Team Headstrong once again made it to the podium with a 3rd place finish at North America's largest Mountain Bike Race, 24 Hours of Summer Solstice at Albion Hills, Ontario.

The team competed in the 4-man open age group. Team Headstrong was aiming to improve on their 2nd place finish in 2005 (in five man), but were pleased with the 3rd against stiffer competition in the
4-man open category.

The entire team used Headstrong Lights. From left to right, Jeff J Scott, Bob Barkley, Murray Dobson, Preston Quan

The 24 hours of Summer Solstice is presented by Chico Racing, and is held annually at Albion Hills.

I race for Team Headstrong and I have entered everything from 24 hour, 12 hour and 8 hour races. We seem to have gravitated towards endurance racing and our team has been getting pretty good at. We usually finish in the top 3 but when we first started racing we were way back in forty - third place or whatever. Obviously with becoming successful we have been able to quit our jobs travel the world and drink exotic beers. Yeah right, endurance racing pays nothing but I do drink exotic beers. We have had basically the same team over the past 10 years and I think the main reason we have excelled in recent years is experience. Endurance racing is without a doubt very tough but the challenge, the new stories you have and the friends you make are definitely worth it. I have made notes after each race on what worked, what didn’t work and areas I could improve on. I thought it may help those who have never raced a 24 hour event to share my gibberish. I’ve made notes on training, food, bike set-up, strategy and good beer to drink.

What works for me may or may not work for the masses but here we go anyway!

General supplies

• Tent- I recommend each team member bring their own small tent. Endurance racing is intense and its nice to have a place to go for some peace. Laying next to some stinking farting neanderthal is not fun even though the stinking farting neanderthal may be you.
• Lawn chair. The ground is too flat.
• Pillow.
• Pad to sleep on
• Light source- propane lamp + flash light.
• String for close line- cloths pins.
• Towels, toothbrush.
• Sleeping bag.
• Ear plugs and an extra set of ear plugs especially if you are camping over the night before the race starts. Nothing like a good sleep before a night of no sleep.
• Toilet paper. At one time this was a necessity. Races run by Chico Racing do keep the porto potties well stocked. Chico does a great job all around.
• Baby wipes. Not because you will turn into a whining little baby but showers are hard to come by. They work great for a quick wipe down (grit, blood, snot) after each race. They prevent saddle sores. I wouldn’t do an endurance race without them.
• Watch. You need to know when to race. Keep track of average lap times and when the rider ahead of you left.
• Fork, spoon, plates, beer mug, coffee mug.
• Dish soap and dish towel.
• Large bowl for washing dishes or just paper plates.
• Propane stove or single propane burner if you like coffee and hot food. Not necessary though.
• First aid kit

Clothing

• Warm clothing for cool nights
• Warm sweats
• Fleece jacket
• Touque (I’m serious) When you race in the cold and get no sleep it is very hard on the body. There is nothing better than keeping everything warm between races
• Warm foot wear for around the camp (in case of rain)
• Lots of socks- fresh pair each race to avoid blisters.
• Bike jerseys- one for each lap is ideal.
• Bike shorts-bring every pair you have. I bring 3 but even then by the 5th race I have wet shorts.
• Sunglasses.
• Ball cap for slick hair.
• Bike gloves- 2 or 3 pairs. Again its nice to start each race dry.

Food

• I prefer to stick to foods that I am familiar with. During my first race I ate all the powerbars, Gatorade, and gels I could get my hands on. The advertisements always state they will make you faster and I like to be faster. I'm not sure that I was faster, but I became very acquainted with the porta-potties. Be very careful with these quick energy boosts. Training months before makes the real difference and not eating energy foods at the race. Eat lots of carbs, fruits, veggies and drink lots of water and you will do better. If you must, moderation is the key.
• I should go back to the week before the race when I really concentrate on my water intake - I literally walk around work with a water bottle. On the Tuesday or Wednesday before the race I like to have a nice big steak or even a few big burgers.
• Friday night camping at the race site I have a pasta meal and two Pilsner Urquell and water. I make up a huge pasta salad with veggies and cheese at home before the race and it lasts me the entire weekend.
• Saturday morning- pancakes or cereal + coffee, bagel midmorning and a banana. Again foods I normally eat at home. And water.
• On Team HEADSTRONG I am the first to go so the bagel is my last piece of food. Did I say drink lots of water. Drink lots of water. I may have ONE glass of Gatorade midmorning. Race starts at noon on Saturday.
• During the races I eat immediately after each lap I do. Usually a bagel, peanut butter, banana and possibly a fig cookie. I also eat my pre-prepared cold pasta & veggie dish which I nibble at through the entire weekend. Try and eat a little as soon as you come off the bike. We used to drink a pint of beer after each lap but for some reason we have discontinued this tradition. I think we became too serious.......... therefore I still recommend it.

