RIDER THOUGHTS

Bill Spa - Early morning hills cold hills fun ride hills adventure hills horses hills views hills cow patties hills clouds in the valleys hills Nori the pissing machine hills gummy bears hills runny nose hills 15 chain breaks hills friends hills great single track sections hills fun hills long hills crazy runners hills what day is it hills day hills rage on hills thanks

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Dave Currie - My morning started off well as I tucked in behind Ben and Adam. "What's today?" I asked, "RACE DAY" they yelled. They quickly disappeared on the first big uphill and I tried to settle into a groove that would see me through the 50 miles and 7500ft of climbing. All was going well until the 3rd feed station where I paused briefly to grab some gummy bears and head off down the big hill that followed. As I pondered how good the gummy bears tasted, I failed to avoid a rather large rock which sent me over the handle bars and rolling down the hill. "Hmm...",I thought,"This is going to hurt". Fortunately nothing was broken and I continued on my way a little worse for wear. The rest of the ride went by relatively incident free and even managed to better my time from last year. RACE DAY!!!!

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Mike Grappo - Just a big round of applause for an awesome RAGE showing at the grueling VT 50 yesterday. Let it be said that it was a beautiful day up there and the course, although 80% uphill, was spectacular. I had a blast with all you guys on that trail. Way to knock it out team rage!!!

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Jon McNeill - The clydes series points leader (Ken Abbott) and I decided to ride together. It was great to pace with someone and we had a great ride going. Then came mile 36. A guy crashed in right in front of us in the singletrack and we stopped; I threw my leg over the saddle to get off the bike and wham -- hamstring seized and I was rolling around in the woods howling like an idiot. Tried to get back on the bike, but it seized at the top of every pedal stroke, so Ken rode off and I walked about a mile to the next aid station. At the aid station a friendly lady said -- "Oh cramps, that's easy, here eat this potato." Now being of Irish descent, I should have caught on earlier in the race that potatoes were a good thing (heck - they're always a good thing). But this dear old Vermont lady, she downright saved my life. Miles 38-46 seemed like they took days. At mile 46, I knew there was one last up, but the potato was beginning to wear off and the cramps started coming back. The last aid station was out of potatoes. I stood weeping in front of the table ("Please, dear God, someone's got to have a potato. Just one lousy potato? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CAN SOMEONE GET ME A POTATO?!?"). The aid station people must be somewhat used to deranged incoherent idiots at that point in the race, they were very patient. Then a lady emerged with the next best thing -- a bag of Ruffles (they've got rrridges you know) -- a potato (Clydesdale-style). I smiled. Goal was to break 7 hours. Made it to the finish at 6:59:25. How's that for cutting it close? However, I'm never doing that race again. Until next year.

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Chris Smith - 5:30 am Sunday morning I arrive in the parking lot. Oh look at the stars, WAIT it's cold and dark and I am going to start a race in less than an hour. Why do we do this? There was allot of nice riding out there if only we could have had a few days to do it. I came in 19th @ 5:46.

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Tristram Langford (Kiwi) - Discussions prior to the race with those who had done it before established 2 things, it's steep and it's long! They weren't kidding! The weather was perfect, there were vast numbers of riders and runners (ironically they thought we were nuts), the feed stops were great, the attitude of the others riders was the best I have seen. The only thing I can't understand is if you start and finish at the same place how come there was so much more climbing than descending?!

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Jonathan Lerner - Standing at the starting line, just before dawn in close-to-freezing temperatures, I started to wonder what I had gotten myself into. Then the start, going downhill, colder still. Not to worry, the first of an endless series of climbs had me toasty warm in no time. Climbing was definitely the order of the day. First a moderate, steady grade, then take a turn and it keeps going...steeper, UP and UP, until you think you're at the top, but nope, it keeps going. There were some fun downhill sections mixed in, as well as some very sweet, twisty single-track. But it seemed like for every inch of downhill, you had to pay with a mile of uphill. The weather turned out to be perfect, though, and the scenery was breathtaking. Without a doubt, this was the most challenging mountain bike ride/race I've ever had, but well worth it. So, all you Ragers who didn't make it in this year, make sure and register EARLY for next year!

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Pete Niedzielski - First off I heard it was over 8000 ft. But I guess 500 ft here or there does not really matter. Let's put it this way, it was an interesting day. I don't suggest popping Sudafed cold medicine and Cold-EZE Zinc tablets the day before a ride from hell. Tends to make you feel crappy. Anyway, after the ride my first thought was "That Sucked the royal Moose xxxx(edited for the under 18 crowd)","Why did I put my body through that?", then after 12 hours of sleep, I started thinking how I could of shaved time off. Bring more food, don't stop to long at the aid stations, stay healthy the week before. I can't believe I am thinking of doing this again. In summary that was the hardest thing on a bike I've ever done. Now I just need to top it. A big congrats to everyone who accomplished that ride. You all kick some serious ass! The memories will become fonder after a couple of days.

