This year’s Icycle marked the second time I visited Fontana Village, NC. It was the first time that Pisgah Productions promoted the event. The Icycle has a storied history that has seen several promoters, many racers, and more downhill shuttle runs that you can count.

I rode my first single speed race at Icycle last winter. Frozen ground covered in a skiff of snow made me feel super-fast over two short laps. This year, Eric Wever gave the single speeders an extra lap. We would run the circuit three times. He also arranged for a better course than last year, ending each lap with the Turkey Chute downhill section.

The single speed field took the line with the experts, and milled around while we waited for the lemans start. I’m not much of a runner, and my bike was waiting 100 yards away. It was probably more like 75 yards, but it felt like 100. As Eric counted three, a handful of racers jumped, and the mixed field of 25 racers soon followed. After taking to our bikes, we paraded through the soggy ball field, past the cemetery, across the road, and into the woods.

This year, we were on the bad side of the freeze-thaw cycle. On gradual climbs, one pedal rotation netted about half the distance as it would on solid ground. On steep climbs – forget about it. I was happy to have worn winter shoes with nice flexy soles. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I couldn’t sustain the pace that we set from the start. I had no regrets letting myself get gapped by the expert and single speed leaders. Among the riders setting a strong pace was my Nox Composites Elite MTB team mate, Rich Kidd. All I could do was hope that I would see some of these guys later in the day. I rode out most of lap one with Adam Winton, David Thomas, and Phil Shaw. We passed one single speed racer who had perhaps strayed off-course and was clearly suffering from bad wardrobe choices. Who wears jorts to a bike race?

We were anticipating laps in the seven mile range – I was surprised when we approached the downhill section that marks the end of each lap. My Garmin indicated that we were less than five miles into the race, but I was certain that with the meandering course, my data was off. That DH section was my nemesis – downright sketchy. I crashed twice trying to push the pace down the messy descent, picking my bike up to heckles galore. I deserved all the grief I got.

I rode and ran and walked by my lonesome on lap two. My bike weighed about forty pounds, and my feet did too. I had settled into a sustainable pace, but was having trouble finding motivation to push myself since I could see nobody in front or behind me. Toward the end of the second lap, I reeled-in one of the expert field. I pushed the pace so that I could enjoy a clear trail on the DH. Luckily, I didn’t crash twice on lap two. I crashed just once, popping out of a rut, which sent me skidding to the feet of Justin Mitchell, trailside with camera in hand. Covered in mud on my left side, I quickly got going again. Mud covered my hands and left grip – pretty much my entire left side. That descent was a disaster for me all day.

Down the stairs to the start finish, lap three was where I hoped to do some damage. Apparently, most of the field felt the same way. I reeled in Shaggy and a couple of expert racers, but I didn’t manage to find the front of the field, who had long since motored away. My bike was continuing to gain heft, and I was beginning to fatigue. About halfway through the third lap I began to plan my final descent of that glorious marshmallow luge they call Turkey Chute. I was going to bomb that sucker and get some retribution. Nope. It was a total comedy of errors as I slipped and slid down the bench cut descent, blowing berms and riding off the back of my bike like Neko – only nothing like Neko. I was happy to make it to the field of jeers with my pride semi-intact. Limping up the asphalt for one last jaunt down the stairs to the finish.

After the race, my only goal was to recover, eat dinner, and find Rich Kidd to gather some intel on his Nox Composites wheels. Rich has been running Nox wheels for some time now, and I was fortunate to get his input on set up relative to my needs. I was stoked to do some bonding, and gain valuable information on the products that I will be representing for 2015. At day’s end, I was satisfied with my third place single speed finish, although I felt sorry for single speed race winner Nick Barlow and second place Jon Stang, as they didn’t get to bask in my podium glory.

The night program was a bonus. Many people show up for this aspect alone. National champions, professional downhill racers, bonfires, beers, and my favorite people collected the frozen field made for a memorable night. I didn’t participate – I had gotten all I wanted from that descent. All in all, 2015 Icycle was a memorable experience – Pisgah Productions puts on a heck of an event, and with the support of the Blue Mountain Revival crew and other volunteers, they never disappoint. Without a doubt, I will be back for more.