Reconnaissance

The Connecticut State CX championships are coming in a little over two weeks. I had the good fortune of doing a little reconnaissance on Wednesday (Thank you Hunter and Joe!).
After Joe took a leaf blower to the "Hill People's" hill, I was able to ride it.
Hunter from Cheshire Cycles thought they should make it either harder so no one could ride it or easier so everyone could ride it.
I want it just hard enough so I can ride it but none of the other geezers I'm racing can.
Here's a preview of coming attractions:

This is probably a mistake, but...
I thought I would give it a go. Looking at the profile of the Moser Farm, race it looked like it could be really slow in some parts, and really fast in others.
So...think, think, think...how does one gear for a course with very slow spots and very fast spots? Very fast flat spots.
With mtb I never really have the "what if?" running in the back of my head when I race singlespeed. It is what it is, and I'm happy with that. That's not to say I'll rule out gears someday, maybe even someday soon, but cross is different.
There is limited elevation change, and one of the major factors I've seen in my brief cross career has been the consistency of the course surface, or lack there of. Sand, grass, mud, hard pack, and tarmac all can be part of one 1.5-2.5 mile loop with only 50' of elevation change.
So how do you gear for that? Rather how do I gear for that?
Wednesday I bit the bullet, dug out an old Campagnolo Daytona shifter, stole the derailleur off the Sunday Princess and did the deed.
God invented parts bins for a reason
But then Thursday, I went for a mtb ride. My second since I started cross. I was feeling super strong on the climbs. My time didn't really reflect this, because I also spent a good deal of time crashing on leaf covered rocks. But I felt real strong crashing.
This got me thinking. Maybe sscx was having the desired effect? Maybe it was making me stronger on the ssmtb? Maybe I jumped the gun with the shifty bits?
Well they're on there now, so I guess I'll give them a shot.
Campy levers don't play nice with v-brakes
An old derailleur makes a great chain guide. Notice the chainstay protector. Like my old buddy Bongway (RIP) would say when he bought ribbed condoms, "Because I care".

Smith Farm CX; Kill Bill Vol.1

Going into Smith Farm I had two goals; top ten, and beat Bill Thompson.
Comparing our times from the previous week. it looked like we were fairly evenly matched. But he had raced a couple hours earlier than I had, so who knows how consistent the conditions were?
I had finished mid pack on Sunday against a pretty stacked field; technically no one was sandbagging, but there were some terribly talented riders in that field. Racing the Master's 45+, there still would be a depth of talent, but at least they'd be my own age.
The course started with a long straight away, that in most cases would leave me hanging off the back, but although we haven't been deluged with precipitation recently, the way the field we were racing in and the one across the street drain, it was pretty soggy.
We started 22 abreast and trudged down to the first hairpin. Thanks to the conditions and a fairly spinny gear, I got there in the top half.
After some zigzagging about we came out to a surprise set of barriers. I must correct a previous statement I made concerning the barriers; they are not 2x8s stacked two high, they are 1x10s stacked double, screwed to 2x4s, anchored into the ground with rebar. That makes them 18 fucking inches tall! And they are triples.
Following the barriers was what is becoming a Tobacco Valley staple; The Spiral of Death.
The Spiral of Death somehow winds in upon itself (forever), and at it's center, reverses course and somehow spits you out the other side. They put it in the dampest part of the field. I believe two things; 95% of the course was in the Spiral of Death, and Jim Thompson is a sadist.
Oh, but such a beautiful sadist!
The rest of the course was a bucolic jaunt through the orchard, interrupted by six more 1x10 walls.
Back to the spiral.
In the spiral things began to separate. Handling and power began to sort things out. My gear was pretty good, and I negotiated the turns pretty well, but watts is watts, and lets face it, I aints got alots.
Never the less, I was ahead of Bill the first lap.
But I wasn't ahead of Tom from Thule, or the guy with the sweet Sycip.
Then lap 2 happened.
As I catch the Sycip and Thule riders in the spiral, Bill catches me as we reach the back of the orchard. Thule Tom decides the Thompson Express is something he'd like to get in on, so he latches on and passes me.
The next couple of laps they dangle in front of me. I can pull them back a little on the hills (very little), but they keep on adding bits and pieces on the downhills.
I didn't see it, but going into the last set of barriers on the forth lap, Thule Tom crashed. That's where I caught him.
After that set of barriers, is the long drag down to the first corner. I put my head down and tried to spin my gear up as much as possible. Going into the zigzags alone, I had lots of room to stay on the power.
When you get to the Spiral of Death, you can see your chasers, and they see you. You try and stay on or find a solid line through the widening quagmire, trying not to misjudge the line and tangle yourself in the tape.
When I got to the second set of barriers, Todd Holland's son was cheering him on, "He's right there Dad, you can catch him!"
I don't like the sounds of that!
I'm trying to keep it going for the last part of the course; it really is quite lovely, except for the impending doom of Todd and Tom hunting me down.
I'm either catching lapped riders, or guys from the 3/4 race are pre-riding; getting caught behind or slowed by someone would not be good.
Getting to the last set of barriers, Todd's son again is shouting encouragement, "You can get him Dad"!
Fortunately he couldn't and I edge him out by a few seconds on the line.
Seventh place.
Bill is sixth.
Being a half full kind of guy, I'll say mission accomplished (by 50%).
I'll need to find at least 16 seconds for our next meeting.

