The Fields CX #1, race reports wanted.
11-19-07, 07:36 PM
#1
here's mud in yer eye!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: just west of the world's donut hole
Posts: 59
Bikes: c'mon
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The Fields CX #1, race reports wanted.
Hopefully we can get some of you that did this race to give us your race report. I know what you're thinking, where's mine? I'm working on it
...hope to post asap. In the meantime please share.
...hope to post asap. In the meantime please share.
11-20-07, 06:54 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 315
Bikes: Moots CX, Redline CX
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Wellllll, since someone's asking:
Everything started by my frantic checking of the weather on Friday night. Looks like lots of rain/snow mix all weekend...fun fun! Woke up early Sunday morning and looked out my window to see heavy snow falling, but decided to make the drive from Pittsburgh anyway. As we got closer to Cleveland on I80, the clouds started to break and a beautiful day emerged.
Got off the highway and thought to myself, wow, this looks pretty flat. As we pulled in to the park, that thought changed as I saw two HUGE hills. Went to prereg and warm up. Initially wore knee warmers, but they kept sliding and I eventually took them off. Didn't need em because the two runups kept me nice and toasty.
We all start gathering at the bottom of the pavement, waiting to be queued up. We soon find out that theres like a 50 yard grass sprint, then we go straight up the runup! As I'm watching the B's go, I'm trying to decide whether to ride to the hill or just run it. I decide with 10 seconds to go to ride it. 5 4 3 2 1 and the C race is off!
One thing I'd been working on all summer is my starts, and boy, have I improved since last year. Going into the runup I was top 5, and quickly passed everyone by the top of the hill. Running remount and around the grass fields. Approaching the Cannondale C, I heard cowbells and people cheering. "Thats odd", I thought to myself, people are actually cheering me!!?!? It was really helpful that one of the spectators would yell "Let go" right as I hit the apex of the turn...they helped me time my descent just right. Thanks spectator!
Rest of the course was pretty uneventful. Tried hard to keep the lead that I had created--got scared a couple times in the woods as I saw the rest of the field winding through...would gas it until I couldn't breath, then ease off.
I actually felt really great at the end of the race--probably my favorite yet! As much as I didn't want to at the time, I could've managed another lap.
End result: 1st place, C's.
Bonus result: Bike Authority called me last night and told me I won the in-store raffle. Couldn't understand what the guy said so I plan to call back tomorrow morning.
Do they change the course for next week or what?
Two short videos, taken by my dad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r492kj6Yhhs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwfpFhB4keQ
-Vaughn
Everything started by my frantic checking of the weather on Friday night. Looks like lots of rain/snow mix all weekend...fun fun! Woke up early Sunday morning and looked out my window to see heavy snow falling, but decided to make the drive from Pittsburgh anyway. As we got closer to Cleveland on I80, the clouds started to break and a beautiful day emerged.
Got off the highway and thought to myself, wow, this looks pretty flat. As we pulled in to the park, that thought changed as I saw two HUGE hills. Went to prereg and warm up. Initially wore knee warmers, but they kept sliding and I eventually took them off. Didn't need em because the two runups kept me nice and toasty.
We all start gathering at the bottom of the pavement, waiting to be queued up. We soon find out that theres like a 50 yard grass sprint, then we go straight up the runup! As I'm watching the B's go, I'm trying to decide whether to ride to the hill or just run it. I decide with 10 seconds to go to ride it. 5 4 3 2 1 and the C race is off!
One thing I'd been working on all summer is my starts, and boy, have I improved since last year. Going into the runup I was top 5, and quickly passed everyone by the top of the hill. Running remount and around the grass fields. Approaching the Cannondale C, I heard cowbells and people cheering. "Thats odd", I thought to myself, people are actually cheering me!!?!? It was really helpful that one of the spectators would yell "Let go" right as I hit the apex of the turn...they helped me time my descent just right. Thanks spectator!
Rest of the course was pretty uneventful. Tried hard to keep the lead that I had created--got scared a couple times in the woods as I saw the rest of the field winding through...would gas it until I couldn't breath, then ease off.
I actually felt really great at the end of the race--probably my favorite yet! As much as I didn't want to at the time, I could've managed another lap.
