Bradbury Mountain - June 6, 2004

Sweet rolling single track, followed by one heck of a climb. Always a great course, and can you believe it, no rain!!!!

Laps: Novice - 1, Sport and Expert - 2

(Sorry, no pictures from this race.)

Race Results

Race Commentary

Dawn Kaczor

@�#�?*�! no really. boy did i have a tough day. ask michelle. in reality i
lost this race before i even got to the starting line. poor preparation
during the week before the race due to letting the unpredictable weather
dictate my training (laziness). not having clear directions to the race,
getting lost and really frazzled during the ride to the race, then
neglecting to eat, take some advil for the impending back ache or check to
see if i had any gu  in my dispenser. during my lame warmup i realized i
would be racing without a front brake and that everytime i tried to use my
front brake, the whole front end just vibrated and shook. lovely. ok, so
during the first 6 miles in the muddy singletrack i knew it wasnt going to
be my day. my back started hurting and i was already really hungry. its
pretty rare that i start swearing so early in a race. i just had to laugh
just so i didnt cry. as i left the single track towards the climbs i
eventually caught up with michelle. we suffered together for a few minutes,
then she mercilessly left me behind eating her dust. at that point i decided
not to worry about my placement and just concentrated on finishing the race.
which was huge cause i wanted to go back to my van and lay down. now that
the bitching is over, i have to say that i did learn from the experience. i
was humbled. anyhow, i want to say a big thanks to michelle for her words of
encouragement on the course, to barry for making me laugh as i passed him
(on the sidelines) going into the final 6 miles and especially to anne for
coming over to the van after i finished to see if i was ok. i wasnt, with
bieng nauseous, lightheaded and hot. but i recovered after a bit. it was
still fun.

Other than the fact that I got mud up my nose and in
my teeth, had an unusable bent granny gear,
accidentaly glued my hand to my brakes with hammer
gel, hit a jump and landed in the woods and had Rich
and Matt cheering me during a section of the last
downhill when I couldnt feel my hands anymore; this
race was GREAT!

It was my first sport race and i did pretty well.
Thank you Mr. Road Bike!!

Great day for excuses...Got there @ 9:20 for a 9:30 start, had a cold....etc.

Basically felt pretty crappy but it turned out to be close. Myself and the 
three guys in front of me were 1:30 apart so I wish I could have found just 
a little more speed. I was really happy to ride out of the rain for a 
change, especially here. Bent my derailleur hanger with 2 miles to go too.

Oh well, bring on the Pinnacle climb.

What a fantastic race course! The weather was great; the riding was sweet; 
there was just enough mud to feel like you got a decent day at the spa. During 
the second half of the race my lungs opened up, and that is when my legs shut 
down. As gravity is our friend, I LOVE that downhill section at the end.

I'm not happy about it in fact still a bit wound up about it but I have next 
weekend to redeem myself. Finnaly a race with the sun shining and a decent 
turnout by the sport women. My bike was working perfect, I had carb loaded for 
longer than I ever wanted to my entire life, running off of early morning 
coffee and red bull with a shot of GU......I was feeling well beyond ready to 
race.
  It was my first time doing this race. I won't lie, yes it was a technical 
course, but i didn't feel it was as technical as I heard it to be hyped 
up to be. I thought there was some real fun singletrack, fun downhill 
bits, the climbs fairly steep but short. It was fun to ride. There were 
the mud puddles and wet roots but I'll take that over a swampfest anytime. 
  Coming back to the start to do my second lap I was starting to get 
dehydrated. I see the sign which said lap go left, finish go right. So I 
went off into the woods on a trail on the left. The trail was unmarked and 
not roped off and the guy sitting there never hollered at me or anything. 
I come onto another trail which is marked. I didn't know it at the time but 
I managed to bypass the entire first half of the loop. I was now doing the 
second half which climbs the mountain. I had no clue I was doing the course 
wrong until I finished before everyone else by about a half hour. 
  I had some words to say with the guy who I think was running the race. 
He brushed it off by kind of making me feel stupid. saying there was 
170 racers and not one other person had this problem and that he marked 
the course with 360 signs that he didn't think he needed to mark those 
trails. That wasn't really a fly answer with me and I made sure he knew 
I wasn't happy about it and just turned my back on the situation. 
  Oh well, what can you do? That's racing. There's always the pinnacle. 

