A not so perfect 10

Yesterday I competed in my first downhill mountain bike race. I have raced bicycles before, cross country and most notably super d.

As I doubt many of my readers are bicycle racers I will give you a visual definition of the difference.

Cross country

Light weight bikes, 4" suspension travel, lots of climbing, spandex clothes, 2 or 3 hour long races, relatively easy terrain.

Super d

Medium weight bikes, 5-6" suspension travel, some climbing, a mix of clothing styles, 10-20 minute races, moderately challenging terrain.

Downhill

Heavy bikes over 40lbs often, 8" suspension travel, usually zero climbing, loose clothing and lots of padding, 3-6 minute races, challenging terrain and man made features.

I've raced super d quite a bit, have actually won races and finished in the top 3 for season points more than once in more than one series. Yesterday was my first downhill race and I finished 10th out of 16 riders in my class. This I guess should have been my realistic expectation of where I'd finish. I have to remember I lost my very first super d race...... And I came back from that to do better. So maybe I can do the same here.

It was fun, I'll do it again. And I'll do better. Video and pictures and such will be up in a few days for you to mock.