Swiss Cross Update- Dirt Road Mods

With my 'cross season over after a single race I've made some changes to the Swiss Cross setup.  'Cross bikes are often praised for their versatility and I have to say I have mixed feelings about that.  Yes, their ability to go on and off road is pretty cool, but as I've said before I don't think fender mounts or rack eyelets have a place on any self-respecting race bike.  Purpose-built Ridley race bikes have only a single water bottle mount and Richard Sachs 'cross frames have none.


You can see here that I've wavered a bit on my fundamentalist position with two bottle cages (or bidons if you prefer) but the rest of the bike is entirely as I...well, as I intended to race it anyway.  I only have so many jacket pockets so as much as I'd like to be a purist about the bottle cages it's just not feasible when it's below 50 degrees and I need to carry some additional layers.  

Since I first built it up I've swapped out the stem and post for the Ritchey WCS wet red models you see here.  I had misgivings about getting red components as they're likely to stick out on any other bike in the stable but since they match the Swiss Cross perfectly I felt it was completely appropriate.  The more I look at them the more I like them, and with minimal fiddling I've been able to run the stem in the downward position although it's still pretty far from being slammed.  
 

I've also swapped out the tubular EA70's for the Ritchey WCS Zeta clinchers.  So far those wheels have been great with both the 33 mm 'cross tires and the Clement Strada LLGs pictured here.  Although there's a lack of quality pavement around here there are miles upon miles of dirt roads.   I was looking for a wide, lightly siped tread for exploring said dirt roads and found the Strada.  After a few rides it's proven to be a solid performer and although it's claimed to be a full 28 mm width it only measures out to 26 mm on a standard 19 mm wide rim.  That means there's the added benefit of being able to use this same wheel/tire setup on my road bike without any additional fiddling.  

I'm still not a fan of cantilevers, but if you're going to run them I suggest giving the Avid Shorty Ultimates serious consideration.  They're a modern machined aluminum version of the classic mid-90's mountain bike cantilever and offer the best feel and stopping power of anything I've tried.  The setup is unique but straightforward after you read the instructions- they don't take long to setup but they are quite a bit different from the TRPs and Shimanos I've ridden recently.    

 And of course there's plenty of clearance.  My experiments with getting the Redline setup for dirt road duty were a horrendous failure mainly because the frame was so stiff but also because I used 23c tires.  The Swiss Cross is a notably smoother ride, but the wider tires at significantly lower pressure also deserve some credit.  The extra tire width also makes the massive clearance slightly less obnoxious. 

More red.  I'm really getting into this bike, and the white cables/tape/hoods combo is really growing on me next to the all red frame/fork/stem/post.  There was an internal struggle about where to put my Pro-35 decals so I opted went for the more subtle finishing tape accent and non-drive chainstay placement.   

Fall Plans & An Update

I hate to admit it, but fall is in full swing here in New England.

The weather has been erratic and it absolutely poured through the two weekends of peak foliage.  Some days have been warm but overall it's been overcast and rainy more often than not.  The volume of rain hasn't been that high yet the rain that has fallen has been spread out enough that we've only had 2 or 3 completely dry days in the last 2 weeks.

Fortunately I got some road miles in when the weather was cooperating the weekend of 9/22.  Of course I didn't realize that the Peak 6/12/24 Hour race had been moved to that day so I didn't know I was missing out on competing.  I even rode through Pittsfield though I didn't pass the venue.

My original season plan was to focus on the summertime endurance races without putting much effort into 'cross.  In years past I've felt like I've spread myself too thin and in doing failed at both by neither fully committing to endurance races nor being fully rested to start a cross campaign.  As I've said before a bad day at a marathon means suffering to a decent finish while a bad cross race means getting shot out the back on the first lap; I've decided to focus accordingly.

With my August burnout/allergy issues I didn't set a firm schedule for September.  I was tired, and felt like I needed a break so after 2 weeks off I started training again with the primary goal of losing weight without worrying about maintaining top end race fitness.  During the season I can maintain my race weight but have a hard time getting below it without wrecking my power output, so this was really about getting lean first and foremost.  Over the summer I realized that I could take another big step forward with even just a modest weight decrease, and losing 10-15 pounds would make me unstoppable.  I was riding just behind the next tier of regional racers and with some improvement I could close the gap.