Drove up to Brunswick on Saturday to see an old friend, had a good 
sleep and woke up to a beautiful morning.  Had a great breakfast and 
nice warm up.  Legs felt the best in weeks (thanks to Jet Ski and 
his expert massage therapy!).  Got a nice start, and Frank's yelling 
at me to "show them how it's done" but went off course off one of 
the bridges and the pack passed me like a runaway train. Kept 
slogging through the mud, running my own race, but crashed a couple 
of times.  Passed some people on the climb, including Dodd on the 
side of the trail letting air out of his tires.  I then saw him on 
the downhill having way too much fun as he flew past me (no respect 
for his elders).  A great Rage group at the turn for the second lap 
pumped me up and passed some more people in the swamp and Gabe on 
the climb, but too little, too late.  Had a hilarious crash where I 
just sort of fell over sideways off a root (lot's of those) and 
started cracking up.  Had fun and a better race than the Wahoo.  
Congratulations to Barry Petzold - first Sport race and he nailed 
it.  Major grief to Jake who "slept in" and missed the race

Mt. Bradbury ROCKS!  I loved the course, and this year, it was better than 
ever!! There was a  bunch of new single track, and less mud than I've ever 
seen--but don't get me wrong, it was still *super* muddy.  I started out at 
a pretty good pace, and just kept going.  I loved the downhills, and couldn't 
resist the temptation of launching off all the fun little rocks and shelves 
throughout the course.  Had I stayed on the ground the entire time, I may 
have been a little faster, but I figured I might as well have a little bit 
of fun!  I must say, I was dreading 24 miles, but it was a blast!!  Makes 
me want to race again... maybe.  :-) 

Jaime Schier

I decided that this would be the event where I would emerge from the brewery for my once-yearly race (I'm kind of like the Punxatawney Phil of mtb racing). Most of the drama in my day happened before the race started for me. The directions from the website led me astray, so after a 2 hr 45 minute drive from Boston I arrived (in street clothes) at the registration table at 9:24. I managed to get registered, changed, and to dump a bottle of gatorade in my camelbak before throwing (literally) my bag into the arms of my new friend Barry, who saved it for me (thanks dude, owe you a beer). I got to the line a little late and was still putting my shoes on when my group went out. Luckily the worst was over. Kirschner told me on Friday night that this would be a good course with plenty of singletrack and climbing, and it didn't disappoint. This racecourse was much more fun to ride than the others I've ben to and I really enjoyed being out there in the unexpected sunshine. I started to catch up to people after about a mile or so and just kept plugging along, thinking I was about 4th or 5th when I finished. I didn't get to see the others in my group before starting, so I didn't know who to chase. Saw one guy actually clean the entire hill at the start of the mtn climb, but it took everything he had and I passed him about 20 feet past the top of the hill as he spit out his lung. He was the third place finisher in my age group. Had lots of fun and suffered some, too. Thanks to Francis for the post-ride beer.

Sweet race, great sunny day, no mechanicals and Harpoon Beer. Who could ask 
for anything more.

Ah....yet again, DNF. Even though the stars were in perfect alignment for a 
great race, my body decided to punish me for my outgoing attitude. The shoulder
gave way and my spirit got broke. I lasted only the first section of the race 
and then threw in the flag....must save myself for Mt. Snow. Oh well, there's 
always another day.

Hello All,

This was the race that took me out last year so I had a monkey to get off
my back.

The sun was shinning and it got hot on the course.The first lap I was not
ready for all the Roots, Rocks and Reggae. My back tire had to much
pressure in it and I was bouncing around like a rag doll half way thru the
first lap. I crossed the street  and went up the hill from hell. I got half
way up and I had to push. I got to the top and started the down hill
section and went down so I decided to take some air pressure out of the
tires for the rest of the race.  I finally got settled in for the long
ride. The second lap was not as exciting as the first and I was glad to see
the finish line. It was a great day to race.

