And I just remembered I lost a race because of the second cracked frame. Back then I had only one frame but 2or3 sets of wheels. I had already noticed the headtube crack, about 2cm long, but wanted to finish the season before sending it back. It was a hilly road race with one long but not real steep climb before the descent to the finish. My job was to set a good tempo for the better climber on our team, Rick. So at the base of the climb I went to the front and gave it 96%. I could hear some breathing behind me but didn't glance back until many minutes of effort had passed. When I did we were down to four including Rick and two of a rival team. Then I took it up to redline. As we approached the pass, Rick came around and said we were alone. We let it all hang out then, with Rick pulling mostly and me coming through for a brief pull when I could. We went over the top with something like 30 seconds over one very good rival. We pushed it as the road turned down until we had spun out or 53X13s (the largest gear we had back then). Rick did the Jan Heine tuck with his hands and nose on the stem and knees locked on the top tube. I thought about my cracked frame as I watched the pavement below us become a blur. Pretty quickly I lost my nerve and put my hands on the hooks. Rick quickly rolled away, and not long after the rival flew by me. By the base of the mountain the other rival had caught me and together we tied in the sprint for third. Rick won by a few seconds. The risks I took back then...and I didn't even have health insurance! I did wear a real helmet, not the leather hairnet that was legal. Rick and I still ride together a few times a year. He nearly always beats me in hill climbs to this day, but I always make him earn it.
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