The Barry Roubaix in southwest Michigan kicked off my 2010 racing season. It was painful, and impressively so. I was not ready for this race. Sure, I had done a couple of 30-mile road rides, but none on my mountain bike. The race was 23-miles of beginner hell. Oh, sure, I am a seasoned rider and I know how to maneuver a bike over roots and rocks, but the fact is that lots of weight gain and several months later will totally suck any endurance out of a “seasoned” rider. I liked the Barry Roubaix for two reasons. One––the race was put on by Rick Plite. Rick is a good guy. I wanted to do one of Rick’s races––the Lumberjack is his other … Read entire article »