Snowbird hill climb

Road racers can be odd ducks.  I saw some more of their oddity on Saturday when I competed in the Snowbird Hill Climb.  It was the first, and probably the only, road race I’ll do this year.  It starts in the valley and climbs about 3,500 feet in about 10 miles to Snowbird ski resort.  Unlike most competitive road races, this one does not require a license, which costs something like $65.  They have a category for people like me that only do one or two a year and don’t want to buy a license, called the citizen's class, while the licensed racers are divided in to five categories. 

Saturday was a blustery morning with occasional spats of rain.  The thunder and lightning up the canyon made me wonder why we were in such a hurry to get up there.  But that’s what we did.  There was a strong wind coming down the canyon from the opening gun so I jumped on somebody’s back wheel and sat there.  When someone passed me I jumped on his wheel. My intent was to draft all the way to the top, but one guy I drafted was wearing cologne, and it was so strong that my eyes watered.  Who wears cologne to a bike race?  I didn’t draft him for very long.   

Soon I was in a group of six that had pulled away from the pack.  I sat on another guy’s wheel for about ten minutes, during which time he answered a call on his cell phone.  That’s something you’ll never see in a mountain bike race.  I thought that was a little odd, but he kept up his pace so I stuck on his wheel. 

Then I picked up the pace in the last two miles and dropped a few riders, including the cell phone guy.  Another guy, most likely a category 5 beginner, said “I think it’s time to consider an upgrade.” in a snippy voice as I went past.  Most mountain bikers have nothing but praise for somebody that passes them, but he must have been mad about me passing him even though he’d had a five minute head start.  I didn’t stop to ask.  I went on to finish fourth overall among the citizens and first in my age category.  I should have asked him why he and his fellow road racers were so odd.