The results have been interesting.  I've had some awesome rides and have mostly been climbing better, but I've also had a few rides where I've felt weak and empty.  On one ride in particular I cut 9 minutes off of my best time for a 21 mile loop, so on some days I feel like I can do some damage on the race course.

So really I made some improvements but I don't feel like I'm done yet so I've signed up for the CircumBurke at the end of the month.  I'm not sure how cooperative the weather will be in East Burke in late October, but it's worth a shot.  I'm expecting that it will land somewhere between a smooth, fast day out and an "epic".  As long as it isn't a total disaster I'll be happy.

And what about 'cross?  I pretty much missed all of the Catamount 'cross races and as of mid- October have yet to get a bike which obviously makes competing difficult.  I do still love 'cross, and helping Carrie get into it has been a lot of fun for me.  It's a lot easier to stand on the sidelines and cheer than it is to compete, but it's tough to stay a spectator when I know I have some fitness.

So what will I be riding?  A Ritchey Swiss Cross.

  
In this post I mentioned that I'd missed my opportunity to own one of these from the last production run and now I'm very excited to run one.  This year I'll probably do 2 races- the Spa Cross in Saratoga and the Paradise Cross Frenzy next month, but more than the races I'm looking forward to a beatiful smooth steel ride for mixed surface rides and dirt road epics. I'll be sure to post some pictures once it's all built up.

I can't wait.

This One Snuck Up On Me- Diamondback Steilacoom RCX

During my trip out to Seattle I was fortunate enough to borrow Simon Lawton's Diamondback Steilacoom RCX.  It was a great way to get out and see the city, and after a few rides I found myself really liking the bike. 

Steilacoom, wide shot.

What surprised me the most about the bike was how responsive it was under power- when you put the pedal down the bike takes off without hesitation, and the drivetrain/bottom bracket stiffness is great.  Most of that is attributable to the BB30 crank, but upon closer inspection you can also see a well thought out and highly manipulated tubeset that also plays its part. 

Bottom bracket with BB30 stamp.

Most of my riding was on paved rec paths and commuter trails, but I was able to make a couple of dirt dalliances to see how 'cross worthy the bike truly is.  Turns out it's a solid performer on dirt as well and the underfoot stiffness doesn't translate into an unnecessarily harsh ride.

Here's what the underside of the top tube looks like- note the subtle flattening in the midsection for more comfortable shouldering.  Simon is sponsored by Diamondback, so he supplemented the very stealth decals with some bolder and more visible white letters on the downtube.  

The BB30 allows for very thick chainstays which are highly manipulated to allow for tire clearance.  This also helps keep things moving forward when you're pedaling squares.  

The seatstays are manipulated to allow for some vertical compliance and are fairly thin top to bottom but wide side to side.

The overall package of the bike was deceptively nice- everything worked remarkably well including the Shimano 105 drivetrain, DBR brand cockpit (save for the shorter stem that I used- Simon is 6'4"), Equation rims, Avid Shorty brakes and venerable Michelin Mud tires.  Nothing flashy, but solid parts with no corners cut.

Handling was as predictable as any other CX rig I've ridden and was a good blend of being stable and maneuverable.  The bike was a 59 and a full size above my normal 56, but with minimal tweaking it worked out fine.

I didn't get to race on this bike, but if the opportunity presented itself I certainly would.  Diamondback isn't at the forefront of the CX arms race, but the Steilacoom benefits from being under the Raleigh umbrella, and Raleigh has certainly cemented themselves in the very competitive Pacific Northwest scene.  If you're looking for a second bike or are new to the sport with $1525 to spend then this is a great option.

For more info visit www.diamondback.com/2012-steilacoom-rcx.

Distraction, Procrastination and Projects

In between work, Christmas shopping and some occasional relaxation I've been making my way back into being an athlete.  Last week I got in four workouts in a row- some on the rollers, some running the river loop, but all quality.  Fortunately this time of year I can be unstructured, and I'm trying to use that to my advantage.

