The Racing Thread

[xccx]

ok boys and girls, it's racing season. giddy up and lets here the war stories, trials, and tribulations. and no commuter pseudo cylcocross will-the-rack-and-fenders-fit crap either. racing, training, gel poppin, mud slingin' action only. i'll get the ball rolling....

Tonight: Wed night series at Catamount, VT. It was pouring all day and i was secretly hoping the course was going to gnarly. It was actually all on cut crass, so almost no mud, but TONS of grass mucking up my wheels. I gotta get rid of those crap tektros...no clearance at all. The drag was seriously slowing me down and every so often i had to give my brakes a reach-around to clear the grass away. There was a loud tall skinny annoying dude at the lineup but he sucked, as loud obnoxious guys usually do. Overall the course was ok...kind of boring actually. One short run-up that was very rideable, but on the other side of it there was a steep drop...a run *down*...so it was tricky to get the flow right on that one. The course was not very technical, but there was the usual 180's and a little off camber stuff. I'm wondering if this is gonna be the same course for the USGP. I certainly hope not.

[jeremyb]

sounds like fun, we still have to wait 2 weeks up here in "cross heaven" portland. but thats ok by me, I got some training and wrenching to do yet.

Did you get any pics?

[xccx]

sounds like fun, we still have to wait 2 weeks up here in "cross heaven" portland. but thats ok by me, I got some training and wrenching to do yet.

Did you get any pics?

didn't get any pics...but will post pics in the future.

anyone headed to sucker brook this wknd? there's also a race in sutton, just south of montreal.

[jfmckenna]

My main season starts Oct 22 in North Carolina. I will be doing some races probably in Tenn in early Oct. Tonight will be my first time on the cross bike in the dirt this year. We have training sessions every Tues and Thursday. I need to incorporate a little running into my training this year and perhaps a little weight lifting. I think my road bike is now officially hung up for the year. I also like to do some mountain biking while training for cross.

[JimmyMack]

If I race A's with a rack and yellow tufo's, on the back do I score cool guy points or fast dweeb points?

This weekend will be the first available sanctioned test for Norcal. We will be throwing down at the Folsom City Park. I'll get back to you on the post mortem.

[xlntRider79]

for any Northern Ohioans, the Bike Authority Cyclocross Series schedule has been posted: http://www.teamlakeeffect.com/

[xccx]

If I race A's with a rack and yellow tufo's, on the back do I score cool guy points or fast dweeb points?

This weekend will be the first available sanctioned test for Norcal. We will be throwing down at the Folsom City Park. I'll get back to you on the post mortem.

hmm, good question. i say dweeb though.

[MATTO]

My season also starts in Oct 22 Cant wait :-) we were spossed to have a "fall" season that was canceled though.

[jpearl]

I've been toying with the idea of trying that cyclocross race I've always wanted to do, even though I haven't raced in 13 years, and now I'm just a, er, recreational rider who likes to go out and get muddy, sweaty, and exhausted on his cyclocross bike (no fenders on my cross bike!).

My idea is to try the easiest category possible, I think it's called "C" classs, and I would be racing without a USCF license. My question is this: What kind of training do people like me tend to do, namely people with full-time corporate jobs and families to tend to, plus the other daily grind stuff that leaves me precious little time to ride?

[Serendipper]

I just got my bike, and I'm healing from an accident...but I can't wait 'til next season here in the South.

Pretty sure part of the series is in the Carolinas too, John. Hope to see you there next year.

Anybody got a copy of Pure Sweet Hell they want to sell for cheap? Maybe I'll put the bike on rollers and dream...

[jfmckenna]

I've been toying with the idea of trying that cyclocross race I've always wanted to do, even though I haven't raced in 13 years, and now I'm just a, er, recreational rider who likes to go out and get muddy, sweaty, and exhausted on his cyclocross bike (no fenders on my cross bike!).