Notes:
I'm really beginning to warm up to this whole cyclocross thing, at least the little local races I've been doing. I can go race without wasting myself completely or devoting my entire day to racing. With a mountain bike race, even a local one, I'm devoting at least half the day to the event, and I'm usually completely useless for anything other than eating and being horizontal. Saturday, I raced, hung out to see friends race, and still got home and took my sons to lunch, looked at chickens and met Mr. Erik Jungk, aka Duck, and his lovely bride (who wasn't given a silly high school nickname by your truly) for some hoity toity cuisine.

As a bit of comic relief, on the first lap of the 3/4 race, a racer, before the second set of barriers, threw his glasses to a lady watching the race. He then began to shout instructions to her about what he wanted her to do with his specs. I guess he didn't realize how close he actually was to the barriers because he slammed into them full speed. Jim is quite the carpenter / engineer because the barrier didn't budge!
Other than his ego the rider was fine.

Turns out Smith Farm was my Mom's stop for apples back in the day, so I picked her up a bag of Macouns .

Surprising to me, I'm making up time on the barriers by driving in closer to them before dismounting than my competition. Now if I could only improve actually getting over them and remounting...

I think this whole cx thing will be a boon to mtbing. Even though my muscles are pretty tight today, I felt pretty strong on my ride this morning. My first actual mountain bike ride in about a month.

look! Cyclocross type debris actually hanging from my bike!

Tweaks

I decided to take the Kite on a more "traditional" loop today. I started out with the first couple legs of my "cross" loop to make sure I got enough log jumpin' and bike liftin' practice, but then I headed up to the ridge.
Amazing how much rockier it seems with 32 mm tires.
Not only did the terrain slow me to a uselessly pedestrian pace, but it also knocked my headset out of adjustment, which I didn't think was even possible.
I was getting bummed out.
I was wishing I was on my Swift, but having a race on Saturday, I felt I could use all the time on the Kite I could get.
I decided to pull the plug.
But on the way back to my truck, things began to turn around for me. Riding on trails and fireroads more suitable to a cross bike was letting the Kite shine once again.
Horses for courses I guess or some such nonsense.
Turned out the starnut in the fork was slightly crooked, so after a few good whacks, the top-cap settled in. I added a spacer to hopefully prevent this.
I also swapped out my super sweet Raceface Turbines for my beat to hell FSA Energy cranks. Yes they are lighter, but the main reason was they are 170s (Turbines are 175s). I went through a 175 phase; the leverage is nice, but I think the shorter ones work better for me.


I've also decide to race my age group this weekend. Not only does the time work better for me, but I won't have to race 24 year olds with Pro MTB licenses (just guys my own age who are as fast as 24 year with pro mtb licenses).

Stratton Brook CX

I had a bunch of woulda coulda shouldas that I just deleted; no one wants to hear that.
So let's just get right to it shall we?

