Entering the Leesburg Bakers Dozen

Instead of bemoaning yet another season of riding lost due to military committments, I've decided to take full advantage of the time I have left before shipping out in May.  I decided to enter the Leesburg Bakers Dozen race that takes place 19 April.  I briefly considered entering solo but decided it would be better and more fun to enter the 3-person team category.  So I posted a "Will someone please ride with me" post on the MORE Forum and within 30 minutes had two partners - Mike and Matt. 

  Two of us are on 29ers (both Niner RIP9s) and one is on a 26er.  We decided to call our team "Two and a half Bikes".  We're not looking for a podium finish...just a good time.  This Sunday is a pre-ride day so we'll meet up and take a few laps on the course to get an idea what we're in for.  The race is held on private property and can only be ridden on designated days.  This will be one of only two or three shots at riding the course before the race. 

The laps are only about 7.5 miles so we should be able to turn in 1-hour lap times all day....if not faster. I''m hoping for at least 15 laps.  Last years winning 3-person team turned in 20 laps.  With three of us there will be plenty of rest time between laps.  Although I am a little concerned that we might have too much down-time.  I'd hate for my legs to go dead in the two hours between laps. 

On a related note, since part of the race will be in the dark (it ends at midnight) I will need lights.  So last night I picked up two sets of lights at REI.  I got a Niterider Solmate for the helmet and a set of Niterider x2 Dual for my handlebar.  That gives me three beams of light to illuminate the trail.  I should have some decent depth perception with that setup.  I need to get in a couple night rides so I can get used to riding in the dark....something I have never really done before, at least not on singletrack.