Hardcore 24 and Suicide 6

As I mentioned in a previous post, there's a 24 hour mountain bike race held at Ontario County Park called the Hardcore 24.
It was a few days ago and I did not attend. Race teams send a rider out to do a lap, and when they return, another rider may go. The goal is to do as many laps as possible in 24 hours. While your teammates are out riding, you can sleep, eat, or whatever, in preparation for your turn. There are also solo riders. In the night hours, riders use headlamps to light their way.

I didn't race for several reasons. I didn't have a team, I've never even ridden at night, I don't have any lighting equipment, and it's a freakin' big race! This year is my first year of racing with mountain bikers, so it would have been a push to jump right into the HC24. Plus I've only ridden at OCP once before, and it was tough on me. I still want to return and give it another shot sometime. As it turns out, this was a hot weekend, and I was just recovering from a head cold. So I'm glad I didn't try to race. Next year may be a different story.

Bruce, representing the Park Ave Bike Shop Race Team, had invited me to race muni at the HC24, without having to pay the $100 registration. And now, he's invited me again to another big race. The Suicide 6.
The S6 is held at Harriet Hollister Spencer Park, south of Honeoye Lake in Candice, NY. It's similar to the HC24, but only 6 hours. The race site says, "Come have fun riding in a real mountain bike race on a punishing loop with white knuckle single track." Gulp. Sound tough.

This race is coming up in a few weeks, on August 14th. Currently, the only excuse I have to not race is that I've never ridden there, and it sounds like it's harder than the trails I've ridden. I also don't have a muni team, but riding solo would be ok. It's short notice, and it'd be hard to ask others to ride with me without ever having been there myself.

Maybe I'll take a vacation day soon and head there for a test ride.