My idea is to try the easiest category possible, I think it's called "C" classs, and I would be racing without a USCF license. My question is this: What kind of training do people like me tend to do, namely people with full-time corporate jobs and families to tend to, plus the other daily grind stuff that leaves me precious little time to ride?

jpearl if your busy it's hard to do. You will most likely be doing 30 minute races so if you could find 5 hours a week to ride it would at least help. 2 hour road ride on the week end, tues/thurs mid week do a 'training race' where you ride your cross bike on cross terraine as hard as you can for one hour including dismounts and runnups. and on Friday do a little running. Ask around at bike shops and clubs to see if people are holding cross sessions. It's pretty big in DC so you should be able to find some people. When you are short on time I think intensity is the key.


~~~


Last night was my first time on the cross bike this year and whew I am rusty. I am trying to master the two step remount. You know, you hop the barrier landing on your left foot take a right foot step then a left and remount. It's tough to do at speed. My plan is to start slow and continually move up in speed till I get it at a full run.

[lunacycle]

My question is this: What kind of training do people like me tend to do, namely people with full-time corporate jobs and families to tend to, plus the other daily grind stuff that leaves me precious little time to ride?

I don't have a lot of time (or desire) to train, either. My weekly training has consisted of a 30 minute fartlek-style run with the dog a few times a week and 40 minutes of intervals on the rollers twice a week. Maybe I'll throw in a mountain bike ride on a Saturday. I plan to get out to a local park once a week to practice mounts and dismounts, but that's about it. I usually place in the middle or top half of the "B" race field -- not great, but good enough to keep me coming back for more.

[Ronsonic]

I've been toying with the idea of trying that cyclocross race I've always wanted to do, even though I haven't raced in 13 years, and now I'm just a, er, recreational rider who likes to go out and get muddy, sweaty, and exhausted on his cyclocross bike (no fenders on my cross bike!).

My idea is to try the easiest category possible, I think it's called "C" classs, and I would be racing without a USCF license. My question is this: What kind of training do people like me tend to do, namely people with full-time corporate jobs and families to tend to, plus the other daily grind stuff that leaves me precious little time to ride?

The cool thing about cross is that the races are short enough for normal people to train for them. At least one ride a week of about 2 hours or more, road or off-road, cross, mtb or road bike. This doesn't need to be brutal, just a nice trip on the bike. All my other rides are about an hour to 1.5 hours. The short ones in the morning before work are big on intensity. There are large open fields surrounding drainage areas near me the city keeps mowed. The ground there is damp and anti-momentumatious and perfect for practicing dismounts, remounts and short intervals. Just cruel the way our cross courses are. The other day will be a mixed ride with trails, dirt roads, pavement and whatever I feel like. This gets me out about 4 times a week. My running is so heinously bad that a 20-30 minute run two or three times a week helps me improve.

Ron

[The District]

This thread has gotten off track, so let me just worsen the problem a bit for good measure.

This will be my first season racing cross and racing in general, and this week I've felt like I haven't trained enough. But after reading these posts and thinking about it a bit more, I realize that I've been training a fair amount. It's always at least 4 times a week, as many as six, including intervals, barriers, and longer rides, using a heart rate monitor. I bought a fluid trainer a couple of weeks ago and have found that it's a little too easy. I've taken that as a good sign. Here in Colorado, we have a D class (seems that most places have just A, B, and C), so I'll be racing my first race in that category next saturday. Hopefully it goes well. As far as finding time to train, it's a priority for me (I REALLY need to be excercise frequently), and that helps. I have one child, another on the way, a full time job, and I'm working on my master's degree part time. But exercise/training is a must for me. Otherwise, I'm cranky, tired, and I don't eat as healthy as I would otherwise. I use my trainer 2x a week, a long ride pulling my son in the trailer on saturdays, and two other rides scattered into the rest of the week. Some days I'm in the park with my barriers, sometimes it's intervals on a dirt path. People with families and jobs can still train and race for cross.

