Road Apple Roubaix

The inaugural Road Apple Roubaix was held over the weekend.  Racers had the option of doing 42 or 20 miles. Anyone signing up for a gravel race located in the Ohio Snowbelt in February better expect some snow. The day before the race the temperature in the morning was -15.  Luckily it was a balmy 17 degrees and snowing at the start and the temperature warmed up to 25 in the afternoon. There was heavy snowfall entire day which left the gravel roads covered with 6 inches unplowed snow. 

Photo Paul Hamad

 

 

Most of the riders were on fat bikes or mountain bikes. Since I am a glutton for punishment I rode my singles peed cross bike with 35c tires at 40 psi. With the combination of the deep snow and my skinny tires I don't think that I was able to ride more than 30 seconds without slipping and going sideways.  I must have crashed at least a dozen times.  I did slide off the road and into the ditch 4 times.

 

 

 

 

There was an aid station at the halfway point on both routes. Many riders that started out on the long route cut the day short and followed the 20 miles route after the aid station and ended up with 28 mile.  I carried 2 bottles of Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem and HEED mixed as multi-hour bottles. One of the bottles I carried on my back pocket in a effort to keep the bottle from freezing, it did not work. One of the course officials that was following riders on the course gave me some hot tea from his thermos around mile 30.  The hot tea thawed out my frozen water bottles.  The slippery conditions and constantly wrestling with the bike made eating and drinking a challenge.  When I came to a stop sign I would take a sip of my Perpetuem and HEED mix or have a Hammer GEL 

 

Photo car less Ohio

 

My bike after the 42 miles.

After the race photo  Paul Hamad

 

 

There were 136 riders that started the day and only 5 that were able to finish the entire 42 mile route.  With 3 of finishers on fat bikes I felt like I had a good showing on my SSCX only being 30 minutes behind.  I was the only person to finish on a single speed not a bad showing for my first race with 765 Racing