Only one Intergalactic Pilot invaded the Fruita Galaxy this past weekend, but it was still a successful mission.
Alone, Pilot Meriweather headed to Fruita with his Johnny Rotten unispeed spacecraft.
The other pilots were stuck back at the home planet, working overtime on other Intergalactic duties.  Here is his story.

Fruita looked to be experiencing some Zeus-like thundershowers from the radar-cam, but all turned out OK...nothing but a sprinkle or two all weekend long.  The only people getting wet were racers in the Clunker Crit from malt-beverage hand-ups gone awry.

Saturday:  The unispeed battle was tough, but very delighting.  Many riders from around the galaxy appeared for the event.  All but ONE were seen to partake in inbibing the malted beverages I supplied as a greeting and as pre-race food at the starting line.  All except "Breathe Right" that is... Breathe Right is now infamous in Fruita for wearing skinsuits and breathrights (the little thingy that sticks to your nose supposedly to help you breathe better through your nose) to the race, and taking himself and the race all too seriously in general.  Last year it was a white breateright, this year it was a transparent one.  Needless to say, he did not have a beer at the start.  But for the rest of us, it was good times at the starting line.  Two Nederland locals appeared for the event: Josh and Marcus.  Joking about past years festivals and how we kinda remember parts of them.  I placed my special sunrayblockers on my face and prepared for the upcoming journey through the spectacular singletrack space of Fruita.

Ready to race

 In MY isolated opinion, single speed races should go as follows: the group starts out as friends talking, drinking beer/s at the start, and staying together until the first pee break in the race.  Then and only then can the "race" begin. After the pee break, all would start back up and the pace would slowly but continuously get faster, forcing some riders to lose contact with the pack.  The race would get faster and faster (all the while talking amonst ourselves) until there are only a few left.  These last riders are typically the strongest and duke it out for the "who's going to by beers after the race?" prize.  This way testosterone levels are kept at a minimum, and "competition" is also.  This is kind of how it went this year, except for Breathe Right, who darted off the front right at the start for the second year in a row and won without saying a word to the rest of us.  Anyhoo....  Josh, Marcus and myself started to race with a sufficient pace.  Then it kept getting faster.  In the end, I finished third, at two minutes back from Breathe Right.  Shawn, a cool pilot from the Sun Valley, Idaho galaxy finished second at one minute back (he had a pre-race beverage).  Josh got 4th, and Ken from Edwards, CO got 5th.  The Nederland galaxy definitely won the overall.  I can't remember the rest of the results because I started the post-race carbo-replacing right after the race (see above picture).

The REAL event began that afternoon at about 3.
The Clunker Crit:
This is the highlight for all that attend the Fruita Festival.  Troy (the owner of the local shop) narrates the race.  He also calls out commands to change directions, shake hands in the middle of a lap, and for Fat Tire to start feeding beer to the racers.  This years crit was the largest attendance and participance I've witnessed in the last three years.  I'm sure I'll be updating this site with more and more pictures as they come in.

an early attack from Meriweather
 

Fruita feed zone (thanks to Dubba Dwight),
A Cutter gets the feed
On the other side of the lap, Fat Tire was handing out cups
of their malted beverages...two feeds per lap!!
 

around they go, when they stack? nobody knows.
 
 

Even freeriders can pedal their clunkers!
 

In style! esta LOCO!
 
 

High Wheeling! This new high wheeler was VERY cool.
 

Bike Surfing
 

The start of the women's crit
 

a close-up of the women's start.....hmmmm
 

There was an exceptional amount of crashes this year.  I wish I had a head-cam on during the race.  Too many narrowly averted crashes to name.  Hopefully Rich or someone else will send me some more picture to post...hint hint!
At the end of the Clunker Crit, we all separated into our separate ways, going on rides, more drinking, rides, more drinking...you get the picture.  Fruita always is the best remedy for a long winter (even though this winter sucked where I live).  It's always the start of the new spring.  There is really no better way for Pilots to start out the year on their craft.  Thanks again Troy for another ggggreat year!

over and out

Meriweather