iron cross weekend
#1
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
iron cross weekend
so, who's in? i'm going to race both days. i *may* bring a geared bike for saturday's racing, but am doing sunday on my single speed. headcount?
#2
NYC
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,714
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1169 Post(s)
Liked 107 Times
in
62 Posts
Grrr. I can't make it Saturday and the 65 miler, while probably better suited for my style of fitness right now, would do nothing good for my training for regular cx right now.
I am signed up for Granogue and Wissihickon the following week.
I am signed up for Granogue and Wissihickon the following week.
#4
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
^^^^yeah... i'm thinking about just bringing one bike (singlespeed). thing is, i have room for two, and it would be nice to *save* the new bike for sunday.
#5
Rhymes With Bike
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'm doing the Sunday ride. I'm looking at it as some good hard training. The two weeks between this and DCCX should be enough to recover. I got one bike and it has gears. I plan to use them all.
Now I need to remember at what hotel I reserved a room ...
Oh yeah, what tires are you all running. My understanding is that you don't need anything real agressive and there is a lot of hard pack that favors more of a file tread. I think I'm going with Ritchey Speedmax but will bring along the Grifos as well.
Now I need to remember at what hotel I reserved a room ...
Oh yeah, what tires are you all running. My understanding is that you don't need anything real agressive and there is a lot of hard pack that favors more of a file tread. I think I'm going with Ritchey Speedmax but will bring along the Grifos as well.
Last edited by Schiek; 10-09-08 at 08:48 AM.
#7
Rhymes With Bike
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
There are different variations to the Speedmax. Cross, Pro, plain-old-Speedmax. The Jenson is the Pro the Tree Fort is the Cross. I guess they are trying to get as much mileage out of the speedmax brand but it certainly is confusing. They would not be my first choice for a cross tire.
#8
NYC
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,714
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1169 Post(s)
Liked 107 Times
in
62 Posts
I have Maxxis Locusts on the Blue now (AC hurricane clincher wheels). I think that covers the muddy / soft days.
Looking for a faster rolling tire for hard / dry days. What would you suggest?
Looking for a faster rolling tire for hard / dry days. What would you suggest?
#11
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Schiek: i'm going to run some maxxis larsen Mimo something or others that i have worn down considerably with commuting.
#12
Rhymes With Bike
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I've got an older pair of those floating around. Now I'm going to start overthinking this.
#13
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
^^^excellent plan. my current thing that i'm overthinking is: should i use my messenger pack to carry tools/tubes/bottles/food....
#14
NYC
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,714
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1169 Post(s)
Liked 107 Times
in
62 Posts
If I was doing the 65, I'd maybe pack like this:
Camelback (100oz classic) for gatorade.
Left jersey pocket for tube, patches, pump, tools and c02.
Center pocket for cell phone, car key, and gels.
Right pocket for more gels.
2 or 4 Clifbars under leg of shorts.
Last thing I'd want is a messenger bag whacking around.
Camelback (100oz classic) for gatorade.
Left jersey pocket for tube, patches, pump, tools and c02.
Center pocket for cell phone, car key, and gels.
Right pocket for more gels.
2 or 4 Clifbars under leg of shorts.
Last thing I'd want is a messenger bag whacking around.
#15
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
it's a messenger pack and it doesn't "whack" around. imagine a parachute w/out the chute inside. that's how stable it is. also, having full pockets is a good way to ensure you lose stuff on the rough sections.
#16
Rhymes With Bike
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Putting cages on the bike for the weekend. Hammer sustained energy in the bottles should provide enough calories for the ride w/ one refill at an aid station. Tools and tubes in a small saddlebag. May carry a third bottle in the jersey.
#17
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
well that was fun. and hard. sorta like... um... hmmn. nothing like that, really. awesome weekend. i wrote a bit of a race report here: https://neverendingheadwind.blogspot..../10/ic-vi.html
Schiek, it was really cool to finally meet you. hope you are well recovered today. see you at DCCX
b
Schiek, it was really cool to finally meet you. hope you are well recovered today. see you at DCCX
b
#18
Rhymes With Bike
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Great to meet you as well *new*guy. Nice race report, a spot-on take of the day. Hope you were able to stay awake during your early morning meeting. I am definitely spending today licking my wounds.
#20
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
yeah.... i know, geared. basically, i was dialing in the de salvo on friday and my wheel was moving around. the eno wheel i was going to use just won't work right w/ track ends. it needs vertical dropouts. there's a conversion kit to make it a regular axle, but i dunno if i'll bother. basically i had to take a bike that i knew would be reliable, so i took the geary. other than 2 episodes of chain drop and a flat, it was spot on for the pounding it took.
#21
Tiocfáidh ár Lá
Cool man. I've always wanted to do that race but something gets in the way. I guess you have to expect all kinds of mechanicals at a race like that.
#22
Rhymes With Bike
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Absolutely. I flatted twice. It is amazing to see all the people on the side of the road/trail fixing flats or dealing with mechanicals. Probably passed 20 or so. And I was there with them.
Equipment choice is also a brain teaser. I ran 30mm tires, which were too skinny for the loose gravel and single track, but I picked up positions by the handful every time we hit the asphalt or smooth fire roads. Probably wasted ten or fifteen minutes with tire changes, an unplanned dismount/crash and overshooting a turn on the course but that seems about average for most folks. My plan was to put in a hard training ride under 5 hours. Finished in 4:58. Along with a t-shirt, pint glass and socks, I also got to take home a left knee the size of a grapefruit. Just proves the mechanicals are not always bike-related.
Equipment choice is also a brain teaser. I ran 30mm tires, which were too skinny for the loose gravel and single track, but I picked up positions by the handful every time we hit the asphalt or smooth fire roads. Probably wasted ten or fifteen minutes with tire changes, an unplanned dismount/crash and overshooting a turn on the course but that seems about average for most folks. My plan was to put in a hard training ride under 5 hours. Finished in 4:58. Along with a t-shirt, pint glass and socks, I also got to take home a left knee the size of a grapefruit. Just proves the mechanicals are not always bike-related.
#23
Oh The Huge Manatee
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: mabra
Posts: 4,528
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
riding geared is probably for the best anyway. that race nearly killed me last year. i absolutely hated that long rocky section.
#24
ambassador of good will
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: NOVA
Posts: 2,019
Bikes: many.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
yeah. there was a dude i know of who did RAAM this year fixed who raced yesterday on 48x18 single. he placed well, too. totally bonkers.
on a positive note, i took one of my road wheels and used spacers and a steel cog and now have a perfectly reliable setup on the desalvo. i'll race it at DCCX. i *might* double up and do one race geared, the other SS.
on a positive note, i took one of my road wheels and used spacers and a steel cog and now have a perfectly reliable setup on the desalvo. i'll race it at DCCX. i *might* double up and do one race geared, the other SS.
#25
Rhymes With Bike
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,221
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
There are some great pictures posted here: https://elementoftheeye.ifp3.com/root...hoto/main2.cfm Looks like he is adding new batches, nightly.
Saw a couple of Bryan in the Spiral of Death.
Saw a couple of Bryan in the Spiral of Death.