NEWS
2015/10/23

Single Speed World Championship in JAPAN

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Too much stomach acid and ache with a lot of adrenalin in my body.
I participated in Single Speed World Championship.

 

Saturday morning in Oct 10th, I arrived at Iwadake, Hakuba village in Nagano prefecture.
SimWorks sponsored this competition so I could see all of them at this event with Retrotec frame builder, Curtis Inglis and his wife Mitsy.

The weather was perfectly good for race and a road condition looked comfortably all set up.
I got naturally hyped up with all these good conditions.

 

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I saw so many people gathered around at SimWorks booth. In order to commemorate Curtis Inglis’ presence in Japan, SimWorks was selling HUGE percentage off for his Retrotec frame, but no one didn’t buy it somehow… It won’t be happening next time I guess, but if it happens something like that, then don’t miss it since you can also use a credit card at SimWorks booth.

 

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Curtis occupied a bike rack with his Retrotec as usual bikes. It was chaotic scenery since we usually see and carefully touch hand-made bikes, because we think they are super sensitive but they all look so random but also down to the earth. It totally changed the way I see the handmade bikes.

Curtis Inglis, his big body spreaded his generosity and kindness everywhere into the atmosphere.

 

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So that, I asked him somehow to carry me like a princess.

 

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I tried to ride with SimWorks riders for just a test. However, I realized that I made a mistake. It was really hard to pedal since I took a wrong gear ratio. It happened a lot before, but I somehow feel like having a heavy gear… I just wanted to make myself as a weirdo biker, but it turns out that I just don’t learn anything…

 

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It was beautiful at dusk and what did it mean to us though?
haha, it meant that chaotic opening party and rain and muddy road on the race day.

 

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So many IPA beer cans here at the party. I really don’t remember anything but I enjoyed the night somehow. I think I didn’t bother anyone since I am a mannered guy like everyone knows.

 

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Rain, Rain, Rain…

headache, stomach acid…. When I woke up, I actually thought myself that I got super heavy sick or something. However, this world championship will give me a hell start… I didn’t even expect that I needed to run first…What the hell…
I couldn’t even breath correctly, so I tried to inhale and exhale through my nose. I felt like I was fish. Don’t you think fish is amazing creature? breathing from gills.

 

Costume rideing is well known for single speed race, but I couldn’t figure out what to say about this.
I might say, “evil spirits of mountains and rivers”.

 

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Rinding up and up forever. I agonized over its hardness and long distance.
I started feeling like vomiting though. When I sounded, “OWWEEEE” several times, all the competitors in front looked back on me but I tried to pretended that it wasn’t me. I really wanted to have a gearbox for my bike.

 

Finally I was able to climb up the hill, and still feel not good… and down to a downhill course and crashed into a single track. A part of the road is a rice field and I wasn’t good at going through with my own tire, which is for marathon type tire I had. I was completely idiot. I just started falling down to a darkside of its matter. I saw low pressure fat tire going around smoothly…damn me myself.

 

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I crashed against the muddy road again after a second round. When I had this crash, someone helped me out since I got myself into between handlebar and toptube… My beloved Seven wrestled like this?! I never imagined that. I had an experience that my dog bite me, but never imagined that my bike bite me though.
It hurt me so much, but I still can “move” so, I tried my best. I really hate MUD. Better driving a rice planting machine.

 

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I finished the race even though my leg was numb and hurt me so much. My place was 39/350. After I finished this, my calf got swollen and could not walk at all. I think it was a serious matter. Even though I had Chris King components on my Seven bike, I fell and almost killed my leg.

 

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Everyone finished their race including Curtis himself as well.
If I rode Retrotec, I think I was able to finish a goal without any accidents. LOL

 

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My body and everything got exhausted, and my place wasn’t good enough to be proud of, but I think it washed over my soul.
I really miss Curtis and Mitsy.

 

Thank you very much for this opportunity and I would love to see you guys very soon again.

 

By the way, my Sevevn Sola S wasn’t damaged at all. Since it says “Bomb Proof”. haha.
I think I proved my Seven frame that Integrity 325 Titanium is the strongest frame ever I’ve seen in my life.

 

text : Hiroki Ebiko / SimWorks XC Racing [Blog] [Instagram]