[xccx]

This thread has gotten off track, so let me just worsen the problem a bit for good measure.

This will be my first season racing cross and racing in general, and this week I've felt like I haven't trained enough. But after reading these posts and thinking about it a bit more, I realize that I've been training a fair amount. It's always at least 4 times a week, as many as six, including intervals, barriers, and longer rides, using a heart rate monitor. I bought a fluid trainer a couple of weeks ago and have found that it's a little too easy. I've taken that as a good sign. Here in Colorado, we have a D class (seems that most places have just A, B, and C), so I'll be racing my first race in that category next saturday. Hopefully it goes well. As far as finding time to train, it's a priority for me (I REALLY need to be excercise frequently), and that helps. I have one child, another on the way, a full time job, and I'm working on my master's degree part time. But exercise/training is a must for me. Otherwise, I'm cranky, tired, and I don't eat as healthy as I would otherwise. I use my trainer 2x a week, a long ride pulling my son in the trailer on saturdays, and two other rides scattered into the rest of the week. Some days I'm in the park with my barriers, sometimes it's intervals on a dirt path. People with families and jobs can still train and race for cross.

word. i am a professional with a huge workload and pretty much everyone i roll with is in the same boat. doctors, business ppl, photographers, married, kids, all that. i'm on the bike 12-16 hrs a week. i make it happen. it's not always easy, and alot of the time i'm bringing a bike somewhere on the weekends...so i can get my ride in before the wedding or the birthday party or whatever. i am pretty darn competitive too. one thing i dont really spend my time on is maintenance. especially during racing season. i just dont have the time to tinker and i have some good mech's that i can trust, so if i need something done, i usually just leave it to them. racing/traing is very possible for most "normal" people.

so...back to the racing...

looking fwd to some reports after the weekend! have fun out there...

[thekorn]

word. i am a professional with a huge workload and pretty much everyone i roll with is in the same boat. doctors, business ppl, photographers, married, kids, all that. i'm on the bike 12-16 hrs a week. i make it happen. it's not always easy, and alot of the time i'm bringing a bike somewhere on the weekends...so i can get my ride in before the wedding or the birthday party or whatever. i am pretty darn competitive too. one thing i dont really spend my time on is maintenance. especially during racing season. i just dont have the time to tinker and i have some good mech's that i can trust, so if i need something done, i usually just leave it to them. racing/traing is very possible for most "normal" people.

so...back to the racing...

looking fwd to some reports after the weekend! have fun out there...

I work full time too... Ride your bike to work. The daily commute is my only training for cyclocross because otherwise I wouldn't have time to train, period. Sometimes I take it easy, sometimes I alter my route so I can hammer up an extra steep hill, on fridays I load the bike down with a 6 pack of beer... it all counts!

[JimmyMack]

First race of the season has been completed. First race in the A category has been completed. With that said, I’d have to say that I was pretty happy to finish 8th out of 29. This is my third year, and each year has been a step up in the category alphabet. (CBA) I have to say I was a bit timid racing on the short tough course for an hour as a season opener. Goal: Keep it a steady pressure on the pedals, pass people through the race, and not blow up at 45 minutes.

The course was a short one, 4.5 minute laps, so we complete like 15 laps. My legs are talking to me today. Maybe I could have gone harder, but I really wanted to test the waters in the hour long race. Those last 15 minutes equated to 4 extra laps. The bike worked great, kept the rubber side down, had a great race with another guy, and left unscathed. There are plenty of races left, so I’ll go harder next week knowing that the hour is do able. All goals met.

Photos of other racers (http://www.velocommunity.com/plugins/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=scacx1)

[xccx]

