A Report From the Crusher

     The third annual Crusher in the Tushar is now history.  Rexburg and Kelson were represented by Tate, Jeff, Brian, Ryan, Tim, and me.  We finished in that order.  Brian’s new RAD bikes performed admirably.  Tate struggled with some mechanical issues including a broken seat rail, but still finished eighth in his class.  All in all, it was a fairly successful day for the local guys, but I think it is pretty safe to say that we were all guilty of underestimating the brutal difficulty of the event.  You climb 4000 feet, mostly on good gravel roads through a pine forest.  That brings you to a ridge overlooking the Piute Valley and a descent unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere.  You drop 4000+ feet through an endless series of high-speed washboard switchbacks, make a loop in the valley, ride back up the switchbacks, veer right and continue climbing to the Eagle Point Ski Resort.  In all, there is 10,400 feet of climbing and 6000 feet of descending.  The ride is epic in every way, the scenery spectacular, and the pain off the scale.

     Levi Leipheimer won the pro event with a course record of four hours and six minutes.  If you ever wondered why he gets paid to race a bicycle and you don’t, that’s pretty much the whole story right there.  At the finish, Ryan spoke to Bryson Perry, two-time winner of the Leadville Trail 100.  Bryson told Ryan that he considers the Crusher to be much harder than Leadville.  The more rational part of my mind is reminding me that the Crusher was a pretty terrible experience in a lot of ways and that one time is enough for a lifetime.  Another part of my brain is thinking about gearing my bike lower and planning for next year.