Family Thanksgiving, Jingle Cross

Went down to Des Moines Thursday morning with Sascha for Thanksgiving with my mom. It was less chaotic than years' past, with just mom, step-dad and step-dad's sister and husband. We had the usual fare, and it was yummy! Sascha and step-aunt went back to Minneapolis and Kansas City respectively the same day. I stayed on for Jingle Cross. Decided to do just Saturday to avoid a lot of extra driving between Iowa City and Des Moines, and also to avoid the embarassment of my off-the-back performance this year.

I'd signed up early, with high hopes of being back in shape and able to take advantage of a good start. I was actually feeling pretty bad in the end for wasting a front row position and getting in everyone's way, so when "hole-shot" Hollywood offered gas money to switch positions back to third row, it worked out perfectly. Not sure if it was my lack of fitness or the course this year, but it was really really hard! Most people were walking up "Mt. Krumpit" this year, so I didn't feel quite so bad about it, but it was tough. Adding to it was slippery conditions on the off-camber above the bleachers and Mt. Krumpit, and I had no toe spikes (took them off for commuting earlier).

In the end I wasn't last, had fun, and had an awesome workout. My glutes are really feeling it today! I even escaped from the little group I was with, and sprinted for thirty-something place to move up a notch. Stayed on for the 2/3, elite women, and part of the elite men's race before heading back. As always, it was good to connect with the racing community, now that everyone's starting to hibernate, and it was fun as always to have the parents watch this crazy sport called cyclocross. Unfortunately the camera batteries died after three pictures, so I don't have much for picture. Step-dad brought his video camera and got some still pics with it. So not much for pictures this weekend, alas. My best pic of the three was Linda's excellent for across the barriers; the camera died right after the start of the women's elite race.

Notables from the race: podium girls, Patty Cakes cleaning up on $1 and $5 primes, free beer, slip-n-slide fun on the off-camber, watching a slick bike change through the pit, Wells brothers showing everyone how it's done, cheers helping me up Mt. Krumpit. Good times.

Awesome!

Took me a minute to see what was going on in this picture!

Death of a shifter

Note the right shifter buried in the sand. If I had it to do over, I'd go Campy or SRAM, where the guts of the shifter aren't all up in the open. Even straight (cheap) vodka couldn't flush it out! But when you start with Shimano, and upgrade a component here and there, you're stuck with Shimano. By now I've upgraded the whole drivetrain, but it hurts less to do it a little at a time. Thanks to Frank Rowe for the photo!

SSCXWC

SSCXWC - 2008, Portland's Singlespeed World Championships from cyclocross magazine on Vimeo.

Ham Lake cyclocross race report

I had the lyrics "I was strolling through the park one day, in the merry merry month of October" going through my head today. I'd heard that there would be a runup in the course today, but that wasn't the case. It consisted entirely of a wooded path, mostly wide enough to allow passing, a long stretch of asphalt road and a longish stretch of wide ski(?) trail. Only one place you had to dismount, a set of three barriers, placed at different distances, messing up any rhythm. This course was even tamer than Lake Rebecca, where you at least had some runups and dismounts and stuff. You'd think someone could have put a log across the trail or found some kind of runup or SOMETHING to make it interesting. At least there were some people out making some noise, that was good. Anyway, lined up at the back again, and really wasn't feeling motivated. The course really showed off my lack of fitness too, since I couldn't hide it by finessing anything cyclocross-y. Should have raced on Sunday. I had to zip home to have time to take Sascha to the airport, so no watching the A race. Thinking of racing tomorrow anyway to salvage the weekend. At least both races are only $20 each.

Yes we can!

Love this photo from Timmer!

Wirth cyclocross race report

My injury this spring has been the best thing for my cyclocross season! Being out for the summer means I have no expectations, and can really have fun. Today was maybe the best time I've had at a Minnesota cylocross race.

I rode over to Wirth, which was right on my previous route to work. There looked to be a good turnout for the only urban race here since Powderhorn and Boom Island were cancelled. There was quite the line, too. I took a pic for all the pre-reg haters out there. Teammates Owen, Matt, Mario (honorary), Ray and T3 all showed up, which was sweet, except poor T3 broked his '09 Rival group already. All the other usual suspects were there from the whole MN, IA and ND scenes.