Riding over Christmas was a bust.  After fighting to stuff the RSL into the trunk with all of the clothes, presents and miscellaneous stuff for our Christmas trip I felt like I had to actually go for a ride.  I got off to a slow start after fumbling around for most of the morning, but I did hit the trail head with the intention of riding for about 2 hours.  After 40 minutes of riding I got a sidewall cut that I couldn't repair with my frozen CO2 cartridge and walked 4 miles back to the car.


During that walk I realized my current set of mountain bike shoes really suck unless you're clipped in and pedaling smoothly.  Had I known they were going to suck so much I would have taken my chances with some Sidi replacement lugs and JB Weld on an old pair of road shoes.  That may end up my solution if I can't line something more substantial for next year, and so far it doesn't look good. 

While looking into my pageviews last week it appears that the snowboard tuning bench setup I made for Carrie is getting some traffic- if you're looking for that post you can find it here.  It's interesting given that I only really gave that passing mention in the post, but if you have some ambition and a couple 2 x 4s it's pretty straightforward.  What's also interesting is that I end that post by rambling about how I should really put some time into getting the Redline ready to ride.  Funny how some things never change. 

I've been contemplating an order of Pro-35 hoodies.  Artwork would most likely be similar to the earlier t-shirt run, though I may change the location of the print.  In case you forgot, this is what it looks like.

I'm considering a slight color change that's in keeping with the 90's-era Mavic pallet seen above.  That means I might swap the pink for the green found on the Mach 2 CD rim shown below, but the jury is still out on that.

Unfortunately there is no shortage of things to spend money on this time of year with ski gear, cycling season pre-orders, and the various winter costs of extra fuel and propane just to keep things interesting.  This idea might not get off the ground, but the t-shirts were a hit so I'd like to do something long sleeve to go with them.  I might do zip up rather than pullovers, but there again it depends on cost, and if I can't get afford quality shirts I'm not going to do it.

For some 'cross season is still rolling, and the remarkably mild fall and winter have made that exceptionally easy this year.  Embrocation has some really cool 'cross articles including an interesting recurring feature about Jeremy Durrin found here.  It's worth a read as it's not just the usual "I went to Belgium and got my ass handed to me" race report that you find from Americans racing in Europe this time of year. 

Now that 'cross is mainstream there's no shortage of content, but I've found myself interested in some of the more retro stuff.  Things like this fan card of legend Klaus Peter Thaler for instance.

 

I did in fact get some 'cross fan cards of Albert Zweifel and Roland Liboton and I fully intend to display them in the basement once I figure out a clever way to do it. 

Of course mention of anything retro 'cross would be remiss without mentioning Alan.  A few years ago I was fortunate enough to race as part of the Alan grassroots 'cross program, and it was cool to represent a brand with such a rich history in the sport.  The US distribution has changed hands since then, but the bikes are all still handmade in Italy.  Around the time of Klaus Peter there were few companies who actually made their own 'cross bikes, so Alan made them for almost all of the European brands like Guerciotti and Colnago.  Almost all of the greats at that time rode Alans, and I can vividly recall BMW-ProFlex sponsored Henrik Djernis riding the '96 worlds on a bonded carbon/aluminum frame.   

Here's a shot of Don Myrah's Guerciotti-badged Alan 'cross bike that he still uses from time to time.  I'd be remiss to not mention his palmares either as a national 'cross champ and '96 Olympian in mountain biking. 

And of course when I do get back to competition I am going to get my ass handed to me.  I've been semi-active for too long, and now I need to put some effort into rebuilding my overall health and fitness so that I can achieve some sort of meaningful progression in 2012.  I felt like I got close in 2011, but was still just a half-step away from really kicking ass.  I was close to guys I wanted to beat but I just felt like I was slightly off the pace- and I want that feeling back.  There's no France trip to jump start my season this year, but maybe Wayward and I will get together for some ski-centric masochism to get ready for the riding season. 

Maybe tonight I'll actually get the shop setup instead of just talking about it.  Of course that will happen after I ride the rollers for a couple hours, so all bets are off. 

