Cyclocross Racing - BCA and Kelley Acres Cross - Comments?

Okay, even though I can barely move today, and even my hands hurt (yes, gripping the bars too tightly), I signed up for both the Breast Cancer Awareness and Kelley Acres races next weekend. (Bitterken - that's a beer for me, I like Newcastle).

Assuming it won't be the swamp that Ed Sander's was, any pointers or advice regarding what the courses are like? Are there one or two features that just truly terrible (I'm thinking more bike handling terrible)?

So thanks for sticking with me as I learn how to ride my bike this season and post about it.

There's not enough posts in the cx racing forum anyway.

The BCA course is rough and choppy as all get out and honestly, not very interesting. you think your hands hurt today? heheheh


Kelley Acres is a great time. Really cool venue and a challenging course with technical turns and some tough uphill grinds. The best thing about it is that it is mostly singletrack-like riding through the woods around the property and not just riding some taped off grassy area.

BCA will give you terrible blisters on your hands because its so bumpy. fat tires and low pressure is what you want for that race. its funny walking around the parking lot after the race and seeing everyone looking at their hands.

As for the race its self it is pretty boring like new guy said. It starts out with a sketchy sprint on gravel into a turn that gets narrow. Then you do a bunch of off camber turns that can get pretty fast. These off cambers are much steeper like birners practices. Other than that the course is bland. Lot of tape, a rideable sandpit, no run ups, a slow approach barrier, etc

Kelley Acres on the other hand has lots of features and lots of handling sections. There is a sketchy steepish drop down into a stream crossing that is anything but smooth. There is lots of climbing including one really long climb in the woods that must take almost a minute to finish. There is also a real fast downhill in the woods with a sweeping turn that can be scary since its in the woods and the ground is usually damp. They have a couple of log barriers that you can ride over too. It a very good race and possibly the hardest in the district.

Kelley Acres on the other hand has lots of features and lots of handling sections. There is a sketchy steepish drop down into a stream crossing that is anything but smooth.
this. i'd definitely recommend preriding the course and maybe even doing this section a few times. it's very abrupt at the bottom. also be prepared in case the people in front of you crash or stall out there, it's a good place for a pile up.


They have a couple of log barriers that you can ride over too.
yeah the log barriers seemed to really favor the mountain bikers on that course. also there's one barrier at the bottom of a decently long hill (with no real opportunity to remount before the hill) so there's a big reward for staying on the bike through that one. i suck at logs so i didn't tempt fate by riding them, but quite a few people were able to.

(Bitterken - that's a beer for me, I like Newcastle).
.

Noted! :thumb:

I think I'm going to run 34s at about 30psi for BCA. My arms are still sore from last year. The ballfield to sand pit section is dreadfully boring. At least throw a couple switch backs in there. Looking forward to Kelley Acres. This will be my first time at that venue.

Are the logs at BCA across the path, like barriers, or parallel (which strikes me as insane for something I'm not being paid a lot of $$$ to do, but what do I know)?

i wish i had 34 file treads to ride at BCA. as it is im thinking about riding hutch bulldogs since they have more volume than my grifo tubs.

yes the logs are in place of barriers

Still looking like I'm gonna do both - hope it doesn't rain on Saturday.

Goals for this year are: 1) learn how to handle my bike; and 2) try not to get lapped. I think the two are pretty closely related.


oh yeah, for the logs, is the idea to bunny hop them entirely (not gonna happen) or just enough jump to get front wheel and let the back wheel push/ride over the log like riding up a curb (might happen).

just ride over them. the course has changed a bit now including a flyover so who knows if they will even have logs anymore.

i hope it rains on saturday because anything to soften up that brutally bumpy ground is a godsend.

it's like riding over a log on a mountain bike. the people who were clearing them cleanest last year were doing something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnMmiNCPRSs&feature=related

your rear wheel needn't clear the log entirely but it's tall enough that you'll want some upward momentum on the rear.

personally, if i didn't have any experience doing it i probably wouldn't (and didn't) try it in a race.

Goals for this year are: 1) learn how to handle my bike; and 2) try not to get lapped. I think the two are pretty closely related.

My goal for last year was to not get lapped. My first race, everyone else in the race lapped me, so I had a long way to go. In the last race of the year, having still not accomplished my goal, the leaders lapped me with about 100 yards to go. I was not amused.

looks like rain on saturday!

Stoked!

looks like rain on saturday!

Stoked!

dunno what weather forecast you're looking at, but i can't find anything that says it's going to rain :0

looks like rain on saturday!

Stoked!


dunno what weather forecast you're looking at, but i can't find anything that says it's going to rain :0

As of 9:30 am Friday, this says there's a 30-40% chance of rain on Saturday in Hagerstown (or at least the zip code).

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=21740&hourly=1&yday=275&weekday=Saturday

come on rain!!

But I cleaned my bike from last weekend!

This was one of the log barriers last year at KA. Front wheel up and on, back wheel up and on, then throw the bike forward before you ended up like the second picture and on the ground.

okay, I am not riding over that. One log, maybe. Stack of timber, nope.


My face is too pretty. Or at least it's pretty enough for my wife, which is all that really matters.

barely anyone rode over that barrier. the one people were mainly going over was much smaller.

This was one of the log barriers last year at KA. Front wheel up and on, back wheel up and on, then throw the bike forward before you ended up like the second picture and on the ground.
haha we must've been standing right next to each other. that was a great crash.

either that or the dude went over his bars twice in the same spot.

