Broken bike

Colby Pearce's bike broke in a crash with a rock during stage 4 of the Breck Epic.

Colby Pearce's bike broke in a crash with a rock during stage 4 of the Breck Epic. (Image credit: Colby Pearce)

Today's stage 4 will be described in Haiku poems.

the sun come out now
crisp air forces warm clothing
I am not awake

coffee oatmeal eggs
fueling up for the effort
the drill established

start the day rushed
some last minute adjustments
barely make the start

climb begins early
Jeremiah attacks
the rest settle in

descent approaches
rutted vertical loose rocks
I barely survive

a new course today
smooth and flowing singletrack
Colorado trail

I find a rhythm
fatigue tells me to quit
but I forge ahead

somehow drive to ride
faster and faster over
the trail prevails

feeling flow on trail
rocketing down the mountain
rock and bike collide

I speak out loud alone
apologize to my bike
but damage is done

finish the stage 6th
happy with my ride, eating
no flat tires today!

later I see the hole
straight through my scalpel down tube
I am sad. broken bike.

two stages to go
now the Flash will come to play
big wheels tomorrow

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

American Colby Pearce has raced for years on the road and track and he's collected many national titles in events like the madison, team pursuit and points race.  In 2004, he raced the points race at the Olympic Games and from 2005-2007, he worked as the US National Endurance Coach.  More recently, the 38-year-old has also been spotted in mountain bike stage races.  Last year, he finished fifth in the Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race.  In this blog, he'll chronicle his adventures in the Breck Epic mountain bike stage race.