Anyone race cross today?

[shinomaster]

I know Coylifut did as I saw him truckin around on his pimped out Richard Sach's creation.
I did as well, but not quite as well as I had hoped. After about 2/3 of the race was over my lower back muscles started dying and I could barely pedal. My legs felt pretty good and I never totaly blew up, but my back kept me from going harder. It was a really bumpy race and I'm pretty light so I got bounced around a lot, but it probably was just bad fitness that did in my back. The last time my back felt like this was when I rode up Larch Mountan, a 4000 foot 10 mile climb.
Other than the rain, cold and chills, and my back, I felt ok...My cross skils have only gotten worse since last year. How ironic.
Anyone else race today?

[toaster]

OK, OK, I'll post. I did my first cyclocross race today. I went easy since my transition skills need work. Still, I passed alot of racers and felt really good. The course had a long hill to run (walk!) and was sandy in alot of places and where it wasn't sandy it was gravel on hardpack. It was hard but fun. Raced a Masters class (40+/45+) finished ninth out of about twenty and got ahead of some of the pack filler in the 30+ that started a few minutes ahead of us.

[beungood]

I was reading about cross bikes and saw on with a 34/46 with a 12/25 cassett. Why wouldn't they use a 53/39? What are the pluses or minus's of these chain rings for cross and regular riding?

Jack

[coylifut]

OK, OK, I'll post. I did my first cyclocross race today. I went easy since my transition skills need work. Still, I passed alot of racers and felt really good. The course had a long hill to run (walk!) and was sandy in alot of places and where it wasn't sandy it was gravel on hardpack. It was hard but fun. Raced a Masters class (40+/45+) finished ninth out of about twenty and got ahead of some of the pack filler in the 30+ that started a few minutes ahead of us.

as my daughter would say you rock.

my race went well, I'd give my self a B. I got a great start (always do) and was third for about 1/2 the 1st lap, but I made my first mistake of the day and touched wheels when coming into a really slow section and tipped over at about 3 mph. a few guys passed me and I was about 7th for a while and a couple of other guys went by me. I found the wheel of a guy who's technically a lot better of a bike driver than I and we rolled 4 of the 5 laps together somewhere in the bottom half of the top ten. during the second paet of the last lap, we over took one guy and I passed "mr good wheel." he was really gassed when I went by. I then made a series of minor mistakes and bobbles. I couldn't get clicked in my left pedal and slipped out of it in the bumpy bogs and lost ground. I then over cooked a corner entering the pavement from the mud and clipped my front tire on the curb. I didn't go down, but I had to click out and couldnt get either pedal in. I finally dismounted, ran and remounted and re clicked. about 5 guys went by me in the process. stangely I finished right behind "mr good wheel" somewhere around 15th out of 60+.

normally I'd be really disapointed, but it was the best race I've had in that kind of mud. it was the second muddiest race i'd done and what promissed to be a dirt crit (someting I excel at) became a slog and bog. when the rain started friday, I was getting anxious, but i finally decided it was an opportunity to work on a weakness and I made some ground.

[toaster]

Coylifut,

Good job, man. I used to live in Lake Oswego and I know about rain. Now, I'm in SoCal and know what dry is, sometimes.

The winner of the elite class had a singlespeeder. In 'cross, sometimes the gears aren't necessary. With all the running, walking, sand, gravel, uphills and technical short descents, a gear that is small enough to get up can be spun out on short flat sections well enough to keep you going. Most guys today I'm sure were in the small chainring the whole course. I found that I used maybe three rear cogs and could've just stuck with one.

I'd like to have a singlespeeder 'cross bike and whip it out on the right course. I'm riding a singlespeed and fixed gear on the road occasionally now and it would be quite a kick to do the studly singlespeed in a 'cross race.

[Tom]

I watched a bit of one yesterday, it was here in the park in Dorptown. It's been very dry so mostly it was on sand, grass or dry pine needles. I guess you need pretty good handling skills because it looked like a lot of steep sidehills on slippery stuff, significant whoop-de-dos, many hairpins. It looked kind of fun.

[coylifut]

I was reading about cross bikes and saw on with a 34/46 with a 12/25 cassett. Why woiuldn't they use a 53/39? What are the pluses or minus of these chain rings for cross and regular riding?

Jack

standard issue is a 38/46. cyclocross is cross country bicycle racing. most courses have very little pavement, maybe 1/3 of the course. so, there's no where to really get a 53 up to speed. in fact, most racers, under the pro level, rarely get out of the 38. many riders use one ring. a 42 is the most popular among these folks. Since you live in the small ring, a 34 would be too small for racing. when using a cross bike for trail riding and such a 34/46 would probably work quite nice.

[zank]

Raced Pittsfield, MA on Saturday. Talk about a hurt-fest. The course was completely changed. It was awesome! But, it left no room for recovery. They brought back the really long, steep run-up in the woods. Probably 20 seconds straight up. The rest of the new course had a lot of off-camber, great corners, minimal pavement, and a fast downhill. Dave Drumm did a great job on the course design. But again, it felt like there was no place to recover.

I started well, and settled in with a couple of familiar faces. Held the group for 2 laps, but the run up put me way into the red on lap 2. I felt like I was pegged at max for a few minutes after remounting. Got back on one last time. Then, i started to go backwards. I thought I was going crazy too, because the officials gave us 4 to go on 2 laps.

I certainly have some work to do on long run-ups and recovery from those efforts. Thankfully for me, there aren't many other courses with run-ups that long. Maybe West Hill and the old Hopkington course at the dam.

Next week is Coonamessett Eco and Canton. Should be a great weekend!

[shinomaster]

Today my legs feel fine but my upper body is a wreck.. I feel like I sprained my wrist.. Oh the Joy.. I need to do pilotes or something..

[Fixed]

bro I don't know anything about cross except I know Ryan T. we use to call him porkchop I 've been on rides with him many times ,he use to work at a local bike shop when he was like 18 a very nice guy and I don't have to say super strong, the bike shop guys use to say he was to tall to be a good bike racer I guess he showed them. I just saw him in velonews best of luck in Europe.

[shinomaster]

bro I don't know anything about cross except I know Ryan T. we use to call him porkchop I 've been on rides with him many times ,he use to work at a local bike shop when he was like 18 a very nice guy and I don't have to say super strong, the bike shop guys use to say he was to tall to be a good bike racer I guess he showed them. I just saw him in velonews best of luck in Europe.

I think he'll be national champion this year or next.

[zank]

With the way Page is riding right now, making the front groups in Europe, I can't see anyone beeting him this year. But, who knows? Maybe Ryan will come up to speed quickly in the Euro Peloton. But man, Jonathan is flying right now.