He finished third in the 9-12 year-old division.

“It was a really good race,” he said. “It came down to the finish.”

Pearce led a pack of the racers a bit behind the leaders. He pretty much stayed in the third-place spot for all six laps around downtown.

“Nobody really wanted to pull,” he said. “It was hard.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Mason Northway, 8, of Kensett, snaps a few pictures of the riders in the annual RocknRail1850 bike race in downtown Fort Dodge. His twin brother, Simon Northway, was also taking pictures. Both of them were equipped with old school film cameras loaded with black and white film.

Pearce’s bike, racing attire and his electronic monitoring devices are not what you’d see a typical 12-year-old riding around the neighborhood on or in.

That electronic device includes a heart monitor he wears under his shirt. But there’s nothing wrong with his heart; it’s used to evaluate his race performance.

“My pulse averaged 119,” he said. “The max was 217.”

The tech goes beyond the screen on his handlebars. The information can be retrieved and studied later as he’s evaluating his race.

“It goes back to my phone,” he said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
 Reflected in a window across Central Avenue, the statue of William S. Kenyon next to the Webster County Courthouse looks on approvingly as one of the racers in the annual RocknRail1850 bike race zips by Saturday.

Caroline Shaw, of Ames, rides with the Ames Velo team.

She brought along a pair of spare wheels.

“These will go in the wheel pit,” she said. “These are a backup. The goal is to not have to use them.”

Shaw enjoys the smaller local and regional events like the RocknRail.

“The cool thing about local races is that they grow the local color,” she said. “It’s important to bring a variety of events. They can be a real community builder.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
The first race of the day, the 9- to 12 year-old division, waits out a slight “vehicle on the track” delay before the start of their heat Saturday at the annual RocknRail1850 bike race in downtown Fort Dodge.

It’s also a chance for riders to hone their racing skills.

“The Tour De France is starting today,” she said. “Today here I am in Fort Dodge. It’s a learning experience.”

Her experience mirrors the experience of Meg Beshey, of Fort Dodge, who organizes the event.

“They like the venue,” Beshey said. “They like downtown Fort Dodge. It’s fast; it’s challenging.”

As the first few heats were being run, Beshey said people were still signing up.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Caroline Shaw, of Ames, walks her bike and a couple of spare wheels along Central Avenue Saturday afternoon during the annual RocknRail1850 bike race in downtown Fort Dodge. She would be racing later in the day. Caroline Shaw, of Ames, walks her bike and a couple of spare wheels along Central Avenue Saturday afternoon during the annual RocknRail bike race in downtown Fort Dodge. She would be racing later in the day.

“That’s good,” she said. “We’re near 100. That’s up from last year.”

Few events can be a success without lots of volunteers.

Tabitha Acree, of Fort Dodge, was one of them.

Her job was to keep motorists from driving onto the race course at First Avenue North and Eighth Street.

Many roll down their windows and they have questions.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Karen and Denny Amman, of Fort Dodge, watch riders zip by during the annual RocknRail1850 bike race in downtown Fort Dodge. The couple found a nice shady spot.

“Mostly it’s, ‘How do I get to the library’,” she said. “Can I drive through? What’s going on?”

A lot of her job means being a diplomat and practicing kindness.

“Yes,” she said.

Karen and Denny Amman, of Fort Dodge, had found a nice shady spot under a tree along North Eighth Street to watch the racers zip by.

They have a neighbor that’s an active bike rider, and they thought it would be a pleasant way to spend part of their day.

“It’s something to do that’s a little different than the everyday thing,” he said.

Amman is a retired farmer. A relaxing day watching a bike race beats watching the crops grow or worrying about them.

“Oh yes,” he said. “Especially this year.”

The race even had a pair of volunteer photographers capturing the day’s events.

Twin brothers Mason and Simon Northway, 8, were both equipped with their own classic camera loaded with black and white film.

Yes, film.

Mason had a Yashica, and Simon a Minolta.

“I have a spare roll too,” Simon Northway said.

There was an added element of good old-fashioned capitalism.

“My dad is paying us,” he said.

The pair will be helping to develop the film themselves, although they both said they prefer taking the pictures to working in the darkroom.

Next year, they’ll both be bringing something to the race besides cameras — bikes.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Tabitha Acree, of Fort Dodge, helps keep traffic off the race course Saturday during the annual RocknRail1850 bike race in downtown Fort Dodge. She’s among the dozens of volunteers who helped out at the event.

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