SpongeDad

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.

*new*guy

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.

Lithuania

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.

dirtyphotons

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.

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

Noted!

Schiek

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.

SpongeDad

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)?

Lithuania

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.

Lithuania

yes the logs are in place of barriers

SpongeDad

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).

Lithuania

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.

dirtyphotons

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:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnMmi...eature=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.

Andy_K 

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.

Lithuania

looks like rain on saturday!

Stoked!

*new*guy

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

SpongeDad

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).

https://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/...ekday=Saturday

Lithuania

come on rain!!

bitterken

But I cleaned my bike from last weekend!

AABCCX

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.

SpongeDad

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.

Lithuania

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

dirtyphotons

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.

Lithuania

**** 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.

Crack Monkey

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.

SpongeDad

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

Still on tap for Kelley Acres though.