Race Report from Ward Baker
7th annual Whiskey 50 was great event, with MTB legends like Tinker on the start line. 7:30 am- Race weather was perfect. Clear with no wind. Quick Breakfast of Justins maple almond spread thick on a wheat bagel hit the spot. On board I carried a Ziploc of Bakerbars and 4 gels. It was a real treat being able to ride and race in my home state of 26yrs and get to line up with some old friends that I first learned to ride with on the trails around Phoenix.
The Titus presence was huge and in their backyard. The field was packed full of their bikes, and several of the top 20 racers finished on Titus bikes. I even snuck in there for 18th place. It was a bonus to have Mike from Titus on hand to give me the quick 101 on the bike and race tune the suspension on the new 2010 Titus carbon X. One word comes to mind when describing the new carbon X bike after 1 race on it- STELLAR... That bike climbs fast and descends even faster. There is no flex when out of the saddle on climbs and plenty of plush travel when hitting rutted water crossings at 25mph. It handled like a slot car in the tight singletrack sections, with no rear end sag pedaling out of fast corners. 100% efficiency in full race mode.
Not just cactus & sand in Arizona - The Whiskey has long wooded climbs
The race course and trail network in Prescott keeps getting better every year, with the help of longtime friend and local rider Mike Shumaker. He and a handful of locals have recently formed PMBA(Prescott Mtn Bike Alliance) They work long hours to maintain existing trails and add new singletrack to their local network.
Big thanks to Todd and the crew from Epic rides for putting on another great MTB community event. These guys have always put on the best MTB events in Az, and his event is no exception. Any race that gives you a logo’d pint glass and beer at the finish line is a must do event!
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