You forgot to mention that I spotted you a lap at Lansing (In the 4Bs I always rolled around in last place until space opened up on the 2nd lap, then tried to pass as many as I could). It was also my 4th race of the weekend.

You had a better chance of beating me at Whitewater, the beach and the hill were taking its toll on me then. Well, officially you did beat me because the judges missed you getting lapped..

Otherwise, I'm going to upgrade to the 3s sometime during the season, would like to get some top 10s in the 4s first. The other thing is that the 3s race way too early for me, I'll have to get up at 5 am or so on Sundays to make it in time. Maybe just do the elite race and count how many times I get lapped.

Psi does have nice legs.

Most importantly, Cross is all about the engine. You can throw as much moolah as you like at a bike an dequipment, but it won't make you go more than a couple of seconds faster. I've often raced faster on my heavy singlespeed, just because I was forced to go hard instead of shifting down. The biggest advantage is to be gained from training skills - smooth through corners without losing momentum and smooth over barriers and remounting.

It's also most important to note that the Chicrosscup courses are highly non-technical, well-groomed and have no mud of significance. You can race on just about anything, don't really need to worry about clearance or be fussy about brakes. Try to make sure that your bike fits you and pay attention to your tire pressure. The Wisconsin courses are a bit rougher and require a bit more pure cross. A hardtail MTB should also do fine on them though.

80s roadbike should work fine for cross with some minor adaptations. Cross on!

MJH2, if you beat me I'll give you a big hug. I know you like huggies!