The Annual Dick Jagow GP was at Washougal last weekend. This was my first 'race' since the broken wrist fiasco last spring. To say that I am out of shape is a gross understatement....but I have a secret weapon...the TXC511. Conditions were perfect, light rain overnight had removed the dust and after the first lap there was great traction almost everywhere. (The afternoon race folks didnt have it so good as a torrential downpour opened up a half hour into their race)
There were 3 Husqvarnas out of eight 50 Am riders; Bono and Tom of Bend on their 250 2 strokes and me on the TXC511. Apparently Husky is going to take over the world one old guy at a time :-) I got a decent start, passed a couple guys on Horsepower Hill and then let them all sneak by and bang bars through the fence and down the slippery downhill. All was well through the damp pasture off cambers ...several, and then the first bottleneck appeared after a mild switchback on an uphill. I pondered the manhem for a second, picked a path and snicked 1st then 2nd and chugged right up the gnarly little hill past a half dozen down bikes. From there we meandered through the dark woods, some more grass track with a bit of elevation change and then one last tight corner with an uphill before entering the MX track. That last hill was the second big bottleneck. Same deal, aim for the little gap between the trees....oops, tilt back against a random Honda for balance, jump off, fire up the bike, and walk to the gap, remount and trench my way to the top .....dispatched another half dozen on that hill.
Spent the next 90 minutes circulating at a modest pace with no drama. I did have to stop and take a water break after 3 loops around the 7 mile course. The bike and I finished no worse for wear and I even beat one guy in spite of my 10 minute rest stop. The right arm is only slightly more sore than the left so I hereby declare the broken wrist healed.
Even though I was exhausted the excellent powerband, throttle response and supple suspension of the TXC made it easy to keep plugging away, rubber arms and all.
There were 3 Husqvarnas out of eight 50 Am riders; Bono and Tom of Bend on their 250 2 strokes and me on the TXC511. Apparently Husky is going to take over the world one old guy at a time :-) I got a decent start, passed a couple guys on Horsepower Hill and then let them all sneak by and bang bars through the fence and down the slippery downhill. All was well through the damp pasture off cambers ...several, and then the first bottleneck appeared after a mild switchback on an uphill. I pondered the manhem for a second, picked a path and snicked 1st then 2nd and chugged right up the gnarly little hill past a half dozen down bikes. From there we meandered through the dark woods, some more grass track with a bit of elevation change and then one last tight corner with an uphill before entering the MX track. That last hill was the second big bottleneck. Same deal, aim for the little gap between the trees....oops, tilt back against a random Honda for balance, jump off, fire up the bike, and walk to the gap, remount and trench my way to the top .....dispatched another half dozen on that hill.
Spent the next 90 minutes circulating at a modest pace with no drama. I did have to stop and take a water break after 3 loops around the 7 mile course. The bike and I finished no worse for wear and I even beat one guy in spite of my 10 minute rest stop. The right arm is only slightly more sore than the left so I hereby declare the broken wrist healed.
Even though I was exhausted the excellent powerband, throttle response and supple suspension of the TXC made it easy to keep plugging away, rubber arms and all.
