Went to North Shore with Scott. We both were less than optimal. He only beat me by 1/8th (I was at guard house when he made it to MADD). This includes me stopping to fix a flat for 12 mins, and me having an endo in W2. Apparently, he hit a tree gate, and has some moderate bicep trauma (skin and muscle). That's right, today, I had my first endo (at mile 9.37, where I split at other than 2.5 miles). Could have been worse. I have a photo at http://omnitech.net/xaminmo/2013/08/15/first-endo/ . This new bike does not like trails. The thinner tires slip sideways more, even though they work better in sand with these Ritchie tires that look like impellers. The taller frame has a higher CG and is extra difficult in turns. The longer frame is great for pulling up at roots, climbing, or standing to traverse rough terrain. The rear is too high and too far forward, making any downhill trail segments very endo prone. I think something with a seat and head tube tilted further back, a sloped top tube, and a shorter standover may be better. Also, no food for several hours prior to the ride didn't help, nor did the humidity. It wasn't horrible, but cooling was tough. Also, my guts were unhappy, and decided that was a good reason not to absorb water very well. I need to take a welding class so I can safely make my own frames for experimentation.