KEKAHA — The Mana Time Trial on Sunday included some unknowns for Michael Moule. For starters, he couldn’t tell how fast he was riding in the 10.8-mile race because his bike computer was broken. “I had no feedback at all,
KEKAHA — The Mana Time Trial on Sunday included some unknowns for Michael Moule.
For starters, he couldn’t tell how fast he was riding in the 10.8-mile race because his bike computer was broken.
“I had no feedback at all, which is weird,” he said. “I haven’t ridden like that in a long time, so I just went by feel.”
Because it was a staggered start, with a rider heading out each minute and Moule one of the last to go, he didn’t know how he placed, either.
So come awards time, when Moule was announced as the overall winner, it caught him by surprise.
“I had no idea,” he said, smiling.
Moule, chief engineer with the County of Kauai, topped the 27-rider field in 26 minutes, 48 seconds. Second went to Brigham Knott in 27:17, and third to Joe Funk, 27:24.
Victory did not come easy.
“It hurt,” Moule said. “But time trials are supposed to hurt.”
Nancy Dadas led the women in 29:41, followed by Joanna Petterson in 32:08 and Kauai’s Leigh Feutz in 33:33.
On a cool, cloudy morning, riders battled headwinds going out and coming in on Kaumualii Highway. The out-and-back, flat course started and ended at McArthur Park.
“The wind changed on us while we were out there,” Moule said.
His 12-year-old son, Chance, won the youth division in 37:25. Like his father, he worked for it.
“I felt in pain,” he said, laughing.
Chance said his father is a good motivator and the two sometimes ride together.
“I’ll keep up with him, some day,” he said, grinning.
It was the second time the Mana Time Trial was part of the Waimea Town Celebration, which continues this week.
“It’s a great partnership,” said Mary Williamson, who helped organize the event with her husband, race director Binney Williamson.
She was pleased with the turnout and community support, and that the race included a tandem team for the first time in Kauai’s Stevan and Karen Yee.
“We never had a tandem in the race before so that’s a record,” Mary Williamson said.
The duo covered the course in 34:17 with Stevan riding up front as captain and Karen in back as the stoker, keeping an eye on traffic.
Both pedaled furiously Sunday. This wasn’t a relaxed ride with conversation.
“I thought it was pretty good,” Karen Yee said. “We did the fastest time ever in terms of training. This was our best time.”
“I enjoyed it,” she added.
Stevan had a different view.
“I thought it was hard,” he said.
The two often train together, and have completed a 100K race in New Zealand and a bike tour in Vietnam. They also have ridden in Canada and some Northwest states.
The race was a bit of a comeback for Roy Yamagata. The 73-year-old was injured in an accident a few years ago and said he is just now feeling fully recovered.
“My cardio has been not up to par. This year I felt better,” he said. “I was able to push it.”
Yamagata finished in 41:23 to finish second in the 65 and over division. The final miles, despite that headwind, went well.
“It seemed like the winds switched on us,” he said.
Yamagata recently retired after a 25-year career as a lifeguard, the last two as a district captain.
“There’s nothing like being a lifeguard,” Yamagata said. “It’s been a really satisfying career.”
Next up for him is Pedal to the Meadow in May.
“This race is going to get me going for the rest of the year,” he said.
Moule, who often bikes 13 miles each way to work, didn’t exactly rest up for this race. He ran eight miles Saturday morning and did an eight-mile hike later that day.
He didn’t decide until Saturday night to ride in the Mana Time Trial. It was nice to win, but that wasn’t what brought him and Chance out.
“The thing that got me coming out is to support the local races,” he said. “You support the whole community by being out here.”
Winning, though, was a nice bonus.
“It felt good to win,” he said.
