Chequemagon Fat Tire Festival

Hayward WI
Chequamegon 40 Saturday September 19, 2009
by: Cory Gwin

Chequemagon can be a great race for me or a horrible one. I have a history with this race. The first time I raced here I had a broken finger with a pin in it. Half way through the race I lost the splint off my finger and for the next 5 miles every bump I hit sent a sharp pain shooting through my hand.

After a while of that I stopped and splinted my finger with a tire iron and some velo tape. Yup that is the kind of relationship I have with this race!

Last year the Chequmeagon false idols shone down upon me and allowed me to finish top 35. That mean preferred start this year! I was looking forward to a great race.

I pulled up the the parking lot and started getting unpacked. Take the bike off the roof etc. I am all suited up and I take off. I notice my bike is a little squishy! Oh man my front tire is flat, and my rear tire is losing air ever so slowly. I look around and notice their is broken glass by where I parked. Quickly I switch out my front tire and put in a tube and find Djohn who lends me a tube for my rear tire. Here is to hoping things get better I say.

I line up at the start, not to far up as I like to remind my self to take it easy on the starts. Bang! We are off a nice controlled pace until we hit the highway and then a few people launch some hard attacks into Rosies field. The preferred start lets me take it a bit easier off the start and I let some people go on fliers around me.

The race goes on for a while and after about 20 mile I start to feel stronger every mile. I get into a good groove and move up into the top 50. Things are really looking good as I pass 10 or so people on the fire tower hill.

We hit the Birkie trail I fuel up and prepare to hit it again. 6 or so miles left and I get a new set of legs. I stand up and attack, I am flying I put a whole group of ten riders behind me and I think I can easily bridge the next group.

Then my luck hits. Boing boing these rocks sure feel squishy. Oh no flat three and I have no tube.

I walked for about ten minutes then some one tossed me a 26x1.25 tube. I shove it into my 29er wheel and cruise in.

Chequemagon can be a great race or it can be just a fun race. Today it was fun .