First race of the season has been completed. First race in the A category has been completed. With that said, I’d have to say that I was pretty happy to finish 8th out of 29. This is my third year, and each year has been a step up in the category alphabet. (C?B?A) I have to say I was a bit timid racing on the short tough course for an hour as a season opener. Goal: Keep it a steady pressure on the pedals, pass people through the race, and not blow up at 45 minutes.

The course was a short one, 4.5 minute laps, so we complete like 15 laps. My legs are talking to me today. Maybe I could have gone harder, but I really wanted to test the waters in the hour long race. Those last 15 minutes equated to 4 extra laps. The bike worked great, kept the rubber side down, had a great race with another guy, and left unscathed. There are plenty of races left, so I’ll go harder next week knowing that the hour is do able. All goals met.

Photos of other racers (http://www.velocommunity.com/plugins/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=scacx1)

cool...so you had an old school running start. i've yet to do one of those. and i'd say that pretty darn good for the first race (or any race!). job well done.

[xccx]

Just raced the Catamount, VT course today as part of the wed night series...the new course is probably one of the best courses i have raced on. 95% of it is on cut grass (there's no pavement at all), which makes for some very fast sections, and some very, very slow sections. Much of the course is pretty smooth, but there are some really lumpy sections that slow you down fast. The run up is not too steep, and definitely rideable, but it has 3 logs that span it, so you have to have the energy to roll over these logs if you plan on riding it. Also, you come into the run-up from a pretty sharp right hand turn, so that takes away alot of your momentum. There's four 180 off camber-type sections, and a couple of them are really tight and probably easier off the bike than on. Beware of the soft muddy sections...I went OTB today trying to plow thru a mud bog that ate my entire front wheel. Anyway, I think it will be a great weekend of racing. the venue is really cool and the beer tents are a sight to see...Vive le Vermont!

[tayphoo]

I truly feel that this thread needs to be brought back to life, so here goes:
Sunday was my second race of the season. Raced C at the Westwood Velo Cylcocross in NJ. Anyone else there? A little moist, but otherwise fast. The start was nuts; the whistle blows and almost immediately, about three guys at various points within the pack hit the pavement.... that wretched sound of aluminum grinding on asphalt. Ouch! Don't know what happened, maybe just a little over anxious. I stayed upright and finished eighth. Go me! Two races in CT this weekend. I'll do at least one. Don't know if I have the legs for both.

Here's a training question:
What do you do during the season to keep your fitness without wearing yourself out for weekend races? I'm looking at back to back to back to back weekends here. I don't see how I can do much without sacrificing a race or two.

[kdboxerdog]

Got spanked in my first race ever this past Saturday. I injured my back (muscular only thankfully) 2 weeks before the race and actually only got 2 laps in before the cramping was so bad I had to DNF. No excuses though. I was getting schooled right from the start. Great fun, I'm hooked. I hope to race most of the rest of the series and learn a few things, then be more competitive next year.

[xccx]

can we make this sticky? anyone? anyone?

[xccx]

i have been racing alot too...Milford, NH, 2 days in Gloucester, Wednesday nights at Catamount, VT...

i have to miss 2 wknds of racing but will be back at it on oct 28 in Stephentown, NY, and then Farmington, CT, Northampton, MA....all the way thru Dec. I'll post detailed race reports then....

[Dabbo]

I am new to this but I guess in Portland we just had our first real cross race.....mud and cold, windy and rainy too. Cross crusade #2, course was flat and not techincal at all, same venue of the usgp finals, great for spectating as you can see almost the whole thing from the only tiny hill in the middle of the field.
This was my third race after Cross crusade #1 at Alpenrose, fun course but very dry, flatted on the second lap in the beginners, sneaked in with the C 35+ and from back of the pack menaged to get in top 30. Second race was Battle at Barlow, course was up and down and never any rest, got top 20 in the C 35+ but got scored with the C ... wrong number. Now a bit of rest and than a few more of the Cross crusade races, if you want to see pic or info go to bikeportland.org
Ciao
Paolo

[Walleye]

