I’ve been asked by a ton of people what my feelings are about cycling on Georgia roads since the death of 4 cyclists in two weeks a while back. I refrained from talking too much about it to allow the dust to settle and families to grieve. Many on social media are quick to judge and too ill-tempered for me so I chose to stay away from the inconsequential banter that gets us nowhere. 

Mine is without doubt a biased opinion because I love to ride bicycles. And my opinion carries just as much weight as any car driver…because… I drive a car. Just as much weight as any tax payer… because I pay way too much in taxes. Just as much as any insured person because let’s face it, I pay my health insurance premiums so others can continue their unhealthy lifestyles without regard to future consequences. My opinion carries weight as a husband and a father of two children. A small business owner. A Christian. A survivor of a rear end collision that claimed the life of a dear cycling friend riding with me in 2010. A founding member of an Athletic Club dedicated to the promotion of healthy living and fighting childhood obesity in the third fattest state in the nation. And as a head coach in the High School/Middle School Mountain Bike League. So I’ll tell you my opinion of what is happening with cycling in Georgia if you care to read it. But let’s first agree that if you don’t ride, heck if you don’t even exercise your body, you will never understand or agree with me. You can just stop reading now and leave a little early in case you’re slowed by an accident or a train or heaven forbid a cyclist.

This won’t be the first time I’ve given my opinion on the subject of cycling in Georgia. I once stood in front of some State Representatives along with 300 other like-minded cycling people and defended my hobby. http://chadsnews.blogspot.com/ It was very enlightening and I thought at that time we were turning the corner. In my “speech” I outlined the problems as I saw them. In our state, unlike other states it seemed, there was some anti-cyclist prejudice. By the same token, we cyclists were our own worst enemy by behaving badly on the roads. I asked the cyclists in the room to do better and promote better relationships when on the bike. And while it was relatively easy to get a message to the cycling community at the time, I’m sorry to say, that ability is starting to diminish. Why? Because cycling is growing. Like it or not cycling is getting bigger and bigger with more and more people throwing their uneducated legs over the saddle of uncle John’s hand me down bicycle. And why are they doing that? Because they’re fat! They can’t run with all that fat so the doctor said get on a bike! And guess what happens when they start riding, outside, in the fresh air? They love it! They get healthier, they stop medications, they start dreaming of joining others and riding 30 then 50 then 100 miles on their bicycle. But what doesn’t change is their long held belief as a driver that these are “my roads to wander”. They stupidly believe they can just ride around and not be courteous, not signal, not stop completely and not move to the right because THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY DRIVE A CAR!

God made us all different. Some of us are kind and level headed. Some are mean. Some weren’t spanked enough as children. And one thing is for certain, we all have to deal with the most ignorant among us at some point in life, whether you like it or not. Bad drivers, bad cyclists, bad hair dressers. No one is trouble free in this world.

So what are we going to do about the increase in cyclists on the roads? Nothing. Treat them as if you love them. Treat them like the farmer on his tractor. Treat them like the Dads and Moms that work on the road crews. Treat them like real people. Treat them fairly.

“There's blame everywhere! All I ask for is that if a motorist is passing either too close or illegally then they should get ticketed. If they are at fault when a crash has occurred then any/all citations be given to the motorist. If a cyclist is at fault then they get any/all citations. Simply investigate all crashes equally and citations given.” – BikeFriendlyATL

Cycling is not going away, it is growing. Even the government knows it and I’m no fan of the government but those people study statistics and spend our money based on predictions. See those bike lanes being added to every new patch of road? Hear about the city bike stations? Our infrastructure is being retrofitted to ease the terrible burden those gangster cyclists are placing on you busy drivers. Look, both sides have rights, both sides must follow the law. I could chase down bad drivers in my car every day to make sure they get a ticket, but why? The best we can do is education, advocacy and tolerance. Accidents are going to happen. People will make bad decisions in a car or on a bike. Let’s just try and keep it real. This is America after all.
A good friend pinned this just the other day and I think I’ll end my letter with it. As I said at the beginning, you may never understand why I love to ride like I do. But I don’t have to understand why you love the stuff you do either. The great thing about this country and even this state is that we get to do them, for now, at least until the government tells you it’s bad for your health.

