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The eleventh annual 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo went off under perfect Arizona skies and mild temperatures last weekend. Over 3000 racers enjoyed the 15-mile mostly singletrack loop north of Tucson at the Willow Springs Ranch. If one word can be said to explain this race it would be "Magical" because the course, the venue, the promoters, the title sponsor, and contestants bring a magical vibe to 24-hour racing that I have fallen in love with. And, there is no better time for that then a Valentine's Day finish.
The traditional Le Mans start--a quarter-mile sprint to the bikes followed
by a crowded hot lap. Dennis Gray photo
The Old Pueblo is a Mecca for 29ers and single speeds, so there is a subculture competition between the 26er majority and the single-speed, big-wheel minority for podium honors. (26ers still hold the edge, but probably not for long). I've tried them all there and I emphatically admit that 29ers rule the Old Pueblo.
Lots of the spikey plants along the race course. Perfect 70-degree weather
graced the event. Dennis Gray photo
To win this one, you'll need to average close to 15 miles an hour or, if you are a solo rider like Ant White, put in 17 laps, or 255 miles, which ever comes first. I rode four laps with the Pivot team this year on a Mach 429--pretty fun stuff--with a couple of night laps and a one-hour stint somewhere around 2 AM at the timing booth as a volunteer. The fun part of the job was meeting the riders I had checked in later on while I was out on course. To ease my aching legs, all I had to do was recall that our five riders barely edged out the winning solo racer's 17 laps by one minute. The top female solo rider Windy Marks put in 13 laps.
The winning five-person team was riding for Stan's NoTubes--The Hippie Ninja's of Stan's World. Dennis Gray photo
Single speeders always impress at the Pueblo with Michael Melly throwing down 17 laps (his last lap was 1: 23: 31--smoking fast, eh? Karen Rishel put in 13 laps and her last circuit was a respectable 1:36: 02. That's 15 miles on a tight singletrack with a 20 mph headwind on the 6-mile climbing section in the middle of the lap--IMpressive.
The Tricycle Angel gave out presents to villagers in the tent city. Dennis Gray photo
Wanna talk speed? The 4- and 5- member teams set the bar pretty high. Single-speeder Dax Massey popped off a one-hour lap with none of his six circuits longer than a 1: 07:11. Team Ergon's Yuki Saito, however clocked his first lap (the one with a 1/4 mile run to the bikes) at 58:13. Sport Systems MTC Dream team put in the fastest overall time with 22 laps in 12 hours, 6 minutes and 46 seconds. The Hippie Ninja's of Stan's World also put in 22, and John "Fuzzy" Mylne's last lap, a 1:06:11on a single speed, brought down the house when he came through the timing tent. BUT, it was for not, because his teammate Dejay Birtch came across the line on the team's final lap with a 1:04:09. To give you an idea of what it takes to turn that kind of speed. I rode 85-percent of the course on a 29er in the big ring and used the middle ring the rest of the time--which was over 20 minutes too slow to stay with the leaders.HA!
While there are always corporate pros at the Old Pueblo, the vibe remains grassroots, as it should. It is a rare and wonderful event where first-timers can race against pros without feeling like second class citizens and this is one of them. Better still, a significant chunk of the profits and a lot of food (you have to donate food to race) goes out to the local community which has yet to recover since the mining business collapsed. Most of the volunteers are locals.which makes it feel like everyone is racing for the same team.
Kona Bikes is the title sponsor, and their helpful. no-worries attitude and warm fire sets the
tone for the Old Pueblo. Dennis Gray photo
Like many 24-hour events, The Old Pueblo is staged far from civilization, so everyone there is self supported. That said, Epic Rides makes sure that there are enough vendors in tent city to handle everything from a late night snack to a bike component or headlight failure. Prices are kept reasonable too--rare for sporting events. The fact that nearly everyone present is camping makes it feel like a closely knit community. Everyone pitches in when there is a need.
Stan Koziatek receives his award from Promoter Todd Sadow as the honored
guest of the eleventh 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Dennis Gray photo
Each year, the race is dedicated to an individual who has made the sport a better place. This Old Pueblo was dedicated to Stan Koziatek--the Stan on the Stan's sealant bottles and the inventor of the tubeless tire conversion. His awards dinner was packed, and to the surprise of those attending, each table was crowned with full quart bottles of sealant and a bunch of 4-ounce singles. Thanks Stan!
The first night lap marks the most exciting phase of the race. Dennis Gray photo
The Old Pueblo race breaks up the competitors into two categories: them what have Stan's in their tires and them what don't. Them what don't can be seen fixing flat tires trackside at all hours. Many riders clip the cactus that hugs the course, which breaks off small arms that litter the racing line. It is impossible to miss all of them, so Stan's sealant (and tubeless) is a must for serious desert racers.
Finally, I have to thank major sponsor Kona for putting a substantial investment into grassroots racing at a time when most corporations are either cutting back, or demanding a larger return on their investments. Kona is always a morale booster there, with a big fire and a helpful staff under the big orange and blue tent. Kona's team always puts in a few laps on wildly wrong bikes. This year it was a beach cruiser and a burden bike (no thank you) which when added together, their combined weight exceeded that of a Toyota Prius. Kona knows that biking should be fun--and they help make that happen.
Team Ergon rider ready ride the optional "Ergon Rock Drop" high above tent city. Dennis Gray photo
Click the pic to say hi to Todd Sadow
For more info about Epic Rides and the 24 Hours at the Old Pueblo, click here and, I'll see you here next year!
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