So the summer brings a mid-season break to the racing series. I have a few races here and there over the summer and will be partaking in the Draper Weeknight Dirts Crits every Thurs. The dirt crits are an absolute blast and below is a video I shot last week while riding.
Mid-season training is going back to basics so I'll be ready for the fall racing series. We're cranking down the intensity and cranking up the mileage and distance to build endurance back up again. I felt like I peaked at just the right time during the spring series with the win at Roman Nose and am looking forward to some hard work over the summer to be ready for the fall.
Giant XTC
As I've gotten faster throughout my 1st year of racing and still learning and figuring out this whole racing thing, I've been tinkering with the idea of adding a legit XC race bike to the stable. That's not to say the Niner Jet 9 is not a legit race bike.....that thing absolutely flies and is smooth as butter. However it is a full suspension bike and there are times when I can tell the rear suspension is absorbing the power I'm putting down versus it going directly to the wheel.
After a few conversations with Tommy Duvall (fellow Team Phoenix member & also works at Bike One, one of our sponsors) I decided to pull the trigger on Giant's brand new XTC composite 29er. This is Giant's 1st venture into the carbon race xc world and let me tell you they hit a home run with this thing. Chris Drummond and Tommy did an awesome job building it for me and having it ready for the weekend...and then it rained!!
I finally got it out on the trail today and it is fast.....really fast. It's going to take a little getting used to as it flat out wants to go, and will corner on a dime. The best way I can describe it is the Niner is a Ferrari.....smooth, powerful and refined; while the Giant XTC is an F1 race car.....it is "rip your head off" fast and built with one thing in mind....racing XC. I did some upgrades to the bike which help also and this will be my primary race bike for the fall....which gives me the summer to get used to it. After 1 ride I'm over the moon with this bike and looking forward to more time in the dirt with it.
Next race I'm doing is a 6hr endurance event in Warda, TX called the Blazing Saddles Mtn Bike Race. Should be a fun race.
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