“Cycling is one of the few remaining places where the modern individual can stake a claim that is their own. Success or failure is up to you alone-
The bike also prepares you for life in a way that non-cyclists are not.
Pain and suffering? Civilians avoid it at all costs. Cyclists look forward to it because it is on this highwire where peak performance lives. Pain is our companion, suffering a welcome friend.
This also enables the cyclist to experience joy in a deeper and more profound way. When you crest the hill, make the final turn or cross the finish line, the depth of emotion is unimaginable to the non-cyclist.
Lastly-freedom...to most 'adults' it is always just out of reach. For the cyclist, it is a turn of the pedals away. All of the cares and concerns melt away into a solitary focus...and you soar above the daily and trivial into a world of your own-you are the litmus-you are the measure-you out run your demons and leave them gasping for air behind...” – Kevin A.

Thanks for reading!
Chad Hayes

Cycling is growing in Georgia...What do we do?

I recently attended a meeting in Gainesville and spoke in front of a panel of State House Representatives about cycling. I'm not very good at speeches, just typing I guess, but this meeting was important and filled with great opportunity. Our local politicians had been under pressure from some constituents to do something about the ever increasing cyclists on the public roadways. There are plenty of options for how to handle complaints and I assume that they exhausted all options before submitting the terrible House Bill 689. In that bill were crazy things like putting a 7x4 inch tag on every bicycle in Georgia and requiring cyclists to ride no more than 4 to a group and always single file. There were also provisions for allowing the restriction of cycling on certain roads. It was a huge overreach and completely void of common sense. It was so ridiculous that I began to dismiss the threat of the bill and see the resulting onslaught of venom from my cycling brethren as a positive step in advocacy for cycling. So with that in mind I wrote this speech (some research plagiarisms exist). However during the meeting I scratched through some things because I either felt they were redundant or would take too much time. But here's the speech in its entirety.

Speech Notes

When I hear complaints about cyclists on surface streets I am perplexed. There are stop signs, red lights, drivers slowing to look for a parking space, business or address. Traffic must not only slow but stop to allow pedestrians to cross at intersection, even if there are no traffic controls. And when motorists need to parallel park, not only do they slow and stop, but they must move in reverse. And, yes, of course, there are delays caused by slow moving drivers, buses, tractors, work crews and road work. Even animals and weather cause delays.

So, in light of all the delays normally encountered on surface streets, is the delay caused by bicyclists really even irregular, much less intolerable? Or is there some kind of irrational anti-cyclist prejudice at play in the intolerance and animosity directed at bicyclists in the roadway? Why is that okay?

No one – on a bike or in a car - is immune to bad behavior on our roads. If I understand correctly the reason we are all here is because you and those bending your ears care about the safety of cyclists. And somehow a license plate on every bike in Georgia will do that.

Well first license plates on bicycles doesn’t work. Other communities in the U.S. have tried to license cyclists and found the costs vastly exceed any revenue raised and abandoned the scheme. So this idea that the funds would go toward bike lanes or more law enforcement is a pipe dream.

Second, if the goal is to improve bike safety, bike license plates won’t do much. Enforcing such a requirement would make us all less safe by distracting police from real crime. And if you simply want the ability to anonymously call the police on a cyclist who you believe has done something wrong then you yourself are distracting police from real crime. If you truly believe a crime has been committed then you should call 911 and follow the cyclist. Shouldn’t be too hard since he’s on a bike. In case of an accident everything works as it normally would whether the cyclist has a license plate or not. He is responsible for his actions because in the eyes of the law he is a vehicle as well.

Another problem I have with the proposed changes in HB689 is it will discourage biking for exercise. And boy do Georgians need exercise.

From healthyamericans.org: "Fifteen years ago, Georgia had a combined obesity and overweight rate of 51.3 percent. Ten years ago, it was 57.2 percent. Now, the combined rate is 65.3 percent."

Speaking of exercise, let’s talk about the packs of riders rocking spandex and carbon frames. Complaints about group rides taking up space on the road for recreation reflects the view that driving trips are serious trips, whereas bike trips are optional. The truth is, most drivers are not simply going to work and back home again. Many people drive (alone) to the gym to work out every day - how is that different from donning a kit to get your workout on the road?

Here’s where I admit to a problem I’ve seen with these groups: YOU MUST RIDE NO MORE THAN TWO ABREAST! The law is clear. At no time ever are you allowed to ride more than two abreast unless you are in danger. Especially on a very busy road.  Someone needs to take a leading role in the group and give instruction before you head out and then bark it out during the ride. And you others need to do your part! AND show some courtesy by singling up! Wave and be friendly! It's up to us to create a positive impression for our neighbors.