**** my ridley is out of commission with a bend derailleur hanger so I have to race the SS all weekend. I am NOT looking forward to racing kelley acres on a SS again. I only registered for that race 2 days ago thinking my ridley would be back from the shop too.

Damn, log stack like that and I'm tempted to bring the mtn bike. I know I could clear it on my 26er, but on the San Jose, not so sure.

Life intrudes and I couldn't do BCA today. zHow'd everbody do?

Still on tap for Kelley Acres though.

Good, cuz I still have lots of New Castle.

Good, cuz I still have lots of New Castle.

based on that statement, I now know who you are :)

thanks for the bell ringing, bagel, and company yesterday.

Bryan w/ the gray De Salvo singlespeed

Beautiful day, still got lapped but held them off longer. Felt like my technical skills have improved a bit, which is satisfying. Now if I wasn't such a weak bastid.

The people who jumped the log piles were really impressive - it was all so fluid.

I think the kid who won the Cat 4 race is too young to drive.

Met bitterken and lithuania. All in all, a good time.

On to next week.

Bryan w/ the gray De Salvo singlespeed

Ah! You still have the coolest SS bike I've seen!

I think the kid who won the Cat 4 race is too young to drive.


Heard he's 14... :twitchy:

What race is next week? I thought I had a week off before Winchester?

I had a blast today, though that long hill was killing me. I either need to grow some bigger legs, or buy a derailleur.

Jimmy from Adventures For the Cure won the 4s; he's 15. He's moving on to 3/4s and won't pick on all the grown ups :thumb: Seriously, the first time I rode with him at training, I couldn't believe how fast he is.

I hated BCA course, very bumpy/rocky. I crashed a few times when my front wheel went out due to a hard bump. The off camber turn everyone warned me about was fairly tame.

Kelly Acres is a really fun course, but freaking brutal climbs. I conserved energy and burned my matches on all climbs. I ended up finishing top 15 and managed a nice face plant over a log barrier on the last lap :roflmao2:

ive grown to really like the bca course

This picture (http://joemallis.smugmug.com/Sports/Bicycle-Racing-Cyclocross/Kelly-Acres-Cyclocross-Oct-4/9852182_xE3oD/1/670087161_UZC27#670087818_VHBMt) says a lot (rib SpongeDad).

This picture (http://joemallis.smugmug.com/Sports/Bicycle-Racing-Cyclocross/Kelly-Acres-Cyclocross-Oct-4/9852182_xE3oD/1/670087161_UZC27#670087818_VHBMt) says a lot (rib SpongeDad).

Thanks. I was definitely sucking wind. At least this didn't happen.

http://joemallis.smugmug.com/Sports/Bicycle-Racing-Cyclocross/Kelly-Acres-Cyclocross-Oct-4/9852182_xE3oD/1/670087161_UZC27#670126461_wxaB5


I'm not a big fan of steep descents, but I have yet to walk down one in a race. As I told my son, that's either courage in the face of one's fear, or a stupid willingness to do something dangerous just because everyone else is doing it. Sadly, I think it's the latter. Still, each time it gets a little easier.

We all enjoyed getting hammered by this lad.

http://joemallis.smugmug.com/Sports/Bicycle-Racing-Cyclocross/Kelly-Acres-Cyclocross-Oct-4/9852182_xE3oD/1/670087161_UZC27#670088617_C7eHB

HAHAHA. So funny to read about people talking about my kid on BF. Yes he is 15 but does have his learners permit (just got it). He's a great kid and will be racing 3/4 now. Glad I'm old enough to race Masters.

Proud dad.

HAHAHA. So funny to read about people talking about my kid on BF. Yes he is 15 but does have his learners permit (just got it). He's a great kid and will be racing 3/4 now. Glad I'm old enough to race Masters.

Proud dad.

And we're glad he'll be racing 3/4!

He was quite focused as he shot by. Very smooth.

Your lad caught me on the final climb to lap me. He was kind enough to consent to my unlapping myself so I could finish on the lead lap. Funnily enough, I got caught by the leader in the same place last year, but it was Dave Fuentes and he was going so fast I couldn't unlap myself.

I had a fun race. I got punted off the course twice in the madness at the start, and was going too fast trying to make up time. So I got the off camber section totally wrong and went down pretty hard. I spent a minute or so recovering, then gingerly got back on my bike and pootled around for a lap before my legs started working again. Thereafter, I was trying to ride as best as I could, moving through the field. I was pretty pleased with how I did... I just need to not crash in races!

And we're glad he'll be racing 3/4!

He was quite focused as he shot by. Very smooth.

no i am not at all looking forward to him beating me in the 3/4s!

I'm not a big fan of steep descents, but I have yet to walk down one in a race. As I told my son, that's either courage in the face of one's fear, or a stupid willingness to do something dangerous just because everyone else is doing it. Sadly, I think it's the latter. Still, each time it gets a little easier.



you are going to HATE reston then. you might not like granogue either because its got two fast grassy downhill sections with one being bumpy and off camber the entire way.

you are going to HATE reston then. you might not like granogue either because its got two fast grassy downhill sections with one being bumpy and off camber the entire way.

Ugh. But if I don't try them, I'll never get better. For whatever reason, I'm more willing to try challenging stuff in a race than I can force myself to do in practice.

anyone know where BCA results are located? I got the KAX results off the MABRA list, but haven't seen BCA anywhere.

Kelley Acres helmet-cam now live: http://www.cxhairs.com/2009/10/07/kelley-acres-video-mens-masters-34/

BCA results are up on crossresults.com