'Cross Flashback- '04 Season

Recently I stumbled upon some pictures from my 2004 cross campaign.  I don't remember the name of the event but it was from the Verge series round in Palmer Mass.  The course wound its way around the school, through a small wooded section and on the outside edge of the ball fields.  Pretty much everyone was on clinchers and had just one bike.  Skinsuits were still pretty rare.

The start.  This was before 'cross got so big that you were staged by registration order- it was still first come, first serve and guys were foregoing a warm up just to get a good starting position.  I'm in the second row and completely out of view.

This course had an extended woods section, and I always made up time on the short, steep climb and the fast, sweeping downhill exit.  Outside pedal down, low in the drops and looking like I give a shit. 

A little further back in the same woods section.

Pedaling along the outer edge of the baseball field.  That was my second season racing on the LeMond Poprad.  I wish I held onto that bike.

 

More ripping through the woods.  That was a fun course.  

I have no idea how I finished, but it was a fun race and the last one of my season.  

This is the first time since 1999 that I haven't done a single 'cross race.  I really miss it,  but I'll get back to it next season.

Ritchey Swiss Cross

I stumbled upon this picture in Cyclingnews.com's coverage of NAHBS and my heart nearly stopped.  Ritchey is starting to produce production non-folding bikes again and will have two models available, a P-29er and the Swiss Cross.

If memory serves 2005 was the last year that Ritchey frames were available.  One of my regrets was not buying one of last Swiss Cross framesets that they had available.  Looks like I may yet have a chance.  

This model looks super sharp with a Force build kit and the wet red post/wet white stem combo.  Normally I match stem & post if not in brand then at least in color but I have to say that I like this look quite a bit.  I also tend to run the hoods and tape to match, but here's a good example of contrasting them without it looking out of place.

Moots Monday- Psycho-X in Winter Regalia- Updated

They're taunting me. 

On the Moots blog you can find this picture taken of the bike path in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
http://moots.com/afternoon-ti/bike-path/

I just saw Jon's response to my comment on the moots blog about this, and it's not an RSL proto but in fact a Psychlo X SL that's been recently redecaled.  I'm not sure whether I feel better or worse about it being an older, discontinued but more exclusive model.  The cool factor is still there for certain and although it's not branded as "race stock" equipment it carries a certain cache much like the older Mavic rims with SSC etched into them.  

Here are my original comments below.  Perhaps I'm so hung up on the new RSL line that I'm projecting them onto every silvery-looking handmade bike that I come across.

___________________________________________________________________________________



They don't call out the bike in the picture, but my suspicion is that it's another shot of an RSL Prototype.  In my mind that's the perfect 'cross bike, and an amazing winter bike.  In some ways owning a bike like that is like buying an Audi S4 for a winter car, but the reality is that the RSL is well suited to rough roads and impervious to rust and corrosion.  Admittedly you could argue that an aluminum frame has a similar resistance to salt and that it's the components that really take the beating.

What's so bad about a new hyped up RSL putting in winter mileage?  On the surface, nothing.  Except that I have a new Mooto X RSL 29 er hardtail on order that's from the first ever production run that's due to arrive in about a month.  Obviously I'm super excited about that bike, but the issue is that I'm already thinking about my Next Next bike.  It's as if my Next bike is already in the rear view mirror.

Cross Worlds Predictions

Any good cross fan will tell you that the elite men's and women's races are tomorrow at Cyclocross World Championships in Sankt Wendel, Germany.  If you haven't been following Das Pro und The Rookie it's worth a look over at www.cyclowhat.com.  Chandler Delinks has put together some pretty funny videos that document his prep for Masters' Worlds in Mol, Belgium side-by-side with Tim Johnson's build up for the race tomorrow.  It's pretty funny and offers some great cycling content when the rest of cycling world pouts about the Contador suspension (is it really a surprise?)

For the women I think this is Katie Compton's year, in spite of her goofy 3/4 length Wonder Woman skinsuits.  I haven't heard any reports of the the leg cramping issues that have plagued her in the past, and when she's on she's a force of nature.  Hanka Kupfernagel is fighting on home soil and will certainly be motivated, but I think she'll wind up second.  She's a lot like Nys and was once dominant and is still consistently in the mix, but she's not the sure thing she once was.  In third I'll go with Marianne Vos because she never seems to give up and can be competitive in just about any  race any time of year in any discipline.  Darkhorses are Gabby Day and Daphne Van Den Brand.

