Cycling News: 24 hours of what?

Anniston’s Matt Johnson recently tackled one of the largest 24-hour mountain bike races in the country, the 2005 24 Hours of Adrenaline, in Conyers, Ga. Courtesy photo

Call it the “Lance Factor,” but more people are racing bikes now in the U.S. than at any time in the past.

And now there is a new trend. Mountain biking.

They’ve tried to lure me into this thing for several years, but I’ve always resisted.

Is it fear? Common sense? I don’t know.

But to ride a mountain bike on a trail through the woods for 24 hours is out of my comfort zone.

Sure, I’ve mountain biked trails in our area, as well as in North Carolina, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and several other states. But that was for a few hours in the daylight. But ride 24 hours?

That’s what Matt Johnson of Anniston recently tackled in Conyers, Ga., at one of the largest 24-hour mountain bike races in the country — 24 Hours of Adrenalin (www.24hoursofadrenalin.com).

Matt assembled a team of five cyclists to compete against 25 other teams. They raced in the “150–190” age group — that’s the combined ages of all five team members. Matt’s group had a combined age of 196 and included Keith Roberson, age 35, Jim Smart, 35, and Larry Snyder, 55, all of Tallahassee, Fla. Shey Lindner, 35, of Covington, Ga., and Matt, 39, rounded out the team.

There were more than 1,000 racers competing overall.

The race course consisted of an 8.5 mile trail that formed a loop. The trail included significant climbing, lots of rocks, roots and mud. The race started at noon on Saturday and ended at noon on Sunday.

A team member would race a lap. Once he returned, the next guy in the rotation would take off.

They continued this for 24 hours.

I know what you’re thinking.

Did they ride in the dark?

Did they ride all night?

Yes.

These guys strapped high-tech headlamps to their helmets and bikes and were weaving through the forest all day and night!

The team that completes the most laps wins. Matt and crew dominated. They finished the race more than a full lap ahead of the second-place team.

The team’s fastest lap was 41 minutes and each guy on the team completed six laps during the 24-hour period (except Shey, who cranked out seven).

Matt has competed in 7 other 24 hour races and says this one was the most fun yet.

“It’s the most physically and mentally challenging thing I have done in my life. After each 24-hour race I say ‘never again,’ but the next year rolls around and here I am.”

While he rides about 1,500 miles per year on his mountain bike and another 7,500 on his road bike, he still finds plenty of time for his wife, Tina and 4 children and his job as owner of metal samples in Munford.

In other news, Dr. Terry Phillis, owner of the new Mellow Mushroom in Oxford, has formed a racing team that will debut in 2006 — Mellow Mushroom Racing. Up to 10 local cyclists will be on this team, including Terry, Matt and yours truly. The team plans to compete in at least 10 races in 2006, including our very own Sunny King Criterium.

Can you say “mid-life crisis?” Maybe I’ll try that 24-hour thing after all.

Mike Poe is an officer of The Northeast Alabama Bicycle Club.