Cobbles are Bumpy

Technically speaking, no one died. But it felt like the hand of death was lurking rather close at hand during yesterday's bone-rattling Death by Cobbles race. The course is a classic, and will definitely make a return appearance in the future.

A five lap race. There were 4 sectors of cobbles per lap: (1) three times around the traffic circle by the parking garage, (2) under the train tracks up toward Main St., (3) a cobbled parking lot taking us back to sector 2, (4) three times around the traffic circle by the Children's Museum/Inn at the Forks. This last one was by far the sketchiest. Lots of tyre grabbing cobbles there. There was also some gravel thrown in for good measure. It very nearly brought me down a few times going around the last corner back to the start line. The bell lap featured a climb up to the top of the parking garage to finish things off.

James's newly singiespeeded old Sekine made its debut appearance. The grippy, fat tyres he has it tricked out with sure worked to his advantage. Dropped on the road and gravel sections, he was always able to catch up on the cobbled traffic circles, floating right over the cobbles with ease while our skinny tyres were getting caught in the gaps. He managed to hold on for a strong second place. I believe that's his best ever showing. Technically speaking, however, those fat tyres constitute cheating. But we'll give it to him, just this once. Brad the Impaler had his chances for a good showing impaled by mechanical difficulties. He dropped his chain on his first cobbled trip under the train tracks. He gets bonus points for sticking it out to the finish.

Jonny B and Halberto showed up at the clubhouse, post-race. Halberto regaled us with stories of his encounters with demons at 24-9, while Juan Eppstein entertained us with an account of his close encounter with a Grizzly at Waterton National Park on a recent camping trip. Get that video uploaed to YouTube, please. Good times, as always.

The course:



The results:

Chris - 21:28
James - 21:38
Juan Eppstein - 23:20
Jonny G - 23:35
Brad - 27:45

The photos:

the small traffic circle, as seen from the finish

Jonny G rolls up to the finish

5 laps done, Brad enters the parking garage

for the ascent to the finish line