Skankingbiker

I decided to try a couple of local cyclocross races this fall. My goal is to have fun and finish. I generally mountain bike, but am overweight this year and out of shape (215 lbs). I also am trying to do this on a budget. Let me know what you think about my set-up and any advice would be great. I am planning on using my On One il Pompino single speed geared at 40x16 with v-brakes. Currently I have soma sparrow bars on it, but may switch to a midge, dirt drop. For tires, I went with the most economical option...CST Cultivators. Rated for 50-85 psi. I know the pros run tubulars at 20-30 psi. I am hoping to run these at 40 psi without pinch flatting. The two races I am looking at are 30 minutes. One is flat, the other has some hills. 90% grass with a tad of dirt/gravel double track. Again, I am not looking to be competitive in either race. I just want to try the sport, finish, and have fun.

Is there anything insanely wrong with my proposed set-up? I am a little worried about the gearing for the hilly course.

Any tips or advice appreciated. Thanks

Andy_K 

You'll be OK with your setup. Really, anything that gets you out there is fine for a first race or two, and your setup sounds pretty decent.

If the flat race is first, that will give you a feel for the gearing. It sounds too high to me, but if you like mashing better than spinning, it might be OK. I run 39x18 when I race singlespeed. I generally only use the singlespeed on flat courses, but that's because I have a geared CX race bike and if I do singelspeed it's a second race for me. Sometimes, depending on the course, I'll use the singlespeed even in the race that's open to geared bikes. FWIW, my 39x18 gear is too low to place well on a flat course, but it works for me racing for fun and fitness.

Check out the "tips for newbies" sticky in the cyclocross racing forum. It's a series of notes I put together on my experiences starting out as a very slow newbie, and other people added some more generally useful tips over time.

Skankingbiker

Thanks.

Skankingbiker

Waiting on the tires. Also need to gear down to 40x18 or 36x16

Kopsis

Latex tubes will significantly reduce your risk of pinch-flats when running at lower pressure. However, with a 27 tpi casing, there's not much point trying to run ultra low pressure since the tire won't have enough sidewall flex to really take advantage of it. No need to change the bars if you're just racing for recreation. Gearing obviously depends on your fitness level. True beginners often start at 2:1 (eg. 38-19) for a hilly course and something less if it's good and flat. Most people who race SS will bring several freewheels so they can adjust up or down once they pre-ride the course. Remember that too high a ratio will make you slow in the fast sections, too low a ratio will make you slow in the slow sections. Which is a better compromise will depend on the course.

Cynikal 

Also, to avoid flats find tubes with removable cores and inject some Stans in there. Don't focus too much on the pressure that the pros run. Your tires should be adjusted to your weight.

Andy_K 

As a slow clyde, let me just say I wouldn't worry about flats. Flats happen, but unless you're racing through goatheads (which also happens) they aren't so common that you need to do anything other than make sure you've got adequate tire pressure (40-45 psi should be plenty if you unweight the bike before hitting things). If you do get a flat, just head to the beer garden and talk about how well you might have done were it not for bad luck.

Skankingbiker

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. Just signed up for my first race. Its Oct 12, so I have a few weeks to train. I can tell from my mini practice session last night (riding my bike around a nearby park in the dark, running up the hill in my yard with my bike, jumping over PVC pipes with it, and doing wind sprints up a big hill on a nearby bike path) that I am going to die on the obstacles and running portions...completely gassed when remounting. ---not surprising, as I suck at running and am way overweight at 215 lbs

Kopsis

There's only so much fitness you can gain in two and a half weeks, so focusing on technique may be the best use of your limited training time. Getting fluid on dismounts and remounts can save a surprising amount of energy -- especially on a SS. Also be sure to get in some practice on technical aspects (off-camber, sand, mud). As a mountain biker, your handling skills are probably pretty good but you may need some time to adjust to the huge reduction in traction that the CX bike will have vs. a MTB.

Skankingbiker

Watched a lot of youtube videos last night. Glad that the "step-through" technique does not seem to be in vogue....I nearly killed myself trying it. I naturally do the step behind, so I am going with that.

Cynikal 

You will never win the race at the barriers but you sure can lose it there. For your first season just focus on learning and having fun. Take the beer handups.

Skankingbiker

One other question: Whats up with the goofy costumes at some of the races?

fietsbob

... its a Halloween weekend thing..

Skankingbiker

Ahh....good to know its not mandatory to wear a pink tu tu if you are riding single speed.

Kopsis

Depends on the race. Halloween is smack in the middle of CX season, so Halloween races typically encourage costumed riders. Of course CX itself is just the other side of crazy, so some riders (especially in the SS races) don't restrict the costume fun to just one race. As for the fans, if you want to stand out among the other hecklers, an amusing costume helps. Bottom line is that CX in the US is supposed to be a fun, friendly atmosphere and so some folks go out of their way to encourage that.

Andy_K 

Good advice. Conversely, do not take donut handups. It may seem like a good idea, but you'll spend a full lap being unable to breath. Trust me -- voice of experience.

caloso

Hi. Another SSCX'er here. Another Pompino rider, actually. A couple of thoughts:

1) When in doubt on gearing, go lower. It's going to seem like you're way spun out in the beginning of the race, but if you go the other way, it'll be a death slog at the end.
2) Be careful about going with low pressures on clinchers. Not only can you pinch flat them, you can pop them off the rim on hard cornering. Maybe I just had bad luck with my tire/rim combination, but it can be an issue.
3) Have a great time!

Skankingbiker

Lots of issues to sort out in the next couple of weeks.

1. Even my 40x19 was feeling a little steep on my practice run today. 2 laps and my legs were toast trying to start from a standstill in the grass.