Joe Famely

This being my favorite course, I was excited to do two laps this year. It was painful, but I made it. At the start, I got the hole shot, but before we reached the woods, I was quickly overtaken by half of the field...you know those guys that actually train (train? me?). Anyway, I kept a nice pace on the first lap, slumped a little on the first half of the second because I ran out of water, and came back to form on the last leg after a little refueling. I rode with Whitney and Leo for a bit, and then Barry literally ran past me on a technical uphill on his way to an impressive 5th in a large Senior II field. Nice Job, Barry! As for me, my 5th place finish would have felt a little sweeter had the rest of the Senior I's finished.

Nicer weather than last year but still very muddy.  This was another 
difficult race, my time was only 10 min. faster than Bear Brook.  Like 
Bear Brook, I am happy to have finished the race.  Even though I tried, 
I couldn't "Win One for the Gipper"!  

Ugh! Just getting to this race was a challenge. After getting lost in rural 
Maine and getting my truck stuck in mud when I drove into the woods to take 
a leak, I finally  found the racecourse. Having just returned from Mt Rainier 
I thought the extra red blood cells acquired there would give me a boost, but 
It turned out to be a day when I couldn't steer well at all. Within minutes 
of the start I rode off a wooden bridge into four feet of smelly black muck. 
After a few more accidental off-trail excursions, I decided to slow down and 
treat it as a training ride. After that I enjoyed it a lot more.

 

Went out hard, hung onto to 5th place for all of about
1.5 miles until I dropped my chain, watched about 10
people zoom by while getting chain back on, got back
in line for about 2 more miles and then nature called,
watched about 15 more people go by, settled into
rythym, and then at mile 8 my back wheel exploded
(literally) due to a rim sidewall failure.  Walked
down the "mountain", got lost, and ended up on some
farm where a killer giant poodle greeted me and let me
know I was trespassing.  Walked on tar road back to
start.  (rode about 8 miles and walked about 4).
Anyone selling wheels ?

Bradbury is just a great course as far as I'm concerned.  Add to that
the fact that we lucked out with the weather, and it was especially
ridable.  That's not to say that it wasn't muddy in spots, or that the
mud didn't cause me problems, but it was fun!

The first time I did Bradbury I thought the second half of the race
with all the climbing was the toughest.  Sunday, I felt like the first
half was equally hard with all of the variable conditions.  It takes a
lot of concentration to maintain speed through all of that.  I had one
spectacular endo about 3 miles into the race when I planted my front
wheel in a deep mudhole and flew off the bike when it stopped short. 
No  major damage (just a flesh wound!) to me and no mechanicals then
or throughout the race - a first for me in three tries at Bradbury.

They made the final downhill easier this year, but I still found ways
to finish sloppy, mainly because I was solidly in the tired & stupid
zone by then.  All-in-all, a good, tough race.

Awesome course.  So much better than what I raced on 2 yrs ago.  Gone 
was the narly section of the switchback downhill.  Gone was the 
uphill near the finish after doing the narly downhill.  What was new? 
More singletrack on the campground side...a better mix of up n down 
for the triple summitting of the mountain...a flat line to the finish.

But don't get too excited!!!  There still was a fair amount of deep 
mud and plenty of hungry mosquitos.

Great swag and awesome BBQ beans @the food tent.

Yeah I don't think that orange thing in the sky go the word that it 
was race day. On my second lap I was actually a little concerned 
about the sunburn I was getting. I love this race for two reasons. 
One, its technical trails suite my riding style and two, us sport 
gals get the whole course to oureselves for the entire race. No 
novice and junior guys running us over and the course is just long 
enough that the experts barely lap us. My first lap went great. 
Immediatley, I fell into last place on the double track before 
entering the muddy single track. Somehow I just sliced through the 
mud like a sharp knife and just kept on going never slowing down. 
Soon my confidence was built and I caught up to Dawn who wasn't 
having her best day. We rode together for the rest of the lap 
keeping each other motivated. Slowly I crept ahead on my own. I gave 
up my extra water bottle on the second lap to avoid the weight for 
those climbs (thanks Susan for catching my bad throw). Just as my 
legs were giving up and I was feeling very sleepy I see a Rage 
jersey ahead of me. Could that be Hank? I think I scared him cause 
just like the Lone Ranger he bolted leaving a cloud of dust. With 
the clear skies and all I couldn't pass up the opportunity to snap a 
mental kodak moment on the top of the mountain.  By the time I got 
to the downhill switchback my legs felt like wooden stumps and I 
simply said "thank goodness it's over and I hope for once I'm not 
the last one off the course". Thanks to all who cheered and for the 
new chain that I won which I desperately needed and for the food and 
Harpoon that placed upon me seconds after I finished.