When it comes to educating our own there is a great organization called Georgia Bikes.org. Obviously bicycling in Georgia is growing at a rapid pace. It’s only going to get bigger. Some articles I found call it the next Golf! Georgia Bikes has developed many Guides and Booklets to educate cyclists and motorists. Maybe we should make it mandatory that everyone who purchases a bike in Georgia gets a POCKET GUIDE?

In two weeks, from October 18-20^th in Roswell, GA they will host the Georgia Bike Summit. They are bringing together advocates, elected leaders and transportation officials from across the state for workshops and discussion on how to make Georgia a bicycle friendly state. I give money to GeorgiaBikes.org and they are worth it.

Bicycling fatalities in Georgia rose in 2012 and do you know why? Because there are more of us! But in Atlanta they had ZERO fatalities because the city is well on its way to becoming a top tier bicycle friendly city.

Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed recently announced the city will double its miles of bike lanes and multi-use trails by 2016, and just approved $2.5 million for high quality bicycle projects that will help it achieve a network of safe, convenient, and connected bikeable streets and facilities.

Now people may ask “Why should I care about having a bike friendly community? It doesn’t benefit me.” Well just a little bit of research told me that the Silver Comet trail from Smyrna to the Alabama state line west of Cedar­town generates approximately $57 million in economic benefit to the State of Georgia. Plenty of other studies from across the nation will attest to the same impact.

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) adopted a Complete Streets policy last fall that commits its projects (our tax money) to considering the needs of all types of road users when designing projects. When GDOT adopts an approach that includes equal consideration for cyclists, you know times have changed.

And right here in Hall County there’s a committee called the Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan PlanningOrganization. This group has developed a plan for bicycle and pedestrian mobility. They have created a bicycle network map that uses the state-designated bicycle route along Hog Mountain Road, Atlanta Highway, and Clarks Bridge Road as the “trunk line” from which to build. Employing things like separate striped bike lanes on roads with adequate right-of-way and high traffic volume; wide curb lanes on lower automotive traffic volume roads; multiuse paths between corridors; existing town centers have sidewalks that can be expanded; and natural waterways and abandoned rail corridors provide multiuse trail opportunities. This extensive and highly researched plan can make it possible to provide safe access between schools, parks, and downtowns. Is has already been endorsed and approved by every local jurisdiction. They can be used to get these large cycling groups out of the city and onto the low traffic roads that, believe it or not, we’d rather be on.

I suggest we put our energy into getting these types of locally beneficial plans funded instead of creating more bureaucratic tax loss. The cycling community is making its best effort to create positive change in Georgia. But most opponents don’t really care to find out about that. They only care about getting to the mall a little faster.

So gentlemen, instead of blaming the victim when a cyclist is injured, let’s support safer streets that keep you from being inconvenienced and me from being incapacitated. Supporting the things I’ve spoken about here today is the best way to handle the ever increasing cyclists on the roadways with the bonus of positive economic impact and promotion of healthier lifestyles. For me personally I’m excited about the recently announced Georgia High School Cycling League that will allow students like my daughter to letter in biking!

To me there’s only one way to go. Everybody wins if you will shift your efforts to the promotion of healthy life styles, complete streets, GeorgiaBikes.org advocacy and funding of plans to create it all.

The state legislature should be spending time to work with these entities to assist with these efforts and not on unworkable regulations that just create more animosity between cars and bicycles on the road.

Thank you for allowing me to speak today.

So there you have it. The speech heard round the world... or the room. Now believe me I had a lot more to say. But I felt the need to be precise with my cycling friends and my elected officials. Besides there were plenty of stories of love and loss (weight loss),  defense of liberty and rights and freedom,  and even one guy who rattled on about the brainwashing of our government schools. The bill was so stupid I won't bother telling you about all the antics and props some guys used to demonstrate how stupid. Some of these folks really had great and well thought out things to say and I'm going to paraphrase some of them right now.

My friend Stephen Dean said, "We all know what we're doing when we hop on our bikes just like I knew the risk I took as a police officer when I put on my gun. It's our choice and you don't have an obligation to fix us."

During my speech I almost addressed the first lady that spoke that evening. She told us how she was scared when she came up on cyclists in the road. She said the roads in her area are curvy and hilly (just what we like) and she worried about our safety. Now normally I'd say the safety angle is just a way to get out of saying you don't like having to slow down but she was so nice and soft spoken. I wanted to tell her that we are grateful for her worry and because of her heart I'm sure she'll never have an accident with a cyclist. I imagined the scene she depicted, saying she had run up on cyclists stopped in the road. I wondered if those guys waved to her in gratitude and apologies. Probably not because if they had she would have seen them as something totally different... as real people. She probably wouldn't have come there that night. She probably would have forgotten about it like you would if a dog ran out in front of you.

