It was symbolic as well - because as I found out in 2019 we are really not in control of our lives, but we do the best we can – pace ourselves and keep pedaling.Īfter-party and watching racers ride through the brewery. It was like throwing your cell phone out the window of a moving car. I had time for only one pre-race ride on my newly converted machine and I was literally giggling the moment I began pedaling. I think of myself as an “accidental athlete.” I’m a mom to two busy teenagers so I squeeze in bursts of training when I can. I’m not big on road riding and it seemed like a good way to make it more interesting.įinishing a 50 mile race that I hadn’t trained for didn’t seem very plausible, even with gears, so my goal was to ride as far as I could. I was looking forward to some down time with my partner and to meeting up with some friends in Durango, the Back of the Pack Racing crew.īesides the pesky shifter, changing my bike to single speed sounded fun and I’d always wanted to try it. So why on earth would I still do the race and make it harder by going single speed? In part because doing the race is just what I needed for my mental health. I was also sleep deprived and exhausted from worry. There were so many emotions I was dealing with but mostly I was terrified. And a few weeks before the race came a life changing blow – I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Probably not the brightest move because I hadn’t trained much that spring. So, in a burst of inspiration I converted the bike to a single speed. A week before the race I switched the drop bars on my cross check to moloko bars but I didn’t like where the shifter ended up. I ride a Surly Cross-Check because I’m usually on gravel, or my favorite – riding my fat bike on single track.
I signed up for the 2018 race but tore my ACL so I was determined to get there in 2019.
It’s no small endeavor, there is 5,700 feet of elevation gain and two mountain passes at 10,000 feet. The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic is a road race that starts in Durango, Colorado and ends in the historic mining town of Silverton.
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