It's been a month since the Canadian 24hr Solo Championships in Canmore and I've had time to reflect on what went well and what needs work leading up to the World's 46 days from now. I've concluded that my physical preparedness is always an easy one- it always can be worked upon. I think, like a lot of us 24hr racers, I'm never really satisfied. Perhaps that's why I seem eager to put myself through this again. I believe I can continue to grow and improve on last performances. That desire for improvement will likely only come to a halt when the day comes to hang up the bicycle and take up lawn darts.
I'm pretty happy to say that one of the things that worry me most about 24hr racing is something I have a little more control over- my equipment. It seems like it's something I can control a little more. I know there are unknowns and crashes and random mechanicals that appear to break the laws of physics, but I really believe that a good choice of equipment can make a huge difference. That's the reason I ride the bikes I do and the reason I wear the clothes I do and now I'm proud to say, run the lights I do.
The Canadian Championships was the first opportunity I had to race with Exposure Lights attached to the bike and my head and I must say, it was the least stressful night riding I've had to date. I was running the Maxx-D on the bike and Diablo on my head-in my mind, a perfect combination. There are a few points I'd like to stress about Exposure Lights. Firstly, the ease of operation. The self-contained units are simple- good tactile feedback on the on/off switches, ease of mounting with the quick release mount on the handlebars, solid yet moveable swivel on the helmet mount-everything a fatiguing rider can appreciate. Secondly, the obvious; they're really bright. The Maxx-D I ran on the medium setting of 700 Lumens while the Diablo's medium setting put out 400 lumens. I found the output smooth, diffuse in pattern and more than adequate to keep the pace high during the night hours. I never felt like I had to slow down for lack of illumination. That sensation was the lack of carbs being ingested at 2am...Finally and maybe most importantly, my pit crew didn't need to worry about the lights. Normally, the setups I've been running required battery change and re-charge of spares. With Exposure Lights, this isn't necessary. The 10hrs of the Maxx-D and Diablo (with the piggyback battery attached to the Diablo) gave us lots of time to get through the night. My crew only had to move the Maxx-D from bike to bike, and with the bomb-proof quick release bracket, that only took seconds.
With the most important race of the year just around the corner, I only want to worry about being physically prepared. Thanks to the folks at Exposure Lights, I'm one step closer to that goal.
One last point about the lights- they sure look a lot better than I do in most of the pictures from the race.
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