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Costs
It costs $80 to ship a bicycle oversize one way out there.  About $300 for the ticket.  Motel (split the cost) about $120, plus daily food, gas - this trip was about $900 out of my pocket.  But worth every cent.

It cost $160 to fly a bicycle round-trip out there on America West.  This is the same price for any oversized luggage, and I was checking three pieces instead of two.  Next year, I hope to drive out and back - everyone should drive across the country at least once, it's said.

Racing (200 meter, 1⁄4 mile drags & Criterium)
If you're not the fastest in the world, the good news is you can still race at Battle Mountain!  The Friday morning drag races and Saturday morning criterium bring out the competitiveness amongst the volunteers.

With the world's fastest wheelset (Hed3's), and a Cervelo soloist frame, and AeroEdge fairing/Spandex, I did my fastest 200 meter ever.  Twice over 36 mph.  And this was on the potholed, cracked-up qualifying road with a much rougher finish than the 305 course.  Unofficially, I didn't have a chance of qualifying to race on 305 (maybe a 45 mph run would have done that), but nevertheless Garrie and Chris Broome were nice enough to time me while the Cal Poly and Connecticut teams were getting ready to do their qualifying runs.

In the Friday drags, I took third behind Matt Chater on a diamond frame and Sam Whittingham on a Baron. Matt was Sam's friend from Team Canada and a national crit champion.  Dennis Grelk was fourth on his under-geared Gritters bike. We raced in one of the later rounds.  Briefly, I rode around with my detergent bottle "aero-boots" as I like to call them. They fill in the gap behind my calves well.

2005, My detergent bottle /Armoral bottle fairings

2003 Meeting Gardner Martin and Fast Freddy again

The Saturday criterium was a disaster for me.  I faded to eighth, being sick with a cold and fatigued for some reason.  I averaged 21 mph for an hour.  Many wanted to see me and Matt Chater go head to head, (both on uprights) but it came down to him and Steve Delaire.  The course was incredibly tight. Low racers and Gold Rushes did well.  A few people, including me, went flying right off the course and down over a curb on one turn.

Every year at Battle Mountain, the highlight has been meeting the stars close-up: Fast Freddy was someone I wrote about in school reports as far back as eight-grade.  I actually met them in ninth grade, at the International Human Powered Speed Championships here in Michigan, so 14 years had passed.  To meet him and Gardner was an honor and humbling.