One guy spoke about moving from New York to get away from the crushing taxation, regulation, and licensing of everything. Another told them about his experience cycling in the military while in other countries and how drivers here don't know how to act because there's no history of cycling here. I think we all looked at him with a little bit of envy. Another guy moved here after living in some very cycling friendly states and said we need to act on Complete Streets and then keep them clean. Promoting the healthy lifestyle brings it's own economic benefits to any region.

One guy told us how he commuted to work everyday on his bike. He works for a Christian company that helps the poor find jobs and get on their feet. He pointed out that in other countries a sign that you were a poor person was that you looked starved. You can't even buy food. But in this country, and especially in Georgia, we have pennyless gluttons (my words not his). His point was that the last thing we should do is make exercise of any kind more expensive or unappealing.

One lady spoke about the liberation of cycling. How discovering cycling had changed her both physically and mentally. She made the point that cycling on a path or in the confines of a park is not the same. The freedom of the open road is cyclings big breath of fresh air in the hard life of working people.

An elderly gentlemen read from American Jurisprudence Section 10 and I loved it! Before he read it he told the story of competing in the 70+ Georgia State Road Race Championship. What a cool guy! I want to grow up to be just like him.

The right of a citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, by horse-drawn carriage, wagon, or automobile, is not a mere privilege which may be permitted or prohibited at will, but a common right which he has under his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Under this constitutional guaranty one may, therefore, under normal conditions, travel at his inclination along the public highways or in public places, and while conducting himself in an orderly and decent manner, neither interfering with nor disturbing another's rights, he will be protected, not only in his person, but in his safe conduct."
-11 American Jurisprudence, Constitutional Law, section 329, page 1135 (Quoting the U.S. Supreme Court)
 
There were only a few people who spoke out against cycling on public roads. The lady I mentioned earlier and two men who spoke later in the evening after I and all these others did. The first poor guy was brave enough to show up and then even to speak while surrounded by over 300 cyclists. When it became apparent that the gist of his whole argument was one of inconvenience (he didn't like having to slow down) then he started getting heckled by the crowd. Nothing he said or even the way he said it led me to believe he cared about our safety. "If I am trying to get to a wedding or a funeral I don't want to have to figure out how to get around a bunch of slow bikers!" His time ended after he turned red and screeched back at a cyclist who told him to learn how to drive. I wasn't happy with that whole exchange. It made us look bad.

At the end we finally heard from the infamous Jim Syfan. He began with an apology and explained his point of view and how he's been emailing his representatives each time he hears a story of a cyclist hurt or killed in Georgia. Lucky for them it wasn't each time a motorcyclist is killed or a pedestrian is hurt. That's about 100 times more emails. He told us how he's been made to be the bad guy in all this and how his only concern was for our safety. And I believed him. After listening to our stories of love for the road and the cost vs. income of licensing and the economic impact of bicycle mobility plans  and the state wide advocacy available from GeorgiaBikes.org he must be convinced that we have a new and better direction for accomplishing the safety he seems to be dedicating his time to.
 Then he said, "I just can't figure for the life of me why you guys are so upset about registering your bikes!"
And those were the last words I could hear him speak. The sympathy he'd built for himself was gone like the wind and the mob was against him again. After a few more people spoke State Representative Carl Rogers announced that the bill would be removed and no further action would be taken on it. The jeers became cheers and we all filed out to go find a burger and celebrate our victory.

So what did we learn from this experience? I'm wondering what's to become of all the passionate ideas and recommendations we shared? Will we cyclists be bold enough to police our own in the peloton? Is there enough awareness now to help drivers understand why we ride and that it's a beautiful thing? Will our elected officials use this information to make better decisions and champion the right plans?

I don't know. But it's a good start. It polarized the issue and started the conversation. What I do know is that I will be riding with a hundred friends on Saturday morning in beautiful Clarkesville, Georgia. I will continue to wave to folks who pass me nicely. I will continue to single up for them. I will continue to influence those cyclists who care about what I have to say and to advocate for the sport I love. Beyond that the money I can control will go toward the entities that can reach a greater audience. I suggest if you really care about cycling safety that you do the same. Cycling on Georgia roads is growing and there are examples all around the country on how to deal with it. So let's deal with it!