i have to miss 2 wknds of racing but will be back at it on oct 28 in Stephentown, NY, reports then....


XCCX, did you hit the Stephentown race? I think it sucked the will to ride out of me... it got buried somewhere deep deep in the mud. Nasty ride....kinda fun, hee hee hee


Bump this thread early and often

[92degrees]

I raced Hardwick Vineyard CX in CT on Sat. Pouring rain and high wind. Lot of mud. Finished near the bottom. Lot of pavement, lot of rooty singletrack, some sand, no real run-ups, one short off-camber. This is the first time this season that I thought that all my little mistakes held me back more than my fitness. Got bogged down in the mud, gravel, and sand a few times. I finished, tho...

[CaptMatt15]

I raced for the first time yesterday! NC Cyclocross Series race #2, in Cary @ Bond Park. It was a pretty rough course, lots of grass and it was all still damp from rain friday... a couple of trickier sections that my mtn bike skills helped out with. And the last turn before the start/finish area was awesome, big sweeping downhill u-turn type thing... Finished 40/51 in the CX4s, but im happy i didnt finish dead last!

[billh]

I raced the C race, fourth race in the local series, very pleased with how I raced and a 7th place finish. The field of 28 was strung out but I was able to bridge up to other groups by standing up and sprinting in the flat curvey sections with thick grass, where the other riders bogged down. And then maintain my position in the back of the course with the hills and barriers. Also a bit of luck that some of the leaders had mechanicals and one of my "rivals" went down on an off-camber as he was attempting to chase me down. Fun, fun, fun!

[darkmother]

I did my first CX race last Sunday. It pretty much kicked my butt, but it was definately fun. Coming from a MTB (first) and road bike (second) background, I found the on the bike part pretty easy and not very technical. I really struggled with the remounts, and I think I wasted more energy than I might have off the bike. The cold air also totally closed up my lungs-anyone else have this problem?

Hopefully I'll get a chance to do a couple more this season.

[alreadyblue]

I truly feel that this thread needs to be brought back to life, so here goes:
Sunday was my second race of the season. Raced C at the Westwood Velo Cylcocross in NJ. Anyone else there? A little moist, but otherwise fast. The start was nuts; the whistle blows and almost immediately, about three guys at various points within the pack hit the pavement.... that wretched sound of aluminum grinding on asphalt. Ouch!

Ha, ha... yeah that was my buddy Christophe. Too much torque on the handlebars. TOO MUCH POWER!

It was a pretty decent race. Nice course.

[alreadyblue]

Did the Craigmeur 2 C race this weekend in the rain. Small field, came in the middle of the pack. Still getting use to being at max for 40 minutes. Cross always hurts. The course was a wet mess, and all the corners were getting more and more hacked apart the more laps we did. Fun though.

Anyone going to the Chainbiter in CT this weekend?

[xccx]

Did the Craigmeur 2 C race this weekend in the rain. Small field, came in the middle of the pack. Still getting use to being at max for 40 minutes. Cross always hurts. The course was a wet mess, and all the corners were getting more and more hacked apart the more laps we did. Fun though.

Anyone going to the Chainbiter in CT this weekend?

i'll be there racing in the killer B's...

[92degrees]

I'll be there on Sat. and NoHo on Sun. Racing the Cs.

[apotnolid]

orrville cross today: first cx race ever for me, raced c. it was fun as hell, besides a few major snafus. i changed freehweels (i rode ss) before the race, and apparently didn't get the chain tension to be quite perfect. during the race for hole shot right after the start, i moved around the left of the pack to try to pass a few folks and then all of a sudden, no chain! stopped, grumbled, thought "what the **** what a way to start my first race. put wheel back on, adjusted chain. about 45 seconds later going down the first big hill after the first barrier, chain drops again while coasting! holy christ, ridiculous. i had to support the bike with only my hands (causing some extra stress on one side of the stem, loosening it a little bit) at that point around a slightly-off camber turn while i coasted through the woody single-track to a clearing where i stopped and adjusted again. going into the next barrier, dismounted, and my left hand just pushed my stem about 50 degrees, obviously screwing up my balance. you can guess what happened next, knee first, still clipped in, into the barrier. all on the first lap, awesome.

