4th time is a charm

Finally, after 3 previous criteriums, I was able to crack the top 10. As a matter of fact, I proudly finished 8th this evening. Tough race, though...we averaged around 25 mph. I won a primes for fastest lap, and should have one at least one more. In fact, I came within inches of winning 3 primes (laps). So, after several attempts at cracking the top 10, and sadly finishing in the middle of the pack, I accomplished my goal at the last crit of the season.
Note on the crit track/course. Pittsburgh has a designated track called the Washington Oval (because it's off Washington Boulevard). This track was formerly where one would take their driver's license test. Therefore, the course has banked turns into the corners. Makes for an interesting race when one is flying into these turns at 20+ miles per hour in an attempt to avaide other cyclists, hold a line, and not crash. It's quite the lung-burning race that's an adrenaline rush.

3 Parks in 3 Days

The picture is deceiving....the Surly did not make the 3 adventures into the parks this weekend (I took this picture on my first visit to the park in August). Instead, the Fisher 29'er had fun playing in the fast, flowing singletrack of Hartwood Acres, Frick Park, and Boyce Park. All were different and unique. Hartwood was a good mix of technical obstacles and smooth-flowing dirt. Frick has an excellent roller coaster section, some leg-burning climbs, and some tricky off-camber trails. Oh, and the super-steep descent off a chute was a bit nerve-racking. Boyce is all about the logs. There are tons of log crossings throughout the park. Plus, a number of bridges and obstacles that add to the technical difficulty. Fortunately, I met up with some guys riding Hartwood on Friday night, so they could lead me around the park. Same guys were nice enough to invite me out to Boyce on Sunday. Overall, some great riding and the weather could not have been any better.