Upon arriving in Bend, it was a slightly chilly 55 degrees with little wind. As Kaler's Category 1/2 race approached, the sun started to come out along with a mild wind. Because Kaler's race was approximately 90 miles, Whitney and Molly volunteered to hand Kaler bottles and food at the feed zone. Although Whitney had to leave the feed zone early to go get ready for his race, Kaler managed to stick with the Cat 1/2 field for 6-7 laps. After his 8th lap, Kaler lost count of his laps and accidentally left the course, resulting in a DNF. Despite this, Kaler said he had a good race, especially for just upgrading from Cat. 3.
Before Whitney's race, there was a beginner's talk at which Whitney was reminded of important race strategies, such as don't attack off the front too early, take turns to reel in breaks, make sure to stay well fueled and hydrated, and ultimately just have fun.
When Whitney's race finally started, the sun had retreated behind some clouds and the wind had picked up significantly, leading to an interesting race. Although Whitney attempted to stay towards the front of his Cat 4/5 field, he was quickly relegated to the back due to overly-aggressive riders forcing him backwards. Despite this, Whitney stayed with the pack for an hour and a half of his 2:16 race (35 miles out of 49.5) and finished 31 out of 56 starters. In addition, Whitney was happy to just finish the race because as he said, "The Cat 4/5 field was SO sketchy." There were 3 crashes which Whitney managed to avoid, but supposedly there were also interesting road handling skills demonstrated by other riders such as skidding a rear wheel when a sudden braking maneuver was needed and riders purposely riding cross-wheeled (resulting in inability to react to sudden swerves or other dangerous events).
Ultimately, the race was a success for Kaler and Whitney, with no one crashing.
The following two days, Molly, Whitney, and Kaler explored the rides near Sisters, OR, going on a ride up and over McKenzie Pass and on another ride at the base of Black Butte. On these rides, Molly, Whitney, and Kaler were joined by Tom Blust, the dad of Molly. The bike rides were amazing weather, with clear skies and plenty of sun. On the McKenzie Pass ride, several miniature snowball fights evolved as they passed through 15 ft high snow banks. There was also a nice descent with multiple switchbacks.Thanks again to the Blust family for the homestay. We were spoiled by all of the food that you provided us. Whitney also wanted to thank you in particular for learning how to slackline, because that was something he has wanted to learn for several years now.
Hope to see you on the road,
Whitman Cycling