The course was fun for me. If I were really serious about racing it would not be at all fun. There was a lot of singletrack, which meant either you can't pass, or people will take stupid risks to pass. Since I'm not, though, I really enjoyed the swooping curves and getting my bike handling on. I'm proud to say, no crashes, and, since I put my chain watcher back on, no dropped chains either. While pre-riding I came up on someone wearing a wedding veil on the back of her helmet, which I figured could only be Kristy. She and Jay had gotten married yesterday, with the reception there in Wirth park, so it was only fitting! Congratulations!

After checking out the course, I watched a bit of the C race. Coming out of the woods into the grassy area near the start/finish I saw an endo and some slide outs. There were plenty of places on the course where things could get nasty in the heat of a race. I lined up at the back as usual for this season, and with the huge turnout, that meant pretty far back. The first two laps were a leisurely stroll through the woods as things got pretty backed up. Eventually things sorted out, and I could have some fun picking my own lines and picking off people here and there in a battle for 50th. My only goal was not to be slower than Skibby, and I at least accomplished that. :)

After a few laps the "party on the wrong side of the barrier" was ramping up, and I took a whisky handup and later a vodka handup. It really was great to have a big, loud turnout. Between that and not taking it seriously, it was almost like being in Portland again.

After the B race I was exhausted. I figured out that I was bonking, but right then Meow came to the rescue with pumpkin muffins and cookies! She totally saved the day, allowing me to hang out and watch some of the A race instead of heading straight home for recovery. I think pumpkin muffins is my new favorite recovery food!

Highlights:

- Kristy's veil
- A brand new Time 'cross bike cleanly broken in two by a tree collision (rider was okay)
- Vodka and whisky handups
- Lots of people cheering for me
- Doing an extra lap because they forgot to flip the counter
- Flying bike in the A race (previous video)
- Chatting and high-fiving with spectators during my race
- Hanging out and having fun before and after my race
- Noticing that Smithers skipped the skinsuit today
- Pumpkin muffins!

Good times. I had to leave before the end of the A race as the muffins wore off. As I was leaving, Dan Swanson was off the front, with Aric Harland in hot pursuit, Ghost was battling back up after a bobble, CJ was doing awesome moving up each lap, and Smithers was hanging on for dear life but looking pro.

This and that

This blog was at 666 posts, so it's good I decided to update it! No Twine Ball cyclocross race today. Turns out it's been neutered: they took out the centerpiece of the race (a big mound from which you can see the rest of the course) and made it flat and fast. Saves me $25 and a long drive. Too bad, though, that was my best race last year. Plus I slept in - that was nice! Looking forward to the Wirth race tomorrow. The Ridley crew is putting it on, so I expect a good cyclocross-y course from them. It'll be the only urban race this year, so hopefully there will be a Powderhorn/Boom Island turnout. Plus, Meow is bringing pumpkin muffins, which is reason enough right there!

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't bike commuted since we moved offices. Considering the new office is closer, that's pretty pathetic. But today I did a trial run of my new route, and I have my lock and shoes at work, so I'm all set to start bike commuting on Monday. The poor Surly is still a parts donor at the moment, so I'll be taking the BMC for now. I don't think it's too happy about having lights on, but no fenders or saddle bag yet. It'll just have to come to grips with the fact that road racing season is over, and be happy to get out of the house at least!

Running has taken a back seat now that the duathlon is over. I still run a couple times a week, but no speedwork. It'll kick up again once cyclocross season is over and it gets too cold to ride.

I'm really scared about the economy. Lame duck Republican president that no one believes any more, already in debt to our eyeballs because of Iraq, years of deregulation and mortgage time bombs ticking away for some time to come. A general sense of doom pervades. I'm okay for the moment, but like many people, I'm a paycheck away from trouble. The only good thing is that I moved the bulk of my 401(k) into a conservative account a while ago. Everyone says buy low sell high, but I'm not quite ready to roll it over into my more aggressive account with my current employer. We haven't hit bottom yet either.

Hudson CX race report

I love this course! Every year Dag and co. put together a real cyclocross course, and it's always one of the very best of the year. Today was no exception, and as a bonus, we had some soaking rain that stopped just before our race. Perfect!