Other notable Americans will be Meredith Miller with a strong ride in 9th and if Georgia Gould lines up she'll be in 13th.

For the Men, I pick Niels Albert to win.  He's been hot lately and I think he'll be the protected rider on the Belgian squad.  The Belgians have been able to band together and gang up on almost everyone else in the 'cross community over the last few years, Stybar's win last year notwithstanding.  Sven Nys will be second in another strong but not dominant performance.  I admire Nys quite a bit, but I think in spite of his massive talent he'll again be bridesmaid at worlds.  In third I pick Stybar.  He'll be solid, but his recent knee issues will keep him off of the top step.  Darkhorses are Kevin Pauwels and Klaas Vantornout. 

For the Americans I think Tim Johnson will do the best in 12th, with his teammate Jeremy Powers just behind in 18th.  I have a lot of respect for those guys and I think they'll represent us well, but the podium seems like a stretch.  Jamey Driscoll might squeak into the top 20 as well, and Jonathan Page will be somewhere between 25-30th.  

(pics from Bettini Photo)

Moots RSL 'Cross Prototype

There have been some very cool pics of the new Moots RSL Cyclocross bike over at Bike Rumor (which is where this pic is from).


The Cyclo-X RSL includes several of the same design elements of the other RSL bikes- butted tubing, larger diameter downtube, BB30 bottom bracket, oversized & manipulated chain stays, micro diameter seat stays and 30.9 seat post.

Maybe I'll be adding another Moots to the stable in 2011, bringing my total to 4.

Check it out at http://www.bikerumor.com/2010/12/20/moots-psychlo-x-rsl-prototype/#more-25839

Pulling the Plug

My vision for this weekend's races was this: Francis Mourey in full flight.

Instead I promptly made my way to the back of the field on the first lap and stayed there the whole race. I went flat out and was able to hold same consistent miserable gap the whole race.

In that 45 minutes of racing it all became clear: I'm burned out. I've been training seriously since June without more than 4 days off the bike in a row. This 'cross season I've been training well but I'm still going backwards with things progressively worse every race weekend.

The good news is I still love the sport, I'm just not into racing right now. I'll still ride until the snow flies, then throw myself into skiing with the myopic focus you'd expect from a true obsessive like myself.

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with my friend Jason about improving at endurance racing. His experience taught him that a break was critical to improving year over year. As I thought about the last few seasons I noticed a distinct pattern: that I get way into three sports (mtb, 'cross, and nordic) and end up not improving at any of them. There are guys that are good at mountain biking and 'cross, and there are guys that are mountain biking and skiing, but there aren't any guys that are good at mountain biking, 'cross and skiing. Winter here is way too long not to ski, so next year I'm going to do an abbreviated 'cross season like most normal people and hang it up in October before the weather goes completely pear shaped.

Endurance mountain bike racing is my primary goal, so I'm going to treat it that way and scale back everything else.

Maybe I should clean off my mountain bike and take it for a few rides before the snow flies. I've got that brand new 10 speed X0 group still sitting in a box just waiting for some attention...and I'm sorry to say that the YBB hasn't been ridden or even cleaned since the 50.

The Home Race

This weekend is the race weekend that I’ve built my ‘cross season around- the Windsor & Putney double. Both races feature great courses in interesting venues and are within very reasonable driving distance from my house. In many ways this is my big race weekend, and I’ve been thinking about it for months.

Each spring I get a couple pairs of gloves, or more accurately a couple pairs of 661 Rajis. Last year I went with white, and one of the two pairs I got were reserved for race day. That pair only ended up seeing action twice as the other pair stayed remarkably clean all season, so I decided to keep them for this year’s big races.

While pouring over European Race photos earlier this year I noticed that Marc Madiot’s Francaise des Jeux ProTour team has two different varieties of shorts to go with their white jerseys. First, Madiot is a two-time winner of Paris-Roubaix (’85 and ’91) and since he retired from racing has been widely regarded for his skill in developing young cycling talent such as Bradley McGee and Phillipe Gilbert. He’s also been a consistent supporter of clean cycling (as opposed to simply being anti-doping) and his was the first team to prominently feature predominantly white kits not because they were cool or practical, but because of what the color represented. Before CSC/Saxo, AG2R and Quick Step, FDJ wore white.

