 

The bike looks nice. Any details on the build? I'd love to build a titanium bike, perhaps a SS for training.

GunPilot

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2014, 12:45:23 AM »
I came over from MTBR.  I think I saw the link in Epic_dude's sig.  I peruse the Chinese carbon thread there because I have built two chiner hardtails, one for me and one for my wife, and now as a result of that rock garden on the BB 104, I'm considering a carbon Epic-like FS XC bike.  That led me to the IP-036 builds and over here.

The titanium bike was the result of a similar process.  I was wanting a lighter frame for my Redline Monobelt singlespeed.  I designed one using BikeCAD, and read the threads on MTBR about the Chinese titanium frames.  I sent the drawing to XACD, a Chinese frame builder, and they built the frame for me.  Once I got it, I decided it was more fun as a 1x10 and built it as a standalone bike.  It is pure joy to ride. XACD did a really good job on it.

Build is X0 carbon crank with XT derailleur and XTR trail brakes. Reba dual air forks 100mm.  I built up the wheels myself using Novatec 711/712 hubs, DT Comp spokes and Light Bicycle 35mm DH carbon rims.   I'm running a MRP spiderless front cog at 30T with a 11-36 cassette.  Raceface seatpost and Kash Money bars 780mm.  XT shifter and Ergon grips, Fastrak Grid tires at 24 PSI tubeless.   Bike weighs 24 pounds without pedals.  I'm a heavy rider at 230 pounds so the frame is a little heavier to compensate.

Geo is 69.5 head angle, 73 seat angle, 65mm BB drop, 420 mm chainstays (I can adjust from 420 to 440, currently set at 430).  The bike steers quick and playfully, but is stable and the rear follows the front through turns very well.  Very happy with it.
 
Attached some pics of the Ti bike clean, and the carbon HTs I built for wife and me.

/hijack off

So now on to the FS bike... I think.. ;)

George






Vipassana

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2014, 01:33:20 AM »
I recognize that last carbon bike from somewhere. Maybe a thread on MTBR.  They all look great.

I really like the idea of designing the geometry of a frame. This isn't really done with carbon of course, but very possible on the metal frames. 

This sounds silly, buy I really dig bikes that look light.  By this I mean thin tubes and open triangles.  That's half the reason I went with the IP-256SL over the IP-057 as vain as that sounds.  It just looks fast and light.  Your Ti bike looks the same.

My wife asked for a MTB just this past weekend at the FOTR race in Pine.  She wants to try something besides her road bike.  I sense another build coming!

And about the move to a FS bike... I totally hear you on that. I have a Giant Anthem X and it is much more forgiving through the rock gardens.  I was getting killed by guys on FS bikes at BB right and left.  They just pointed and went.  But the hardtail climbs so well.  I can see the pros of both.    My boss is currently building an IP-036 so maybe I'll get to try one soon.

GunPilot

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2014, 11:47:14 AM »
My buddy raced the FOTR last weekend, had a good time.   Now we are gearing up for the 24HOP in Feb.  The Ti bike will be the racer for that.  I hate to say it, but it has taken the place of my carbon hardtail for racing.  It is nearly as light, does not accelerate quite as fast, but the ride quality makes up for it.  I found descents very difficult on the carbon, whereas the Ti is much more controllable.  Still I needed more in that BB rock garden!

I do want to have a fast FS bike in the stable.  I have a Stumpjumper FS which is a great bike but it's a trail bike.  I like the looks of the Carbonal Titan but the biggest is 18.5 which I'm afraid is too small for me.

rrrrxx

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2014, 03:40:00 AM »
Thanks for sharing.

turboenterprise

Re: Barn Burner 2014 - Leadville Race Series - Flagstaff, AZ
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2014, 07:53:10 PM »
I raced a 12 hour team event a couple weeks ago and the ip057 held up perfectly.  I mention this for anyone who is unsure if the bikes can handle this type of beating.  I wish I had the legs to do the 12 hour solos or 6 hour solos.  I am more of a sprinter.