End result: 1st place, C's.
Bonus result: Bike Authority called me last night and told me I won the in-store raffle. Couldn't understand what the guy said so I plan to call back tomorrow morning.
Do they change the course for next week or what?
Two short videos, taken by my dad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r492kj6Yhhs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwfpFhB4keQ
-Vaughn
11-20-07, 09:12 PM
#3
Citizen of Anaerobia
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cleveland, OH
Posts: 36
Bikes: redline Conquest Pro, 105 brifters, ultegra derailleurs, FSA enrgy CX cranks
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Congrats, Vaughn on a great win! the mud on the course was incredible... my race can be summed up in the post "another ettiquitte post"... Still a little sore today, mentally and physically.... I see you caught me in the first video... boy was I hurting!
So when ya moving up to B's? You get more racing for your money, and the pace is def. faster! You look ready in the vids!
Great ride, man.
-Bill
So when ya moving up to B's? You get more racing for your money, and the pace is def. faster! You look ready in the vids!
Great ride, man.
-Bill
11-20-07, 10:10 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 315
Bikes: Moots CX, Redline CX
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Not sure, I was hoping to finish out the series in the C's...is it considered sandbagging if I race the last 3 races in the C's?
11-20-07, 10:40 PM
#5
Citizen of Anaerobia
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cleveland, OH
Posts: 36
Bikes: redline Conquest Pro, 105 brifters, ultegra derailleurs, FSA enrgy CX cranks
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Not at all. See the bottom of the page at Lake Effect Racing. But next season you prolly should for sure! I moved up due to peer pressure from my friends, who race B, [and punished me all year on the road ], otherwise you and I would be dukin' it out, dude! You really looked like you were enjoying yourself at the finish there.
11-21-07, 05:05 PM
#6
here's mud in yer eye!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: just west of the world's donut hole
Posts: 59
Bikes: c'mon
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
As Drumbum said the start had a 50 meter sprint to the run-up. I positioned myself in the second row. We were talking about how a Lemans start would be pretty cool with this kind of starting field of 27 C racers. We’re off and every one is jockeying for position and then the dismount to run-up. Some of our C group decided to remount at the top and others kept running up the short rise to the gravel/mud section before the hard surfaces. Needless to say it was quite dodgy. We strung out a bit on the upper flat sections and I made a few passes before the Cannondale C descent. Nerves, brake modulation and good steering input was the key here. Being too close to someone was a bad idea here though. On the lower section there was a tricky and muddy off camber right that funneled through some small pines. The turn pulled me off line and I had to nudge myself off of a fellow racer (thanks
) to remain upright (more about that stuff later) since everyone was bunching up. The snaking wooded section was by far my biggest problem. The trail was clear of leaves but had various muddy surfaces and wet roots. Racers were checking up and taking a mixture of lines. This caught me out as I rounded a 180 and had to go wide slowly and hit a wet log
that got knocked into the trail at an angle, I’m guessing by an errant B rider. I can’t stay upright so over I go, (idiot!) sorry to the queue behind me. This happened in a different turn in the woods the next lap, (smooth move idiot!) at least it was spread out more behind me. I made some places up that lap and ran
the tricky trail sections next lap. The last lap I was passed by the B leader on the big run up and then by the second B racer (go Tony!) just before the last shorter run up. Ah, the finish and a top five result. Time to clean up, down a hazelnut coffee and think about next week’s cx race.
) to remain upright (more about that stuff later) since everyone was bunching up. The snaking wooded section was by far my biggest problem. The trail was clear of leaves but had various muddy surfaces and wet roots. Racers were checking up and taking a mixture of lines. This caught me out as I rounded a 180 and had to go wide slowly and hit a wet log that got knocked into the trail at an angle, I’m guessing by an errant B rider. I can’t stay upright so over I go, (idiot!) sorry to the queue behind me. This happened in a different turn in the woods the next lap, (smooth move idiot!) at least it was spread out more behind me. I made some places up that lap and ran the tricky trail sections next lap. The last lap I was passed by the B leader on the big run up and then by the second B racer (go Tony!) just before the last shorter run up. Ah, the finish and a top five result. Time to clean up, down a hazelnut coffee and think about next week’s cx race.