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Judy Keeley - Staggering out of bed at 4:30 am and making our way to the race, we began with a cold, dark downhill and then the uphills started and never ended. The first half consisted of hills, frozen toes, and more hills. After losing the trail for a bit I make it to the halfway station and see lots of ragers. But where are the pancakes?!? Several miles after that I am feeling deliriously tired and I bonk for the next 12 miles. I realize I have way too much weight on my back; at that very moment my full extra-large saddle bag breaks and I have to add it to my camelbak. The downhills are awesome. But the uphills continue... it is UNREAL how much climbing there is (~2600 ft more than Mt Washington). I am feeling pain in places I have never felt pain before. I repeat to myself: I am never doing this race again, No more hills please no more hills. My prayers are not answered, in fact they are thrown back in my face with that last hill (I mean mountain) - there are no words to describe it. Finally, I make it to the finish; it is good to see everyone. Result: 5th out of 14, women's sport senior II, 7:39.

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Carol Ryan -- I think the 'day in hell' says it all ;-). The crowded single track at the start in the freezing cold was totally annoying. I cannot believe anyone can set up a course with that much uphill and get people to return year after year. No seriously, I'm glad I did it. I saw alot of Ragers along the way, which was great!!! Road some really sweet single track! Learned that potatoes taste great when biking (who knew?). My time was 8.11. My bike computer has pointed out that there was almost 40 min of down time in there so I maybe I should learn not to stop so much but those potatoes and M&M's were just so yummy ;-) While I have taken some heat from some people about registering in beginner ;-), since it was only my 2nd EFTA race ever I decided that it was ok to stay in beginner & I finished 4th of 12 in FNV. Leo headed out on a business trip right after the race so I'll give his verbal report: no mechanicals, felt good, hardly stopped, loved the new single track. Hills - didn't notice many ;-) Finished 2nd of 110 in MSV at 5 hrs 30 minutes! He can't figure out how he dropped almost 30 min off last years time but attributes it to all the magic drink powders his roadie dad gave him for his birthday this year ;-)

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Toast (Chris Polson) - Going into this for a second year, I can't figure why I did it again.... Actually the worst part of this thing for me was getting up at 4:30am and standing around with 650 other crazy bikers, freezing in the sub 40f temps while JonnyMac screams "Race Day" moments before we start. The phaeton start is really intense and hard not to get caught up in it. I figured out this equation in my head as my knees started to numb up. 35deg+ 40mph+shorts=what the hell was I thinking.... Once the hills started the warmth was coming back and things looked good Bill Spa caught up with me when I stopped for a pump I found on the course and we continued on together. The first vista was amazing, Ascutney valley opened up before us, the sun light was just hitting the tops of the hills as the valleys harbored the morning fog, breathtaking! wait I need to breath! At the first aid station we all met up and assessed the situation, "45 miles to go", I heard somebody say. There was JonnyMac passing by, chiding us on. I gave him a couple minutes then I gave chase, I caught him in traffic, WALKING (in the woods with the 500 beginners who jammed up the singletrack -- just an editors clarification ;), as he got back on his ride I gave him a couple of tire rubs to let him know I was there. At the next few aid stations the long stops seemed to hurt more than help Pete passed me somewhere at the second station and I caught up with him and Nori at the third one. This time Pete and Shari joined me for a nice climb, the view along this route was awesome, horses in the foreground while nature's colors draped the surrounding mountainside. forgot I was riding, well almost.... At the next station we all gathered for the hillside picnic, man do they feed you, and a group photo. I think we stopped for 1/2hour :) Judy took off, then Shari, Mike and I figured this view was getting old. At the next aid station, 1/2 way, was the last I saw the group, I hit a zone and just needed to get going. vroom. I blew past the next few stations and caught up with Mike who seemed to be hallucinating trailside, ahh no he just saw the hill ahead, Yikes! We rode together till the next aid station, aka the bee station. I didn't stay too long so I left Mike and headed out alone. The next few miles were sweet switchbacks tight little saplings on both sides and downhill. All I could think about was why did I put riser bars on.... I tailed a couple of riders, met some really cool people. Amazing how much somebody could know about maple syrup.... At the last stop you can hear the crowd cheering at the finish line except you are going the wrong way and what is this I hear about more climbing?? During this last section the local high school race intersects our course. Dam young-ins, full of energy, nice and clean, and passing me everywhere, I felt like that old man on the highway going 50 with the signal light on.... Anyway after some more hiking and a bridge from hell, get this the trail actually wanted me to traverse a waist deep stream instead of using the bridge, that's how bad it was, the trail started it's last downhill onto the ski slope and alas the finish.......

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RIDE IT RIDER!