While writing…
I’m working on the race report. In the meantime, there’s a great article in Sports Illustrated about Arthur Webb, a mainstay at Badwater. It’ll definitely give you something to think about if you ever consider giving up. You can find it here.
My wife just forwarded me the ST thread and your blog address. The reason… my rear derailleur had an unplanned rendevous with my spokes while on course at IMC. Snapped the rear derailleur hanger right off! 55k into the race and I thought my day was done. I was lucky enough to have Ian (yup, the same Bike Barn Ian) come by in tech support. He saved my day by stripping off the derailleur and setting me up as a single speed. I did the rest of the course in 39-15.
Anyway, I’m encouraged by your story because I’ve had a few people tell me that my frame is now wall-art, but I remain, and even more after reading your story, that it can be fixed with some careful welding. I’ve always heard that a weld is often stronger than the original, so as long as they can do it without damaging the carbon I should be good.