Food List

• Bagels. Two bags and white are apparently better.
• Peanut butter
• Pasta salad. Prepared at home, oil based with lots of veggies and cheese.
• Cheese for that late night fat craving.
• Bananas and apples.
• Fig cookies.
• Cereal or granola
• Milk for cereal
• Orange juice
• Trail mix
• Vitamins. Just the regular daily vitamin.
• Advil and ASA (aspirin) every second race I take an aspirin. A really fast Mountain biker gave me this advice and I’ve stuck to it. It’s the only drugs I take and don’t call me Floyd.
• Hamburger or steak for Sunday night after race.
• Beer. Is beer a food ?

The Bike

• Set up your bike 3 weeks prior to race. I add new cables and housing and put my race drive train on. Any new parts go on at this time.
• Drive train. I have a drive train (cassette, front rings & chain) I only race on. I keep the miles low on it and keep it fresh. When the race is over I put my training drive train back on . If you have lots of money just replace your drive train every year.
• Tools - put them all in box and bring your home kit with you. Its nice to have familiar tools and instant access.
• Bike stand. At least one guy on the team bring on.
• Chain lube.
• The standard stuff but good to have on a list - bike shoes, helmet, water bottle, bike, tire pump, spare tubes.
• Helmet. I bring extra foam pads for inside the helmet again its nice to start a race dry.
• Bike. I prefer a hard tail probably because I don’t own a fully suspended bike. We usually have a 4 man team with 2 using fully suspended. One member just got a new fully suspended bike and I think he got slower. The course obviously dictates which bike is best. Recent races put on by Chico racing at Albion Hills are definitely better suited for a hard tail. The trails are hard packed and relatively smooth. I started mountain biking in the early 90's when the sport was young. Back then a top end bike had thin tubes and was steel. I would drool at the look of Ritchie, Kona, Rocky Mountain or Brodie. Well I now have my dream bike - a Brodie Rocket with Tange Prestige cro-mo steel tubing. It weighs in at 24 lbs so there is a slight weight penalty but the ride quality, in my opinion makes up for it. With all those fat tubes and carbon fiber its actually an eye catcher now. Then again maybe its just me stuck in time
• Rims. Bring an extra if you have them.
• Lights. I am spoiled when it comes to lights. Bob Barkley, owner, developer, and inventor of Headstrong Lights is on our team. Bob is a mechanical engineer and one of the fastest riders on team Headstrong. He developed Headstrong Lights specifically for 24 hour racing. When we originally started racing we used other brands but they always gave us problems and unwanted adventures of riding blind through the bush. Headstrong are made to withstand the beating of endurance racing. This is why they were made. They are designed to see at night during fast paced racing and to withstand the elements and crashes. They work flawlessly. We bring an adapter for our vehicle batteries to recharge during the race. We also use 2 lights, one mounted on the handlebar and one on our helmets.

Race Strategy

• Basically go fast but not so fast that you blow up. “Race pace” is found through experience and training. This was my biggest rookie mistake. I went way too hard too early and blew up. Practice carrying a good hard pace for an hour during training. Depending on the size of your team you will have to do this 5 or 6 times during the event.
• Relax. Easier said than done when the adrenalin gets flowing.
• Stay in the moment. Don’t let your mind wander while racing such as ‘oh my god I have another 5 laps of this’. Think now. Think of each peddle stroke. Be mellow and enjoy the ride.