Hoodoo 500 stage race
- Thread starter DuncanWatson
- Start date
Abbott Smith
Guru
Outstanding tribework one and all. I'm constantly amazed and touched by this family. I found a new bike and so much more. Everyone associated with this tribe makes me feel honored to be here. My turn in 13 days to honor the brand at the Tour de Tahoe.
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
I think this qualifies for the "understatement of the year"!!!
Of course, we all know you did not know what the "catastrophic mechanical failure" actually was at the time you posted that comment. Now that we know - WOW!
Abbott Smith
Guru
Taking my example from 19th century British Naval reports.
super slim
Zen MBB Master
OUTSTANDING effort by riders, and support crew!!!!
Its good that Ben did not get hurt!!!
I wonder how much a DF rider would have got hurt in the same accident!!!
Is the front triangle OK?
I hope there are no " slightly used, only ridden on Sundays, Vendettas for sale" soon!
Its good that Ben did not get hurt!!!
I wonder how much a DF rider would have got hurt in the same accident!!!
Is the front triangle OK?
I hope there are no " slightly used, only ridden on Sundays, Vendettas for sale" soon!
Good looking group!
jond
Zen MBB Master
oh my goodness glad ben was not hurt badly. again a tremendous performance in the terrain by all. i have to say i have not seen before such a close group of caring cyclists. the humanity on show here is note-worthy and a shining example of how wonderful life can be on and off the bikes. gary thank yo so much for your reporting and support of the group again keeping the tribe informed. you are a selfless great big star just like everyone involved. pleased as punch that i found cruzbike on so many many levels "where the people match the bikes". now i am off for a ride .
Quick note before diving back in to catch up on my inbox post-Hoodoo:
Maria wouldn't have gotten to the finish line without @BentAero's skill with the bike and encouragement throughout. So a HUGE thank you to you, Gary. Not that a forum post can capture the depth of my gratitude for what you did out there!
Gary in action: not just the team's mechanic, but a handoff master too.
Another great big virtual hug to each of you as well - knowing you were all watching and sending encouragement and strength and urging on each racer and crew was part of what made this incredible, inspiring race effort possible. You all are awesome. Race reports and lots more photos/video to come!
Maria wouldn't have gotten to the finish line without @BentAero's skill with the bike and encouragement throughout. So a HUGE thank you to you, Gary. Not that a forum post can capture the depth of my gratitude for what you did out there!
Gary in action: not just the team's mechanic, but a handoff master too.
Another great big virtual hug to each of you as well - knowing you were all watching and sending encouragement and strength and urging on each racer and crew was part of what made this incredible, inspiring race effort possible. You all are awesome. Race reports and lots more photos/video to come!
BentAero
Well-Known Member
Thank you Lucia. Getting Maria to the finish was truly a four person team effort.
Maria dug deep using great mental and emotional toughness to persevere thru intense physical pain,
Michael rarely got a break from near constant preparation of water bottles with ever-changing blends of liquids, as well as being king of the snack bar. Not to bad for a limey!
Lucia however, is truly the unsung hero here. Though each of us had our roles, Lucia played the most crucial non-riding role as she used her advantage of that special mother/daughter bond perfectly, knowing just how to coach, cajole, persuade, counsel, push, and most importantly, encourage Maria over the radio link, as well as when she was stopped. She is a positive reinforcement pit bull, never wavering, never giving up. Without her, I doubt Maria would have made it to the halfway point.
If I ever ride an event that requires a crew, I want Lucia and Michael calling the shots for me.
We make a pretty darn good team!
Abbott Smith
Guru
Awe inspiring test of how a tribe supports each other. Every single Cruzbike participant became greater than the sum of the parts involved in the HooDoo 500. So proud of everyone. No human is an island during this event. And over 3 days the sum of these efforts resulted in three new Cruzbike accomplishments. Dream time attained.
DuncanWatson
Well-Known Member
I liked some of the pictures Rich posted on BROL. This one in particular shows the different profiles of the CA2 and Vendetta well
This was an amazing effort and a very impressive race.
This was an amazing effort and a very impressive race.
Abbott Smith
Guru
And for those more interested in aesthetics instead of engineering here are two more inages from Rich's photos of the event.I liked some of the pictures Rich posted on BROL. This one in particular shows the different profiles of the CA2 and Vendetta well
This was an amazing effort and a very impressive race.
An amazing race and an amazing write up by maria in the blog. Astounding finish to what is a very grueling race!
trplay
Zen MBB Master
The Hoo-Doo is in my mind one of the best races offered anywhere. It also offers something no other race does. I would like to throw an idea out which takes advantage of the race and highlight the strengths of the Cruzbike. Next year field a team of Cruzbikes in the 500 stage race. There are lots of plusses in this race that don't exist in other races. The Hoo-Doo is the only race which offers a stage race and allows recumbents. Take advantage of it. First the stage race allows drafting ,two it provides rest each day so it is closer to speed race than endurance one. I think this fits the Cruzbike disposition better since the longer a non stop race goes the more important the endurance of the rider becomes over the aeroness of the bike. The other advantage of the stage race is one support car can cover more than one rider. This means a group of 7/8 riders would only need 3 vehicles or so. This is much easier to produce. Now Maria/Jim/Ben P can ride in the same race. Trick Convince Larry/Lief/Ben T/ and the other A riders to come along (Charlie where in the heck is Charlie?) and you have a very strong team of riders that can work as a team. Throw in as many B riders (like me) to pull the first part of each day while adding to the draft effect and I believe one has a winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Not only is it a winner it would be awesome seeing a team of Cruzbikes working together. At the end of the day the group eats , and sleeps, together (not literally) while planning the next days strategy on how to get our top riders on the podium. Sure sounds better than the death march solo and I believe at the end of the ride the Cruzbike brand will have accomplished as much as entering the solo races. The concept is to win but have fun while doing it. I would love to hear the Cruzbike CEO's feelings on this. There are a lot of advantages towards an early commitment. Entry fees are a lot cheaper, while it gives plenty of time for training and organization of the support teams. Thoughts anyone?
Not only is it a winner it would be awesome seeing a team of Cruzbikes working together. At the end of the day the group eats , and sleeps, together (not literally) while planning the next days strategy on how to get our top riders on the podium. Sure sounds better than the death march solo and I believe at the end of the ride the Cruzbike brand will have accomplished as much as entering the solo races. The concept is to win but have fun while doing it. I would love to hear the Cruzbike CEO's feelings on this. There are a lot of advantages towards an early commitment. Entry fees are a lot cheaper, while it gives plenty of time for training and organization of the support teams. Thoughts anyone?
Abbott Smith
Guru
This makes a lot of sense to me.
trplay that is an awesome idea.
BentAero
Well-Known Member
Nailed it, nailed it, nailed it.
There was considerable discussion on this topic post-race Monday afternoon.
Speaking as a "C" rider, I couldn't agree more.
