Road to romaniacs - episode 4 : test run

Well, we did it. And, by we, actually, I mean Andy did. He raced the Round 3 of the US Hard Enduro Series, Grinding Stone, hosted in Page, Arizona. This race is notoriously challenging, even for a hard enduro. And, the rock features are like nothing else. There are steep climbs with nothing but a sandy run up and exposure on all sides. It was terrifying to watch, let alone race.

We don’t usually race out west, because it tends to be high-consequence-racing. That is, if you’re any good, you’ll probably eventually end up hurt. We’ve both done desert races and each time we walk away counting our lucky stars for not having crashed at 80+mph in the sand or not having been yeeted off of a 50 foot cliff straight into rocks. But, it’s hard not to be tempted when you hear the bikes prepping for the race. And when you get a small town like Page hosting a race, the buzz in the air is palpable. I’ll let Andy explain his take on this particular race through the vlog, but I wanted to pause to talk about racing more generally.

First of all, despite what social media says, I’m not even an average rider but very much a novice relative to the folks who are out there actually racing. I have no delusions of grandeur and am very much grounded in the fact that I am now over 40 and have to make it to work on Monday. So, why race? Why put myself through sometimes torturous conditions against 20-somethings hitting their peak? It’s for me. It’s for no one else and for no other reason than to test my mettle. I am perfectly content knowing that I’m no pro, and there will always be someone faster and hungrier. But, I’m not content going quietly into middle age. There is nothing like the adrenaline pumping before a race and that incredible sensation when you see someone just ahead of you, just in reach and you push harder than you would on a trail ride just to catch that next rider. I concede it’s not for everyone, but I implore you to try at least one race before completely dismissing it.