After a party last night, it was hard to get up this morning, but I sucked it up, picked up T3 and we headed over to Hudson in the pouring rain. I was a bit peeved about paying $25 for a cyclocross race with no chip timing, no pre-reg, no free treats (they had some yum chili for a donation to the Hudson fire dept. though). There was a line for registration too, and the B racers had to wait for all the C racers to register. Those annoyances were forgotten as I pre-rode the course though. Unfortunately I had another annoyance later, as my drivetrain was making some noise because of a loose chainring bolt, which then broke clean off as I tightened it. Guess alloy chainring bolts aren't the best for cyclocross. Duh.

Like last year, we started on a wide, paved section that led to a wide grassy section to allow things to sort out before sending us into anything nasty. Some grassy turns, then into the woods. It wasn't as muddy as expected, but muddy enough. Tight turns, descents, some brief recovery, a short section of packed sand on the beach then back into the woods for a natural log barrier that was bunny-hoppable (not for me though). More twisty turns, then into deep sand for a nice long run along the beach (I was imagining a scene from a cheesy romantic movie, running along the beach). Then back into the grass, a double barrier, and then we started all over again.

After a few laps, I had a good feel for the course, and it became even more fun, as I learned where I could carry some speed, just how fast I could nail the corners, which lines were best, etc. As usual with the lack of summer fitness, I started at the back and didn't have to tangle with anyone, as I settled into a no-man's land near the back. I was with a few riders for a bit but I think they kept falling behind on the long run along the beach (all the running this past tear paid off there!). Toward the end I got a bit cocky and missed a corner, then dropped my chain (still haven't gotten around to put the chain watcher on).

There was a good turnout of spectators making some noise, which made it even more fun. Ray had his cowbell (but no mumu), and there were others making noise in the woods and throughout the course. That's what really makes a course fun for everyone!

The A race was great to watch, as there were plenty of spots to watch cyclocross skills in action. Bjorn bunny-hopped the log with ease (others not so much), Adam Bergman's dismount and remount over the log were positvely fluid, really impressive actually. I got some video later, but people were getting tired and not quite so graceful, but still sweet to watch. There were lots of places for various skills to come into play: running, cornering, barriers, straight up motoring. The winner, therefore, would truly be the best all around cyclocrosser. T3 had family stuff going on, so we left before the A race finished, but we still had time for some chili, chatting and watching the race.

Good times.

Cross Vegas

CrossVegas Cyclo-Cross 2008 from sam smith on Vimeo.

Building a better cyclocross tire

Development of the new Challenge Fango tire, for the cyclocross tech weenies. Via ErikV.

Equal prize money at Jonathan Page's Planet Bike Cup in Madison

The new UCI race in Madison this year put together by Renee Callaway will feature equal prize money for women and men:

Women racers from Juniors up to Elites will be racing for the same prize list as the men at Jonathan Page's Planet Bike Cup.

"Women train as hard, spend as much money traveling to races, and race just as hard as the men," says Renee Callaway, race director. "There's no reason why they shouldn't race for the same prize payout."

Jonathan Page's Planet Bike Cup is part of the Wisconsin Cycling Association (WCA) cyclocross series. The WCA series also offers equal prize payouts for male and female racers. This has helped develop a strong contingent of female racers including Team Planet Bike's National Champions Diane Ostenso (50-54) and Anna Young (17-18).

WCA cyclocross races are always a blast - be sure to head over this year if you haven't yet! Unfortunately the UCI race is on a busy weekend, with the Duluth cyclocross series in MN too.

Peeking over the top of the hill

As BTDC reminds us, my cyclocross racing age will be 40 this year. If the 35+ open races on the road are any indication, 40+ open cyclocross races are going to be no consolation for losing a whole summer of fitness. I've considered "downgrading" but in the end, who cares if I'm DFL? Unlike riding alone in the wind in a road race, I can still have fun racing off the back in a cyclocross race. So 40+ it is. Now there will be no denying it: I'm almost over the hill.