 

2013 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse

Note the message on my number plate.

Some friends of mine like to talk about being struck down by the "cycling gods" on certain days or events. It's our version of karma. Although I don't believe in karma or luck or any other superstitions it's fun to banter back and forth about the rotten things that go wrong in cycling and mountain biking. My recent posts about the Fort Yargo 6 Hr mountain bike mud bowl and the glorious Gran Fondo New York that could have been are supreme examples of cycling god smite.
But not this post. This race follows the path laid out the weekend before by the Jackson Brevet. It happened in perfect weather and with the best of friends. It was yet another great time on a bike.











The 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse is the brain child race of Chainbuster Racing's Kenny Griffin. Backed by his sponsor and friends at Nite Rider lighting systems he put on a night race from 9PM Saturday night until 9AM Sunday morning. Just shy of crazy. And to make it that much more fun he called it the Zombie Apocalypse and had a zombie contest and a zombie zone on the course so the undead could spook the riders. My girls loved it!

They were also upset that I didn't bring our tent so they could spend all night being crazy. We'll do that next year for sure. Kenny also had a food truck there from Smiley's serving great food for dinner and breakfast. Add to all that the fact that the moon was full and the closest it would be to the earth all year and you've got the potential for fun that can not be beat!

Randy Hemphill still having fun at 2AM.

Racing on my team of four were David Shabat, Randy Hemphill and Trent Smith. These guys were pumped and ready for action. At least three of us knew exactly what we were in for because we'd done the 24 Hours of Georgia together. Randy was happily ignorant about what 3AM in a mountain bike race means on the miserablility scale.

Our tactics were simple; have fun and don't leave your team mate looking for you in transition. We do well if we eliminate the simple things that cost valuable seconds. Randy was all about being focused and having fun. I like him.

The Start was AWESOME!

I've started many mountain bike races. I've felt the butterflies of nervousness, the excited adrenaline, the focused determination and once I even puked. I don't get nervous anymore, just focused determination but this start was all together different. At this starting line I felt like a super hero! I could hear my family and my team mates yelling my name! Once we turned our lights on we became rock stars! We launched from the smoke at the starting horn to the cheers of the crowd. It was awesome! Looking at the pictures I can see why folks were so excited.

The photos were taken by H&H Multimedia. Great job!

I rode away from the start with a small group of guys but we were all chasing some 95 pound kid I've never seen before. He took off like a rocket but I wasn't about to chase him because he started looking back. Looking back is a tell. It tells me you're tired. But tired or not he hammered far enough away that when we finally made the single track I couldn't see him anymore. I moved past the two guys in front of me and ended up dropping them. So I was alone and chasing the kid. Right up until I crashed. On the first downhill section at the power lines I came into the turn back into the woods too hot and slid down. It would've been ok accept that my chain was off and twisted. By the time I got it back on I'd been passed by 5 people. And evidently a link was twisted badly enough that with each pedal stroke it would catch on the cog above. It created a skip in my pedal stroke that would've really angered a lesser man. All I could do was finish as fast as possible.

I came through the transition area second and handed off to Randy. The girls were over at the Zombie Zone which is where the zombies gathered until midnight to stagger toward the racers as they pass. They were having a blast. I ate and drank and filmed the transition of Randy to David.

I want to say a special thank you to Todd Fisher. He didn't come to race, he actually came to support Dustin Mealor's solo effort with all his tools and a bike stand and positive energy. They set up a tent right next to us and Todd handed Dustin bottles all night.
When I returned from my first lap I started telling the tale and Todd grabbed my bike when he heard about the chain. Before I knew it he had removed the bad link and put it back together. After that I didn't have another problem shifting or pedaling all night. Many thanks Todd!!

We raced past midnight and bounced between 2nd and 3rd. Then at one point we actually moved into 1st place. We thought our averages and our strategy would win the day... or night... as it were. I went to the timing table to inquire about our competition and here's what I learned. The team in 1st was a father, a son, an uncle and a friend. So they thought. The only thing they knew for sure was the father/son part. The son was their ringer. He's the kid I chased at the start. Probably weighs less than 100 pounds and is fast as lighting. They would put this kid out there for two laps at a time and then each of them would do one. So the kid would put them back into 1st every time he went out. His name was Jake Morman. They were very smart to work him the way they did.

