Daily ASS updates from each stage of the Breck Epic.

Which one do you think is the ASS?

After coming off a solid 3rd place All-Mountain Singlespeed finish at Downieville last weekend, I'm about to undertake a challenge that might just be the most difficult - and most idiotic - challenge in my life, and I'm doing it in the name of 'journalism'. Starting on Sunday I will be racing the Breck Epic on a singlespeed. If you're not familiar with the Breck Epic, it's a six-day stage race in Breckenridge, Colorado. With an average daily distance of 30+ miles and 7,000+ feet of elevation gain - all above 9,500 feet elevation - I foresee a lot of pain, suffering and hike-a-bike in my future.


The ASS's trusty sidekick, Dicky.

But thankfully I have a trusty Dicky by my side, Rich Dillen, who I am rooming with all week long. He's done this race five times before, so he knows all the tricks and trials of this "Epic" race. If he doesn't undermine, dupe or get me too drunk, he will be an incredible resource to lean on (not that I can literally lean on him…he's five-foot nothing tall and weighs a buck thirty five soaking wet).

My goal is to do daily updates on Mtbr of the day's debauchery; from freak thunderstorms that turn into blizzards above 12,000 feet elevation to 45-minute hike-a-bike sections that will surely have me cursing louder than an inebriated sailor.

My goal is to merely finish this event in one piece. Anything beyond that is pure gravy. I saw who competed in the singlespeed category last year. I recognized some of the names...they were pro-level geared XC racer guys. I guess they figured they had no chance at the overall title, so they wanted to sandbag the singlespeed title. No worries. I've got no chance in winning anyway. That is unless my ricin water bottle hand-up plot works to perfection and all my competition dies.

So here's to altitude sickness, mild hypothermia and rooming with a raving lunatic who's racing on a fully rigid singlespeed. Yeah, there's gonna be some great content. Tune in Sunday evening, assuming my body and brain are functional enough to write about what I just went through.

Check out the 2012 Breck Epic - 6 Days, 240 Miles, 37K Vertical and Breck Epic - Extreme Recovery Tools and Tips articles on Mtbr. For more information visit breckepic.com.

The Angry Singlespeeder: Breck Epic Stage 1 »
Breck Epic Stage 2: Lessons From The Trail »
The Angry Singlespeeder: Breck Epic Stage 3 »
Breck Epic Stage 4: Suffering and Singletrack »
Breck Epic Stage 5: Yep, That Was Epic »
Breck Epic Stage 6: Exhilarated and Exhausted »