The 24 Hours of Moab is this weekend. I’ve raced there solo 4 times. This time I’m just going to hang out and ride around. I also have a new camera
Of course I’m most interested in the solo racers. Both Tinker Juarez and Chris Eatough are registered. It should be an interesting race between them.
Josh Tostado from Colorado is another guy that could do well. Pete Basinger who holds the Iditarod Trail Invitational record should also do well. My guess is the race is a little short for him but I still could see him in the top 3. I raced with him in 2003 at the Fireweed 400.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to get internet access out at the race course. If I can’t I’ll try going in to town Saturday night to upload at least a few photos. Granny Gear will also have a webcast during the race. The race standings are generally updated very often so you can so how the race is going.
The 24 Hours of Moab is where I first raced at night when I raced solo in 1997. Little did I know the path it would lead me down. I didn’t even have a light system. I was racing on the Schwinn/Grand West grassroots team and the team manager arranged for me to use one a demo unit of a new Schwinn dual light system.
It turned out the lights worked great. Unfortunately my lungs didn’t. A couple days before I was laying on the couch with fever, aches and chills. I was feeling better for the race but I was still very congested.
The race went really well for me for the first 12 hours and I was in 3rd place. During the night it started snowing and I got to the point I could barely breath. I ended up sitting in the back of my truck for 7 hours. If I laid down I couldn’t breathe. Even when I fell asleep sitting up, I’d start choking.
Once it the sun came up and it warmed up a bit, my crew convinced my to head out for one more lap. I felt good on that lap and had time for one more. I ended up with 10 laps and finished 8th out of 16.
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Tags: 24 Hours of Moab, Moab, mountain biking, Utah
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Rob!
I just picked up that same Nikon D80 kit last week to improve the pictures on my site!
Great minds think alike…
-Robb (198)
Hey Rob–
What a coincidence, my first 24 hour was the 24 hrs of Moab in 1997! I did it with a team and that was hard enough, the course was soooo sandy. I can’t forget the snow and wind and how my lights died during one of my night laps. Some nice guy came to my rescue and let me follow him in, or I would have had to walk the rest of the way. Could have been you!!!
-Juli
Good luck out there!
We’d been planning to attend, at least to crew for friends… but things happen, like sprained ankles. 🙁
Say hi to Chris Strout and Brad Majors if you run into them- they’re the World Bicycle Relief solos.
I’ll be out racing with the Princeton Tec gang 6 man just for fun….
See yah out there
Have fun and post some great pics when you get a chance!
Juli, that is wild that the ’97 Moab was your first 24 hour race. I know I encouraged some people whose lights had died to follow me but then I just did my thing. Sounds like it was somebody nicer that helped you.
I’ll keep an eye out for Chris Strout and Brad Majors.
Hey Rob,
Did you enjoy the sandstorm at the start of the race? Great venue, this was my first 24 hour race. I did a lot of mountain bike racing in the early 90s. I raced this year on a four man team. What a treat.
Rick Kern from raceteam “Rick Rolled”