The 18 hours was a great time. Great stories everywhere.

Local Team Lummox ("We're Serious About not Being Serious") was there in force minus some of the the downhill squad. They were off doin' the gravity thing.







Complete with the hula girls.









Head Lummox Shup rode strong to 4th solo (same finish, but 3 more laps than last year) with 13 laps. Well done. He accepted the award stylin' in the fresh off the press Team Lummox downhill jersey. When he's not riding or working, he can still be found out slammin' the skins for punk band Beex



Hadn't seen Charles since the TMBC. He's living in NC now and riding for Ellsworth. He had a great ride to finish 3rd solo with 13 laps. He's smiling here to make us think he's feeling fine. In fact he's totally spent and just happy it's his last lap. He overcame some night time flats, and a shorted out lighting system.




Far and away the best story of the race was Amazing Andy. I got an email from him early in the week sayin' he was looking for a good workout that weekend and wanted to come and join us for the TriPower group rides. I told him I wouldn't be doing them as I'd be up his way at the 18 hour.

Andy did his first group road ride with us about 8-10 months ago. He tried it on a cross bike with one chain ring and was mercilessly dropped. He said this ride, at ~58 miles was the longest he'd ever ridden on a bike. Earlier this year I was at his first century, then his second. He's gone on to do at least one more.

Before the 18 hour I was riding up to the racers meeting and saw Andy tooling around on his Bianchi B.U.S.S. (that's one Butt Ugly Single Speed). Exchange went something like this.

Me "Wow, good to see you decided to do the race, you get a team together?'

Andy "No, I'm doing it solo."

Me "Fantastic, you doing it on the single speed?" (a stupid question which was more a reaction of awe, as I've never seen him on a geared mountain bike.)

Andy "Well, yep, ........... it's all I know"

Then he went on to show us all just how well he knew it by taking first place solo over all the geared riders with 15 laps. His lights failed on a night lap with 3 miles to go and got some help in by Bonnie from the Beach with the Puss-n-Boots team. That over 130 miles with 16k of climbing. Un- effin-believable. Fantastic ride buddy! Oh yeah, after the awards he went to work.

Andy had never entered a mountain bike race - or ANY bicycle race, before this. Of any distance. Remarkable.

Great race, great people, great rides, great memories

JB