ENVEs with File Treads for the Feb Kermesses
File treads for the first race of 2012 – the Tufos are glued onto a set of ENVE 25s with DT Swiss hubs. Light, fast wheels, with tires for various terrain conditions. The Andy Salmon Kermesse next month features 2 miles of pavement and 2 miles of road near Mt. Rainer. Last season, I raced a previous incarnation of this Kermesse
After 2 to 4 laps on rolling pavement, you hit the rocky, compact dirt and into a climb with enough rise to burn; especially after ten times.
Last time I saw so many flats, a desert hillbilly threw tacks out on a race course in the Horse Heaven Hills. The promoter Prudog will tell you to just run 25s or 28s and you can do that sure, then you’ll flat like everyone else will. File treads are highly recommended.
Lonely as it is hard
Kermesse is Flemish for a type of bike race that occurs on a circuit, usually around a farmhouse, church, or center of a small town. A Kermesse usually takes place during a related festival. The Feb Kermesses are to promote the Ohop Valley and town of Eatonville, where they ride bikes too.
Back to the ENVES, before they hit the dirt with the Tufos and get attached to the Parlee CX-H, Mark rode them on the road. They lowered they weight of his bike to the UCI limits. If that’s your thing, weight weenies, he’s got a post about them soon. In it he’ll compare their agility to Natalie Portman’s dancing in Black Swan and how they can make Leslie West look like Iggy Pop.
A box that looks like it fell out of the Tower of Sauron and landed on your doorstep. When you open it, do crows fly out and circle your bike? Is there one ring in the bottom of it? Nope, not that dramatic, just ultralight carbon wheels.
I’ll report from the Kermesse and that earlier in the season, not sure how I’ll feel. Hoping better than the last time I raced in the Ohop Valley and got dropped.
On the road, I moved up for the soul-sucking, false-flat riser and when the boys hit it, I blew.
I blew doesn’t indicate enough how explosive the moment was. Imagine Lou Dobbs ranting about illegal immigrants, with a bright-red face that builds up pressure until a whistle goes off on a teapot. It was like that with most of the pack zooming past me as I went backwards.