Vermont Overland

Had to try it.

First let me start off by saying that I love time trials, it’s not that I’m good at them - I just really enjoy putting my head down and seeing if all those late nights on the trainer have amounted to anything. I would even go so far as to consider myself a time trialist since it is the discipline I train for most. I showed up to the pre-ride for the Overland, led by cyclocross great Tim Johnson with a few dozen other riders. He asked right away to the group of us gathered around him “Are there any TT guys out there?” Everyone collectively laughed as no one raised their hands.. “Good” Tim said. “They might not enjoy this.”

The Race:
There easily 500+ riders at the start line. We immediately turn up a gravel hill and the group starts to stretch out. After about 2,000 feet of climbing I am sitting about mid pack and realizing I don’t have the right gearing for this race. We descend down a steep, loose, sketchy gravel hill. I am squeezing my brakes for dear life. People are flying by me bunny hopping huge rocks with ease.. Yup, I’m definitely in over my head. We hit the first section of “Vermont pavé” which is essential a hiking trail. I dismount, pretty much immediately. Everyone behind me yells at me to get out of the way. Yup. Just need to get through this one.

The course finally spits us out onto a paved road. Ahh. I feel at home. I begin to book it. Mmm. I’ll hold 310, no, 320, yeah, 320 that feels good. I find another roadie and we start working well together. Maybe this isn’t so bad?

But of course it is that bad. The next section of Vermont Pave is a mixture of wet boulders, 20% grades and mud. At this point, I am just trying to not fall too much. I feel like a dog on ice. I get to sections and just laugh at how impossible it would be for me to ride a bike over or through whatever the hell that is.

Finally it happened. While on a steep descent covered in baseball sized rocks I hit a big rut, my front tire pops and I go full send over my handle bars. I’m not surprised at all. In the air I laugh to myself, what the fuck am I doing here. I hit hard and awkwardly on my head and right shoulder. I sit up and realize I cant move my right arm. Shit.

Luckily a racer comes by, stops, and fashions me a sling out of his spare tube, mumbles something to me and takes off. About 30mins later a suv comes up the hill. “What happened” the driver says “I’m a time trialist” I finally admit. He laughs, gets my bike in to his truck and we drive back to the start line.