I think I spent the first lap distracted by the blue sky and 
sunshine. I couldn't muster anything. Finally by my second lap I 
started pulling it together but it was too late to better my place. 
I was still happy about the weather though and I was digging the 
post race food and Harpoon replenishment. Can hardly wait to climb 
again next week. 

 
I did lousy but I loved this race.  First of all it was sunny - what a
concept!  Second of all, my time was 19 minutes better than last year.
(Unfortunately, everyone else's time was 20 minutes improved.)  Finally,
and most important, I may not be the fastest horse on the track, but I
felt great, never bonked, had a ton of fun, and only had one serious
fall - an endo into a mud pit.  The mud had the fortunate side effect of
greatly cushioning the blow, but it still aggravated my ribs bruised two
weeks prior at Bear Brook.
 
Great course, lousy directions.  Who knew that not only had they
renumbered the exits, which I could deal with, but they also renamed the
goddammed highways!  I wondered why there was a road sign along the
coast highway pointing to Sunday River .  Didn't find my error until
asking a toll booth attendant how far to what used to be Exit 17.  Gives
a whole new meaning to "Can't get there from here".  However, turns out
I could get there from there, and had left plenty early, so I still made
it with enough time to drink some coffee, stretch, and do a quick
warm-up ride.
 
This course is awesome, especially when you know that big climb to start
the second half is in front of you.  That way I could pace myself better
in the first half.  Missed the hoops contest however.
 
Overall, a highly successful day.

Nice weekend! Rode 16 miles of Dogtown the day before
with Tom Greene so I was doomed from the start. 
Cleat loosened up during the first half of the first
lap so I figured I better stop and fix it before it
falls off. By the time I got the mud out of the cleat
and bolts and got it tightened I had lost too much
time to make up. Did get close to the back of the pack
for a bit but ran outta gas and water and almost DNF.
Waaa!!!

Well, I guess the gods were smiling on me this time.  I felt very strong and
other than some twinges of cramps in my quads, my legs held up.  I fear that
this showing may be tough to repeat. :)

 
This was my first time doing Bradbury and I definitely had a love hate race. 
Loved the single track, hated the hills but nothings changed there.
I finished and not last in my class, I didn't get any injuries and did break 
anything on my bike ... whoo hoo success. The first half of the race was bedlam
everyone going out full pelt and a mass of bodies at the first muddy corner 
but I remembered all your sound advice and dug in hard and rode through the 
carnage. Yes I successfully made that first section and managed to pass a 
few people on the way. The muddy sections, the twists, the turns, the bridges,
the rocks I rode .I couldn't believe how much I could ride probably 90% of 
the course - the hills being my only downfall but even those I tried. 
Probably would have been more successful if I'd had fresh legs but I thought
Tom W's Dogtown ride would be a nice warm up... not sensible...will I ever 
learn. That last switchback downhill definitely lived upto my expectations 
..bloody fantastic fun!!!!
In summary , I had a fabulous time, for me it was a hard race but I loved the 
course, loved the challenge and the weather gods were with us.. I was all 
prepared to give it a go in the rain but this was a much better experience. 
Fingers crossed for the same next year and maybe I'll make it into the top 
three once I've mastered HILLS!!!!

I love this race.  Rain or no, I think it is great.  The lack of rain
this year was a surprise and a nice change from the previous three.  With
a field of ten, I was guaranteed a top ten finish in Men's Vet.  A
relatively clean and fast course (relative to other years), three or four
crashes, but no endos (first time at Bradbury), and I finished 7th - not
DFL!  And as for that accusation of sandbagging, I would like to point
out that a sandbagger should at least be doing well enough to win a set
of tire irons.  You can't accuse me of that yet!  Unfortunately, that
ends my season.  I made up for not endoing at Bradbury by doing it in my
back yard, landing wrong, and fracturing my wrist.  Don't it figure?

Always love this course.  At its just that much better when its not raining.
Although i do miss that swim course we had a few years back.