University Heights

Hello Velo dontaed some Rocket Science Rocket Bottles to the Youth Cup winners.

The last race of the year and three brave ones ventured up to the Jane and Finch area for the last road race of the season, an open criterium with a $1000 pursue.  The rain wasn't too hard but it ensured a good coating of water on the roads, plenty of rooster tails and lots of opportunity to wipe out.

From Quentin:

"The course was 2km, mostly single lane except for the back stretch, there were three corners, all requiring you to kill some speed given the conditions. The group took off at a good pace with no time to settle into some rythm. I think it was lap 2, when there was a three person crash on the first turn (although this turn is almost 1.4km into the route due to its crescent shape). This immediately separated out the group with me now in a chase group. over the course of the next several laps i had caught up to a couple of riders and suggested we work to try and pull back to the main group. there were 4 riders in total but there didnt seem to be a desire to push it."

Of course, there was a lot of "fun" further back in the pack.  After settling into a good working pace I grouped up with three other riders in the hopes of staying in the race as long as possible.  The roads were pretty bad and the police were not paying attention to everything that was going on - as soon as the main group passed them, they stopped tending to the race.

The course followed Driftwood to a short side street and then headed west to Jane.  On Jane, the race took over the 2 northbound lanes and the southbound lanes were divided for north and south traffic.  All that separated the race and traffic was a line of pylons.  

Coming around after 20 minutes I took to the front of my small group and the turn a little too tight.  The bike slid out from underneath me.  The police had not bothered to stop traffic and so as I slid, a mini van rolled slowly northbound.  I slid past the pylons, the bike went under the car and the car on top of the rear wheel and I stopped myself with my hands on the bumper.  I quickly got up, opened my brake and got back on to see if I still had a rideable machine.  A police officer made his way over to me to see if I was alright.  All I had were strong words for him, "Stop the traffic when we come around the corner!".

Back on the bike, I looked down and saw that my wheel was bent 2 inches to the left and the derrailleur was just as far off true.  I packed it in for the day, happy that I wasn't too badly damaged and that the bike wasn't toast.

Better a bent hanger than a broken leg.

I accepted the risk of racing and so will pay the cost the fix the bike, fortunately just a simple derrailleur hanger and a new rear wheel - good thing it was the $200 eBay special set!

Here's to the end of the year!!