I was talking with James and Josh from 503 Cycleworx after they finished the Elite 123 race (4th and 7th respectively, great job guys!) when all of a sudden guys are lining up. I run back to my truck, loose my bottle and arm warmers and stage behind Kerry and his Biker's Edge posse.
Whistle blows and I'm off well, in the top 10, as we go over the first set of barriers, and into the weird tape curly Q they set up.
I'm feeling pretty good on the descent to the bike path, and pleased to be holding position on the flat, stone dust path.
But then as we start climbing the almost mountain bikie trail people start passing me.
Did they not get the memo? I'm supposed to be something of a climber!
We get around to the bitch, I mean the beach, and it just sucks. I make it half way around and have to run the second half. Right after the beach is the third set of barriers followed by one last power sapping little climb to the start finish. The barriers are wicked tall (unlike me), and all 3 sets are set up in triples.
Not cool.
Second lap I think I have a gap on Kerry but all of a sudden after the curly Q, he's on me like white on rice...and then he's around me.
He's riding strong and getting a gap.
Then he makes a wrong turn at the beach and I get around him and ride the sand.
The beach / barrier / hill combo is an ass kicker!
Third lap I'm holding my position, but Kerry is methodically reeling me in. Again I ride the beach.
Coming into the start / finish, I'm praying for the sweet relief of the bell lap.
Silence.
Shoot, two more!
Forth lap Kerry passes me before the sand, I tell him to stay to the right and stay on his wheel to the start / finish.
I begin to plot my last lap strategy.
Over the last 3 laps I've gotten pretty good at riding the sand. The plan is to keep Kerry close, and try and get around him before the beach; who ever gets through the sand first, will win our little battle.
But then in the singletrack, at the worst possible spot, Kerry drops his chain!
I get around him and begin to close in on a Paradise Racing rider.
On the bike path to the beach we pass a Colavita / Sutter Home rider, but the Paradise rider gets to the sand first.
I close the gap, and am right on his wheel having to soft pedal my gear staying on the one rideable line behind him.
James is there cheering me on like crazy, telling me to keep pushing and get around him.
I pass him in the barriers, and head for the last climb.
But he easily spins past me as I'm grinding my 36x16 out to the end.
14th out of 30something.

Notes:

• I felt good, but thinking maybe I should have used a 17. Would a 3" smaller gear make a difference? Maybe, maybe not.
• I was a little disappointed with my result. After finishing 7th out of 33 in my debut I was expecting more out of myself. But different course, different conditions (it wasn't freakishly warm), different racers. Gives me something to shoot for.
  
• On the other hand, my time would have put me into 5th place if I raced the 45+. Is it sandbaggy to race my age group?
  
• About those barriers: They were like 15" tall; is that normal? Must have been comical watching me get over them. I know it was a hoot watching the kids in the kid's race lifting their bikes up, throwing them over the barrier, and then scaling the "walls".
• Kerry was definitely stronger than me today; without the wrong turn, or dropped chain he probably would have placed a couple places ahead of me.
• My Mom and Dad came out and the curse has been broken; no mechanicals (I haven't had good luck when they've come to watch me race)!
• The Singular Kite performed admirably. Balanced, neutral handling on a course that would favor a mountain bike. Being 2 pounds lighter than my Swift in race trim was definitely a plus every time I had to summit a set of walls.
  

The Eagle, err, Kite has landed!

After an extend tour of the of the mid-west, a box of goodies arrived from SW England.
A cap, a jersey, a skinsuit and a prototype Singular Kite frameset!
Sam also included some of those fancy Euro cantis that all the cool kids are running.
I'd have to steal the brifters from my Cannondale, or the levers from the Fun Machine, use some crappy old Diacompes from the bin, or heaven forbid spend money on levers.
Or I could just be uncool and run v-brakes with the long pull levers I have for disc brakes.
Well, I didn't want to cannibalize any bikes, or run gears (maybe some day), so v- brakes it is.
Turns out I had to steal the Fun Machine's wheels anyways since even though a giant box can make it's way across the Atlantic in a couple of days, a couple of tires can't get from Indiana to Connecticut in a week.
After a couple of weeks of foul weather, and a migrating cold (started in my head, went South to my chest and hopefully will be flushed out by the weekend) I've got some work to do to do this gem and the accompanying supersuit justice.
My kinda work!
Had no idea I was color coordinating my pedals with the decals
Not Euro cool, but they work
Classy as always