2. My original bar set up did not work out, as I could not get enough leverage on the climbs with the sparrow bars. Dusted off the old midge bars...much better. Went with bar grips to keep it real with my mtb roots.H

3. Handling is very different than what I was expecting....I think I will slacken my brakes a bit, as the rear wheel locks up very easily and tends to fishtail like crazy when braking on downhills. Feel ok in slaloms...basic mtb handling skills transfer easily, esp. b/c I ride with dirt drops sometimes.

4. Not loving the new CST tires...feel pretty hard, even at 40psi, which I am going to increase to 50, as my 215lb arse feels like i am going to flat it.

5. Needed to remove the water bottle mount...got in the way of putting my arm through the frame.

6. I feel pretty good on the dismounts. Mounting is another story...I have a nasty stutter step before I hop on, and then 9 times out of ten I am spinning my legs in air trying to find my pedals..not sure how to fix this issue.


......this is going to be brutal.

Pompino_6954 by T_MB, on Flickr

Pompino_6957 by T_MB, on Flickr

Kopsis

Everyone loves to hate on cantis, but superior modulation is why those of us who haven't switched to disks still run them. Linear pulls may have better stopping power on the road, but on a CX course the ability to really feather the brakes is critical. I'll trade power for modulation any day.

Typical of all the low-end CST tires. Low TPI and thick sidewalls make them ride hard at any pressure.

Practice, practice, practice. I've been doing this for a couple years now and I still only manage to "nail" about 1 in 10 mounts. From a "technique" standpoint, the "trick" is to jump up and pull the bike back under you instead of trying to put enough additional forward momentum in your jump to catch up to the bike. Still, easier said than done.

As for finding the pedals, having a loose enough drivetrain so the pedals don't move after a dismount helps a lot. Geared bikes have enough drag in the RD that this is rarely an issue. SS often has enough freewheel drag that the spinning rear wheel can rotate the unloaded pedals. No guarantee, but sometimes putting just a little more slack in the chain will help. You want a little more chain slack than you do for road anyway to handle things like frame flex and mud build up.

That's why we do it

Andy_K 

I recently read an interview with Lars Van der Haar in Cyclocross Magazine and while he is using discs he mentioned that the extra power took some getting used to and I think he implied that this might be why other European pros are reluctant to switch.

I just put full-size V-brakes with long pull levers on my singlespeed. The feel is obviously different, but so far I've only raced it as a fixed gear, which is tough enough to keep under control that I can't really comment on other factors like brakes. I'm anxious to see what it will be like when I try it out with a freewheel.

Skankingbiker

More lessons learned today:

1. A cross bike does not handle like a mountain bike. Can't plow into corners like I am used to.

2. There is a reason why they invented chain tugs for singlespeeds..... It only cost me a cut lip, scraped knee, jammed and out of true rear wheel to learn that lesson

3. Don't leave your 15mm axle wrench 3 miles away in your car unless you like to walk with a frame on your shoulder.

4. Walking 3 miles in socks is more comfortable than spds

5. cheap tires suck.

6. I suck at this.

Skankingbiker

x-posted in racer's forum:


Did my first cx race ever today. Rode Cat 5 newbie race.


I rode my single speed commuter geared at 36x19, because that is all I had. Came into the race not feeling good after I twinged my hip flexor at practice earlier this week. Oh, and I weigh 215 and did not get to get much riding in this year except in the last two months (mostly mtb biking and then 3-5 cx practices).


......needless to say, I finished DFL....in fact, I may have even gotten a DNF, because I was lapped 50 yards before the finish line, so I did not get to do my 4th lap.....not that I had anything left in the tank for a fourth lap anyhow.


First lap felt good. Sprinted out of the box. It was an uphill sprint into a bunch of ziggy zaggies....did really well here. Even did well on the barriers, first run up, and off camber descents. Then we had a small flat area. I was completely spun out and got passed. First steep hill was singletrack. I got knocked to the side and needed to walk up.... passed a lot again. Up two more sets of hills...still feeling "ok" but sucking air big time. fast descent into a hairpin turn with frost on the ground = fishtail and wipeout. Next big hill I had to walk the whole thing.....my legs felt like lead weights at this point. Was still hanging in there ...even passed some people on the twisty turnies...as roadies dont seem to know how to corner and brake inside the turns instead of before. Then, those big hills just killed me on the second lap. Got passed by the last Cat 5 guy, then started to get passed by the juniors. Barfed on the third lap.


The finish, like the start, was uphill. Even with my low gearing, I just had no legs. Cardio-wise I was ok....legs just left like lead..they wouldn't move. Barfed again at the end (just mucus). Got lapped on the last hill 50 yards before the finish. Coughed for 2 hours after due to cold air in lungs. 5 hours later, my legs just wont move.




20141012_101522_1-1 by T_MB, on Flickr




Badger prairie cross by T_MB, on Flickr

macca33

Hey, you're having a crack mate, so that is all that matters - good effort.

Keep having fun!

cheers

Kopsis

Congrats on surviving your first race! Now, one of two things will happen. Either you'll check the accomplishment off your bucket list and say "thank goodness I never have to do that again", or, like the rest of us crazies, as soon as your legs and lungs recover, you'll be itching to try it again

Note that in most regions, CX races don't DNF riders for going a lap down. If they did, all you'd need is one sandbagger in the cat4/5 race and 75% of the field would DNF. Instead, you finish whatever lap you're on when the leader finishes and the results just list your time for the laps you completed with a "+1 lap" or similar notation. My region will let folks finish 2 or even 3 laps down as long as they aren't too much of a hazard to other racers.