EASTFORK & The Spasms

Sounds like a sweet band name, I know. It was however the latest installment of Backboner Jeff "Tookie" Williams' OMBC race schedule. Set just north and east of Cinci at Eastfork State Park, the drive for me in Columbus was about equidistant for Jeff from Kentucky. Knowing that both SIGMA and KENDA sponsor these races..how could we not represent?






















It was ninety two degrees yesterday for the noon start time, but thankfully our friends at the COMBO/roll:/Whole Foods Market team were in effect with canopies and repair stands. Jeff's Carbide needed a lot of work, but he arrived later than advertised to address all but a quick swap of the KMC chain from my bike to his (his new one is trapped in the mail). A fresh slathering of grease, and Jeff was ready to start.
His wife wrangled Luka and their daughter Lanie and rolled out to the enormous lake for a day at the beach while Jeff and I got down to bidness. The Nikon D-80 in hand, I was tasked with nabbing some pix for a new XPEDO ad coming soon to magazines near you! Jeff went out hard in the sweltering steam-pot that is an Ohio summer day. Riders began to drop like flies in the first five miles, but with the help of Amino Vital Endurance Formula Jeff managed to stay on task. Sitting squarely in second place, he was on his last lap. From the pump-track style heavily wooded singletrack he emerged onto the last climb...on pavement..to the finish. Bottom bracket wailing like a Harpie (we didn't have time go change it), Jeff's back decided it was done racing and the seizing of all muscular assets began. Within sight of the finish line, the pain was excruciating, and Jeff had to watch as the third place rider squeeked him at the line by just four seconds...and second place was the cut off for a cash payout. Pisser. The third place finish was still great, but with a Race Face crankset on his Carbide circa 1993, the boy could certainly have used the money for new parts. It was a fun day at the races, and I had a blast wrenching for Tookie and the COMBO team!



**COMBO race team's Heidi "Shorty-Fire" Schilling before the race**






















Looking forward to seeing what XPEDO comes up with..