what i learned: 1.) DON'T change your set-up the day of the race. no matter what aggressive terrain i was hucking along on while i was training, and no matter how hard i was churning, the chain never dropped with the first ratio that i had. changed it the day of without time to test it intensly enough, and that's what happens. 2.) wide open courses with sidewalk and pavement stretches aren't the greatest courses for single speed. 3.) an actual "official" cross race (i.e. not when you and your few friends who are actually good at cross get drunk and ride courses with lights at night, or do regional "underground" circuits) is pretty painful while it's going on, but after it's over i get that "well, that wasn't that bad" but still amazingly fun. we'll see how i feel tomorrow a.m. cheers.

p.s.- finished! (and not even last place, technically).

[Mayonnaise]

Raced my first cross race at Campton Cross in St. Charles, Illinois. I come from a road racing discipline and knew the transition wouldn’t be smooth.

I congratulate anyone that shows up, dresses, registers and waits at the line for “riders take your mark.” It’s cold and wet and so easy to tell yourself it’s okay to stay home. Takes a lot of fortitude to just show up.

There’s no place to hide in a Cyclo Cross race. I was in the red zone the entire 30 minutes of racing. In a road race you can red line it a bit then catch a wheel and take a few deep breaths to lower your heart rate. Not so in cross. Your heart is going like mad and before you know it, there’s another section of barriers to jump. Managing your heart rate seems to be a key in doing well or not.

I never considered tire pressure before. You road race, you pump them up as high as you can and you’re done. Ride tires like that in a cross race and you’re going down, sooner or later. It’s all about finding the right balance between hard and squishy: hard enough so you’re not laboring too hard making the wheels go round but squishy enough so they’ll grab the tricky wet and slanted sections.

I noticed lots of guys, myself included, rode solo. Before I raced I thought there would be lots of crashes but the race spread out right away. I didn’t once worry about a rider going down in front of me. Jumping a barrier at the 26 minute mark on the other hand... It almost feels like a time trial. Get on and ride as hard as you can.

Cyclo Cross racing is hard, much harder than I thought. I accomplished my three goals: I finished, I wasn’t last, and I didn’t suck.

Fun

[comradehoser]

Raced my first bike race ever, Men's C at the Race Pace in Sykesville. From what people were saying, it was a very fast course, not too technical (1 barrier, 1 and 1/2 runups), and the ground was pretty dry and bumpy in spots. I ran my '06 Jamis Nova (officially cross baptized, now) with the stock Maxxis Mimos at stock pressure (75psi). The course had some off-camber switchbacks which made me a bit nervous, but the killer for me was the left-hand corner of the course: a barrier run-up followed by a couple fast descents and two other steep, short hills and then a medium grade slope. I hated that corner.

Right off the bat, 5 folks at the front went down, and I managed to squeeze my way to the front of the middle, and then proceeded to promptly throw a chain and lapsed to the back of the middle, where I stayed for the rest of the race. I managed not to wipe out (seriously), not to wipe anybody else out, and finished 16/29.

I thought I could hang because I commute hard, but props to the crossers, damn. My windpipe is still on fire, and there were times in laps 2-4 where I thought I was going to have to pull over and barf. Somehow I managed to get a second wind in laps 5 and 6, my body remembered how to run, and I actually passed a couple of dudes.

It's odd because it didn't seem that my legs were that tired, but my cardio--hoo! Major props to geekpunk as well for getting me out there and having the fortitude to race back to back days on a SS rig.

[xccx]

cool to see so many 1st timers' race reports!

i raced killer b's at farmington, ct on sat and got completely smoked. it was a GREAT course. the sand pits rocked, and that huge off-camber downhill was killer! nice day, fun course, cant complain.

[92degrees]

cool to see so many 1st timers' race reports!

i raced killer b's at farmington, ct on sat and got completely smoked. it was a GREAT course. the sand pits rocked, and that huge off-camber downhill was killer! nice day, fun course, cant complain.

That course was tough. The downhill before that off-camber was scary early when the grass was wet, and the little downhill that T'd with the tennis court claimed a bunch of people -- as did the transitions to pavement when it was icy. Loved that sand.

