Squeeze Me...

So I had been procrastinating on this race for quite some time. I always love doing it but as I missed it last year I just sort of got out of the groove of it. Went for a ride Saturday morning to ponder my options as the rain they forecast hadn’t hit yet. Had just had the Major’s hubs redone by Pieriks’ Cycle as well as some flashy yellow bar tape added. Took the major for a boot from the domicile out to and through the Dundas Valley and back on a lovely typical fall ride, loving the colours and crisp autumn morning air. Returned home some time later and was still undecided on the Squeezer. They were calling for deluge of rain overnight and the Squeezer’s home trails being the 12 mile creek and Shorthills are notoriously good but are clay based and turn to greasy snot when wet! Headed down to Ottawa St in search of some furniture and whatnot after enjoyin a lovely second breakfast with my Tanya at Limoncello’s. The only thing better that breakfast is second breakfast! As the rain started, I started painting the baby room with a fresh coat of primer…as the honey-do list was getting long. Saturday 3:28pm, signed up for the Squeezer. Since I waited to the last minute I had my choice of the ‘B2’ wave or the ‘A’ wave. I chose the former, over the latter, as I didn’t think my lungs, body and determination were up to riding with the big kids. Went down to the basement and pumped up my back tire (CO2 leak from flat in stage 3 of CTS) and pronounced my bike fit for the squeezer! Well a hardtail would have been a better choice, and a 29er hardtail even better than that…but alas those options were not available at that time so we go with what we got…an Ellsworth truth with a leaky fork. Sunday morning arrives after a long night of rain, drive Tanya to work, gather up my gear and the monster and heard out the door fro some sloppy fun. Dropped the monster off en route at J&A’s place and carried on to St Kitts. Arrived in the not so thriving not so metropolis of St. Catharines around 9:40 and headed over to Montebello Park to sign my life away in exchange for a little chip and a small number plate. Grabbed my best looking kit (CTS jersey with Sweet Pete’s shorts), and was about to saddle up for a warm up around the area, when my parents showed up! It’s always nice to have fans! I hadn’t seen them since before CTS, and they were happy I survived that in one piece and always love coming out to my races (especially the squeezer with the sweet treats at the end). Saddled up, warmed up and proceeded to the finish line. There I hung out with many familiar faces in the B2 wave, some Wescam riders, and some Wednesday night roadies. The start wasn’t until 11:06, 6 minutes after B1. The B2 group looked like a real mixed bag of nuts, men, women, children, lycra, cotton, sides, runners, uber skinny, fat, freeriders, full face helmets, it was going to be interesting. Just prior to our start some skinny mid-twenties punk decided that he could fit in front of me but there really wasn’t room for his bars so I know then it would be a slow start…how I overcame the urge to pop his tire still entirely evades me. Off we go, well sort of skinny punk actually can’t get going because, and as predicted there wasn’t room. I smile and wave for the cameras as we head off down Ontario St. I’ve rode this race, excluding last year, some 6 times and know exactly what we are in for in the starting 5kms. As we took the first corner there were people all over the place, the gong show had begun. I decided to make my move up the pack, into the wind, on the St Paul bridge, this went well…passing little girls and elderly men. As we took a Left left on Henrietta and Hainer the riders were still all over the place and it was purely survival of the fittest, or he with the biggest testis. We then proceeded on the wide and wet doubletrack where I took the opportunity to pass more people thru the puddles as they went around them; this is great two fold as you not only get to pass them but you get to splash them with crud water as well! The pace was actually very mild on this section and it was into the wind but there didn’t seem to be a shortage of willing victims to ride at the front. I just say in 10 deep and hoped for the best. I knew where we were going and what needed to be done, also quite confident of my big guy burst sprint aways I was confident with my plan. With about 130m before the double track ended chicaned under the bridge into the single track, I made my move. Took off and gapped the lead riders with effort but without redlining, then disaster struck. I took the corner faster than necessary I guess, it was dry my brain told me although not registering that my tire were wet, and down I went. Quickly, picked myself back up in time to regain about 15th entering into the singletrack. At approximately this point it decided to unceremoniously begin raining. The singletrack was greasy at best, and more rain surely wasn’t going to help. Slipped and tripped along the single track mixing in some running, sliding and abrupt dismounting (both intentional and not), until we got to the top of the reservoir where some passing was in order. Tire choice seem to be decent for keeping me mostly in the proper cycling position but due to the slippery trails much was not able to be take at ‘fun speed’. The squeezer when dry really is a roadie’s dream course. The bridges were like Teflon and no fun whatsoever, after climbing the seemingly never ending road and diving back into the single track I proceeded to dismount and run the hill as I knew that that bridge was hell on wheels. I was right actually I nearly died trying to run it! Kept the pace as high as possible and passed as many folks on the double track as I could, definitively needed to make up some time lost on the front half. Was feeling strong and confident in the trails, too strong as I was upended when I lost traction and plowed head first into the ground near Brock U, there was no one around to see it but my neck is sore enough to vouch for it. Enjoyed the rest of the trails, followed someone through the Suzanne trail at what would be considered a conservative speed, and laid it all out on the last stretch of double, up the hill, over the bridge, down and up and down and up. Took the last hill past the devil, fully locked out in the big ring and rode off into the sunset…er finish line. Where some lovely volunteer (unsung heroes) removed that dastardly burden of a time chip form me and let me no my way. I was met by my cheering parents, my buddy J and the monster at the finish line. Was convinced to go to first aid tent to get cleaned up but the line was too long so I found someone with a hose with a high pressure nozzle and cleaned out the road rash. Turns out I came in third in the Double Magnum category (this is for riders of a certain girth). Stuck around to collect my trophy and while waiting picked up some grub at the festival. Also, took this time to take photos of the ‘A’ wave which you can find below. All in all, it was a good day, special thanks goes out to Tanya for supporting me and to Liberty Bicycles for running a first class event.