From what I gather the FDJ squad wears navy colored shorts for events outside of their native France (or in bad weather for obvious reasons), but when they race in France they switch to white shorts. Different “home” and “away” uniforms are common in most sports but otherwise curiously absent in cycling. It’s a subtle way that they put their best foot forward and demonstrate the pride in what racing at home means to them.

So this weekend I’ll be featuring my version of the home kit- my white gloves. I know they won’t help my performance, but when I pull them on at the start line I’ll remember the time and effort I’ve made to prepare.

Like life, the little things in cycling are what I savor the most.

Snow- Just What I Needed...Not

Good thing I got that nice, long “wow I love cycling” ride in on Sunday. No sooner had I mentioned the variability of the weather then we get smacked with a fall snow storm. Good thing I got the driveway drainage fixed, too.

Of course this means that snow tires were not on my agenda either. The old Vermonters always make sure they’re on by mid-November, and if you live in the hinterlands or at any elevation you have them on by mid October. That’s right- if you subscribe to that school of thought then you’re buying Halloween candy and shopping for snow tires at the same time.

In my mind that isn’t being prepared, it’s being afraid. While I think it’s important to respect the weather it’s ridiculous to feel like loud and ugly snow tires are necessary from October to May. It's a small thing, but snow tires are one of those things that I want to run only when it's necessary. That means that the night of the first snowfall of the year I end up scrambling around an abandoned parking lot in the dark dropping wrenches in the slush and swearing at myself for not being better prepared.

Fortunately it will be in the 50’s later this week on the days that I’ll be riding outside. This weekend is the Paradise ‘Cross Frenzy and the West Hill Shop Cyclocross which is the race weekend I’ve been looking forward to for months. Both events feature the best that local racing has to offer- reasonable field sizes, good courses and short drive times.

Hopefully the snow will be gone by then, too.

Spa: CX Race Report

This was the last week of a training block, and my rides on Wednesday and Thursday were good but I could tell I was tired and ended up sleeping 9 hours several nights in a row. With that heavy and worn out feeling I made the trek to Saratoga for the Spa: CX

My expectations for the race were pretty low, but the plan called for racing this weekend so I decided to go for it. Last weekend's Uncle Sam CX was a great event, so I had high hopes for the Spa: CX. I wasn't disappointed.

The course was hard, and I would describe it as lumpy with chattery tufts of grass and tons of sand. From the paved start stretch it was basically a series of short, steep-ish bumpy uphills connected by some twisty corners, then a fast section into a couple hundred yards of sand that was anywhere from slightly slow to nearly unrideable. The part I feared the most in my warm up was the sand, but I rode it cleanly every lap during the race. The uphills were tough, and I knew I could only go a certain speed so I went as hard as I could up and then used the corners and sand to my advantage on the way down.

Somehow I got a call-up to the third row. As I dropped my thermal vest and knee warmers I felt super pro and disappointed that I knew I didn't have the legs to take advantage of my great line up spot. My teammate and 'cross race rabbit Nate was also in the 3/4s, but he quickly pulled away on lap 1 and I didn't see him again until the finish. I met a couple of other teammates (who's names I forgot) at the start line. Terry was there to give us encouragement, take pics and provide his low-key, affable support throughout the race.

The gun went off and as expected I slotted into the group and watched the leaders pull away on the first lap. I was seriously hurting, and I was slowly getting passed by many riders on course. We did 6 or 7 laps, which is a lot for 45 minutes of racing. When I rolled through and saw 5 to go I almost quit.

Somehow I kept going and was focused on just riding the tough stuff smoothly. As I did that I started to pull back some of the places I'd lost earlier in the day and remarkably I saw 2 to go and realized I could finish. Somehow I'd also managed to pass Pinarello Man, last week's nemesis, and a couple of other familiar faces from the Troy pain cave.