On top of the world

Okay, not the top of the world, but it felt pretty close. We did a little hike yesterday, and it was as gorgeous and enjoyable as any hike in Oregon. I have to admit I was skeptical at first, because it's hard to beat the Columbia River Gorge; its lush forest, expansive views of the Cascade Range and the mighty Columbia, impressive waterfalls and challenging terrain. This was silly of course. Colorado is equally impressive in different ways. We started out at a trailhead a little above Breckenridge and hiked our way through the forest. It was mostly evergreen, but quite a bit drier than the northwest. The trail was well-maintained, with bridges over creeks and care taken to prevent erosion, and well-marked. We made our way past some abandoned log houses, and I imagined grizzled mountain men and miners living there. Eventually we got above the treeline, although there wasn't a stark demarcation. Tall trees gave way to smaller trees, which gave way to "shrubberies" and eventually mainly lichen and grass. Some hikers pointed out a patch of Columbine, and I had to ask Sascha which ones were the Columbine; after that I kept an eye out for it, in addition to the other alpine flowers in bloom right now. The trail intersected a steel cable used for mining, although I thought it was a helpful cable for us hikers and used it to scramble up a rocky face to the dilapidated structure. Turns out I did it the hard way, and Sascha later pointed out the little rock piles that marked the trail above the treeline.

Eventually we arrived at a pristine alpine lake that I thought was our destination. There were hardy fish in the ice cold water formed by melting snow, and the water was crystal clear. But wait, there's more! We continued hiking and after a while arrived at another alpine lake that spilled over into the one we'd just seen. It was quite impressive, because you arrive at the lake with the water at eye line as it spills over into the stream that leads down to the other lake.

Also at the eye line level was a gorgeous Columbine. I could swear the whole vista was composed to be photographed, and so I obliged. I think this has to be one of the best pictures I've taken in a while, and I'm glad I brought my better digital camera. I wished for my SLR with the polarizing filter, but its battery cover is borked at the moment. We had lunch (PBJs) at this lake, and I scrambled up to a big rock pile and added to it to "mark my territory" (no, I didn't pee on it too!). I explored a bit a saw a chipmunk scurrying around, but I didn't see any "rock hamsters" although we could hear them. The hike back was less eventful. I zigzagged along the path on the way down to ward off impending blisters.

Took my bike out again today to Tiger Rd. (an excellent suggestion from Jared) and finally saw and heard a "rock hamster", zooming on an intercept course with my bike before its navigational systems recalculated its trajectory to the accompaniment of some loud squeaking. I'm really enjoying my new Fort Cross.Max. Of course it might just be the thrill of being back on the bike, or the sweet Alpha Q fork, or its overall sexiness, but whatever the case, I'm very happy with it. My fitness blows right now, and I don't have the strength in my left shoulder to do any bike carrying, but at least I'll look good off the back come cyclocross season with the new bike and our new kits.

Bad Steven

I rode my bicycle today. I took the cyclocross bike to Colorado. The reasoning was that, at this point, the only danger to riding is the possibility of crashing again before the collarbone is fully healed. Riding my cyclocross bike on a recreational trail to a lonely gravel road going up into the mountains presents little possibility for crashes. It's a risk I'm willing to take. Running has helped the fitness, but there's nothing like getting out on the bike. It felt good! As expected, I have the beginings of a base aerobic fitness, but nothing beyond that. I'm starting from scratch, really.

Tomorrow, a run around the reservoir. Wonder how that will be at altitude...

The Plan

So surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning. They want to keep me overnight to have me on IV antibiotics and monitor for infection or problems. Then I'm still in a sling for three weeks, and off the bike (and yoga mat) for three months. That puts me into August. That sucks, but not as bad as eight months and healing with a crooked, shortened and deformed collarbone (if I heal at all). I don't think I'll be doing any more crits this year, probably just focusing on getting fitness and mobility back. No choice but the trainer (sigh) until I can get back on the bike. My goal will be to be able to have some fun during cyclocross season. I've gotten a lot of good advice from people, in comments, emails and personally, so thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences! I'm sure I'll get my groove back, but I'm not going to rush anything. Fortunately, I'm not paid to race! Good thing, because I wouldn't have been able to live on a bag of coffee and $7 last year!

A man's race?

Check out the cyclocross style run up the cobbles! w00t!

Bad, good, pro: #2

Bad
Good
Pro
Jockey wheels on the cyclocross bike were badly worn. Decided to replace them with some Tacx sealed bearing pulleys since they needed replacement anyway (no, not ceramic!). The difference is astounding! Suddenly the drivetrain is silent! Just going from cheap bushings to bearings makes all the difference. No need to spend $150 for ceramic - just get some $15 pulleys and you have 99% of the benefit.

Great cyclocross mini-documentary

By a group of U of O journalism students, via ErikV.