You at NoHo too?

[Walleye]

I did NoHo, B masters (used-to-B's). Fast, fun course.

[xccx]

That course was tough. The downhill before that off-camber was scary early when the grass was wet, and the little downhill that T'd with the tennis court claimed a bunch of people -- as did the transitions to pavement when it was icy. Loved that sand.

You at NoHo too?

nope didnt race that one...but i'll be racing in Putney, VT this saturday...

[92degrees]

Yep, I'll be at Putney. 30min at 10:00 -- that's a life of leisure!

[xccx]

Yep, I'll be at Putney. 30min at 10:00 -- that's a life of leisure!

i'll be there, racing in the C's as well. I just downgraded my CX cat to race back in the C's again. After a year of spotty training, i just cant hang in the B's. Dont worry, i'm no sandbagger. I'm rolling on a Felt F1X with Red Heliums and red Tufos....yellow helmet. See u at the starting line!

[92degrees]

i'll be there, racing in the C's as well. I just downgraded my CX cat to race back in the C's again. After a year of spotty training, i just cant hang in the B's. Dont worry, i'm no sandbagger. I'm rolling on a Felt F1X with Red Heliums and red Tufos....yellow helmet. See u at the starting line!

I'll look for you. I'm on a grey and red Kona in a NCC kit.

[danimal]

i now have three races under my belt in the ABQ series; coming from my first season of really racing road, i had no idea what to expect...i've been racing the C's and have actually done okay (i was afraid i'd be pulling a lot of DNF's but in my first race i got 5th, and my last 2 i got 3rds. -hopefully if things go well i'll be able to updgrade soon and then really get my ***** whooped in the B race. things that i have learned so far:

-NEVER run your tires at the recommended limit of 90psi (thank you, CX #1)
-NEVER fear falling (thank you, CX#2, in which i spent more time on the ground than on the bike)
-NEVER eat a breakfast burrito before a race (i know, i know, i'm an idiot...an idiot who almost chucked eggs and green chili all over CX#3's run-up)

i had high hopes for cross-racing, and i'm definetely hooked! it's so much more fun than long road races and wrecking hurts a hellofalot less than when you hit pavement in a crit!

[92degrees]

i'll be there, racing in the C's as well. I just downgraded my CX cat to race back in the C's again. After a year of spotty training, i just cant hang in the B's. Dont worry, i'm no sandbagger. I'm rolling on a Felt F1X with Red Heliums and red Tufos....yellow helmet. See u at the starting line!


Aack! I completely forgot to look for you. Fun race. I had a great start -- second wheel at the barriers. Guy in front of me hit the barrier and his bike caught me pretty good -- his pedal opened up my left shin and his wheel got me in the groin. The rest of the race was just survivin' for me. The start went well for a change, tho:D

[xccx]

Aack! I completely forgot to look for you. Fun race. I had a great start -- second wheel at the barriers. Guy in front of me hit the barrier and his bike caught me pretty good -- his pedal opened up my left shin and his wheel got me in the groin. The rest of the race was just survivin' for me. The start went well for a change, tho:D


i got sick and couldnt go.....how was the course?

[92degrees]

i got sick and couldnt go.....how was the course?

The rain held off until noon or so but the course was still pretty muddy. I thought it was a very short course. The first set of barriers took out a lot of guys and there were a few places in the woods that were tough for many. Lots of fun, though.

[jfmckenna]

I raced in Bristol Tenn. this last Saturday. I raced the Masters at 11:45 and then the Pro/1/2 at 2:30. The day started off almost too hot for cross then it started raining half way through the Pro/1/2 race and things god really interesting. There was a good selection of pavement, a long down hill grass crit section, several one lane bridges, an uneven stepped stair climb, and some nice off camber technical setions.

[elysdean]

I raced my first cross race on Saturday (Southern Oregon cyclocross series) and it was a blast! I picked true cross weather for my first race. It was cold, wet, muddy and a blast!! I love this stuff! I was told the course was more of a mountain bike course, but next weekends is a true cross course. I can't wait. I managed to be in the middle of the field (14th out of 23, and 7 out of 11 in my age group) so I'm happy with that, especially since I didn't get to race all summer :(

Scott

[xccx]

anyone racing in the NY State Champs next weekend? I'll be there...