With 2 to go a particularly vocal and disappointed racer was yelling sand riding tips from behind me. As I pulled out of the deep sand I glanced over my shoulder and thought to myself "seriously?" He never got any closer than that.

On the last lap I traded jabs with another guy on a mountain bike, though this guy had shaved legs and the courtesy to follow the rules and remove his bar ends. He got ahead of me going into t he barriers and I could have sketch-passed him on the inside corner but didn't. I waited for the pass on the last pavement stretch. As I wound it up and shifted into the big ring my chain jammed. I quickly downshifted, shifted back into gear, stared sprinting again and finished less than a bike length behind him. With another fifteen feet of road (how many times have you heard that one) I would have beaten him for a most excellent 37th place... or whatever it was.

After a quick cough-filled cool down I packed up my gear and headed home. I was pushing it pretty hard and didn't realize that it was in the mid 40's and raining until I stopped moving.

The NYCROSS series hasn't let me down and is worth checking out. If they can make my start time a more reasonable 12 I'd make it a point to make all of them.

Uncle Sam Grand Prix - More Photos

This is right after the semi-sketchy transition from pavement to slick uphill where I was always worried about denting my rims.


The run up. It looks flat, but I assure you it was pretty steep and very slick. If I look like I'm slow in the picture it's because I was slow in real life.


Standing up to get on it. This was one of the may corners that had an uphill exit. In an effort to maintain speed I stayed in the big ring, which of course meant some extra effort to keep it rolling.

More camera tricks. This was a 90 turn. Is it possible that I'm in the right position, setting up wide to apex the corner, and dare I say looking pro?



This shows some of the serpentine lower section of the course. It was fast, slick and challenging on both days.

Uncle Sam Grand Prix Race Report

This weekend was the Uncle Sam Grand Prix in Troy, NY, part of the burgeoning NYCROSS series. It was an interesting weekend and my first double race weekend of the season.

Most people have heard of Troy if they’ve driven by Albany on the way to the airport or have some familiarity with RPI (Renssalear Polytechnic Institute, a top regional engineering school). Those familiar with New York’s Capital Region have a more jaded view of the city and refer to it as “the Troylet,” a clever combination of Troy and toilet. In spite of Troy’s less-than-stellar reputation as a place to live it does encompass two esteemed technical colleges and a nice town park well-suited to a cyclocross race.

If you race cyclocross at one of the established New England venues you pretty much know what you’re going to get- a flat-ish course in a park or schoolyard, lots of grass, a punchy climb or two, some short dirt sections and maybe 50-60 feet of trail/singletrack. Venturing beyond the well-worn courses can be frustrating with inappropriate venues and poor course design, but fortunately the courses in Troy were a pleasant surprise and rated very highly on my list of favorites.

The NYCROSS series has been gaining steam over the past few seasons and offers competitive racing with reasonable field sizes. In many ways this past weekend felt a lot like the Verge New England series ten years ago when I started racing ‘cross- small but efficient venue, good course layout, decent parking and manageable field sizes. Anyone with ready access to these races should check them out- they are well run and worth the trip.

Saturday’s race was a boondoggle. I was planning on leaving at 6 AM and arriving in time for my 11:30 start. After a slightly improvised route I got to the venue about 15 minutes later than I had planned on. This made things a little hurried but not frantic. I chatted with a couple racers who parked next to me as I put together my bikes and got ready to warm up. They were Nordic ski guys who had made the trip down from Lake Placid and were pretty excited to race. Their low-key approach and relaxed demeanor belied the fact that these guys were fit. From previous experience I’ve known big-time Nordic skiers to be super fit aerobic powerhouses and these guys would turn out to be no different. As I got ready I ran into Todd, a fellow NAV racer from Saratoga. It’s always cool to see teammates at the races, and the NAV guys are always good company for a warm up lap.

I took a ten minute warm up ride then swung back to the car to grab a water bottle when I overheard one of the Nordic guys talking about getting to the start for 11…not 11:30. I asked him if that was right and he assured me that it was. Shit. I had been thinking I had 30 more minutes so I was taking my time, but now I had to rush at near frantic pace to peel off my warm up clothes, slide into my skinsuit, embrocate and get to the line before the gun went off. I had laid out all of my race clothes before I went on my “warm up” so I was able to get ready fairly efficiently.