Around 3:00AM things began to deteriorate. Our bodies were starting to get tired and our minds played tricks on us. The best quotes came from David. He was convinced of the presence of Unicorns. If you hear him saying weird things in the videos don't worry... it all makes sense to him.

I realized then that we had been violating one of our rules, have fun, by worrying over the opportunity to get 1st. I expressed my desire to stop talking strategy and start talking nonsense and pick on each other. The guys were all about it and so in the waning hours before daylight we settled into a campfire and friends sort of mood.

Finally the dawn. The morning always brings a sense of relief and anticipation. All the family members who slept in tents and campers started coming out to see how the race was going. And to get something for breakfast from the Smiley's truck. There was a heavy dew on everything that wasn't directly under a tent. The air was heavy with humidity but the temperature was nice and 60 degrees.

This video shows "the kid" waiting next to David. He's going to leave and do two laps before turning it over to a team mate for one final lap. At this point our only hope was if they had a mechanical. So we just rode hard and hoped for the worst... for them.

It all came down to the final lap I would be making. We already knew that I couldn't possibly make up the minutes we were down but there was always the possibility of a mechanical or crash on their part so I got jacked up for one more round of mash hysteria.
Before I went to transition I ate two mustard packs (for cramping) and a double caffeine gel. It would be daylight the whole time so I didn't need lights. Trent came flying in and off I went to see what the cycling gods had in store.
The course was much different in the daylight. You could see the lines you should take. You could negotiate the bridges better and avoid the poop mud. It was my best lap of the race. I beat their guy by 2 minutes but that didn't put a dent in their overall lead. That kid single handedly whipped our tails.

A fine 2nd Place in the 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse!

 After the fun of the awards we packed up and went our separate ways. David and I went to Cracker Barrel for some "mama's" and coffee. We talked about the race and our great families and how stinking tired we were. We enjoyed the stares from folks looking at our freaky Zombie shirts. People listened intently as we answered our waitresses questions about what we'd been doing. Both of us knew that in the days after this we'd look back on the 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse and be grateful for the fun and competition provided by mountain bike racing. We both agreed that Chainbuster Racing must do this race again next year. Can you hear me Kenny!

________________________________________________________________________

Now I give you the short and sweet tale of woe from Dustin Mealor who despite being as under trained as I've ever seen him in recent years signed up for the Solo Expert Category. Hmm. Whatever dude. Dustin lasted half the night. His tale begins now:


It's interesting to notice things in races.  I can honestly say that I had no idea how bad I would perform this weekend due to just not being mentally ready to race all night.  Had this race been a day-time affair I honestly can't say things would have turned out differently, but I was shocked at my inability to soldier on like the "me" of the past.  I ate poop mud hard on the first lap.  It was one of those slower crashes, which always seem to be the worse.  I tried to go up and over a rock formation and caught the lip just right.  Threw me up and over the bars and flat on my face, which had the blow lessened by my hand which I, in a newbie-like fashion, reached out to stop my fall.  After that the rest of my lap was fine.

The second lap I ended up behind the dude that went to the hospital.  Seriously, this dude passes me at the top of the climb and I think to myself "man I hope this guy is a fast downhill".  Not that I'm a bomber on the descents, but I can hold my own (thanks to the teachings of Craig Tinsley).  No sooner do I think this to myself than crashes in spectacular fashion and I end up ditching via a slide to not bulldog his face with my front tire.  In a not-so-me fashion I ditch my bike and run over to him to make sure he's fine.  I stayed with him for probably 2-3 minutes until he convinced me to get back on the bike and go.  I found out later that he went to the hospital with a separated shoulder.

The rest of the race was just weird.  It's weird in that I was on the bike and I was racing, but I made so many small mistakes everything just seemed to run together.  I know better than to take breaks in these races.  In the expert class every lap and every minute matters.  Yet, I seemed to stop almost every lap to grab bottles that I had not laid out for myself and food that I just had piled up and not planned well.  I really thank Todd Fisher for being there and supporting me, but this race just didn't happen for me.  I never could quite get into a groove.  After five laps I just got tired of being on the bike.  I think at that point I just mentally said "forget this" and gave up.  Really not my style, but if you're not feeling it you're not feeling it.  Next year will be different...

Dustin Mealor

So there you have it. Another great adventure with friends and family. The next few months will be primarily road racing so not as much fun. But we'll do our best and not take ourselves too seriously. It is just a hobby after all.

Can't wait to see you all out there!!

Chad Hayes