At 10:45 I was dressed and ready, but I had to choose between riding the course for a lap or bringing my spare bike to the pit. I opted for the lap on course thinking that I’d definitely be riding the course but might not need my spare, which was an obvious oversimplification but true nonetheless.

With a minimal warm up, too much air in my tires and a poorly-scouted start line position I started the day in the middle of the field and had settled in with a small group by the end of the first lap. The corners were very slick from the heavy rain that had fallen in the days leading up to the race and I ended up tripod turning most of them. On lap 2 I ended up trading places with a guy on a Pinarello. He was stronger on the hills and running sections but I’d reel him in on the long descent and through the slick corners. Our contrasting strengths made for an interesting race and although we weren’t consciously working together we did reel in a few riders.

On one particularly steep and slick off camber section I had been taking the high line and dropping down velodrome-style so that I was able to exit with some speed. For the first three laps that approach worked great and I gained a gap each lap, but on the fourth lap the minimal traction had eroded enough that I slipped and slid down the hill. In the process I stuffed the right shifter blade into the mud all the way to the hood. After I pulled the bike out of the ground and fought to shift out of the big ring as I remounted a particularly vocal IF racer yelled “on your left, guy” as I fought to get up to speed. It was as if I’d planned to derail his effort to finish 21^st and left him no other line than the one I was moving into. Earlier in the day I’d heard him yelling that he hated the course, so it was obvious that his dissatisfaction was deeper than our brief encounter.

While crashing I lost four places that I never could pull back, and it turns out that crashing makes every line the slow line. I felt like I was pushing hard but still only going in slow motion as I muddled my way through the closing laps and over the finish. As I packed up my gear I thought about my day and hoped for better luck on Sunday.

That evening was pretty low-key- I drove home to spend time with the family, had dinner and watched some baseball before going to bed at a reasonable hour. Isn’t racing glamorous?

Sunday morning I got up on-time with renewed enthusiasm for getting to the venue based on the 11 AM start. Fortunately I got the park on schedule but was amazed to find a swarm of cars parked on both sides of the road for an organized-looking football game taking place in one of the lower fields. It was an interesting scene- the skinny, tightly-clad racers in their imported cars peered over at the American truck driving beefy footballers in their baggy shorts and hooded sweatshirts. The footballers peered back with equal curiosity. On every other Sunday morning the footballers probably had the park to themselves and I’m sure they were as surprised to see us as we were to see them. Amazingly there were no altercations caused by the conflicting events and tight parking accommodations. I think somehow the love of sport was the common ground that we could all agree on.

With a knowledge of the start time at the front of my mind I set out for a very deliberate warmup ride. As I worked my way around the park criterium-style I considered the merits of bringing a trainer to my next race. Still, I enjoyed the sensation of steering and feeling my bike moving under me as I turned the pedals.

I got to the start on time, slotted into the grid in a good spot and when the gun went off I comfortably knew where I had to be through the early sections of the course. All in all I felt comfortable and smooth as I pushed the pace and settled into a group.

Mom and Dad made it to the race and took some of the pictures shown above. It’s great to have a cheering section, and I had the advantage of both my parents and some unidentified hecklers "cheering" for me. As I raced around the course I could hear Dad’s bellowing voice above everyone else’s, even the lady with the bullhorn who was slinging insults from the top of the run up.

Halfway through the race I attacked the group I’d been riding with, which included several of Saturday’s antagonists (Pinarello Man and a Verge guy) plus a guy on a mountain bike…with full suspension and bar ends. The mountain bike guy was able to stay ahead of me in the end, but what amazed me was that he was bobbling the technical sections but forcing the pace where he could pedal hard. And again Pinarello Man would put the hurt on when it tilted uphill.

After some attacking and counter attacking the group split and I ended up in the middle between Pinarello Man and the group behind. For the last two laps I pushed to catch back on but couldn’t. It was a hard day, but I felt like I had raced better than my 23^rd position warranted. My fitness was improving, I had dialed in my tire pressure (scary low) and re-learned how to ride with the shorter 172.5 cranks.

Not bad for a weekend’s worth of racing.