Pack Fodder

Greetings Readers,

Today was Rainier, a new venue last year (which I missed) and a new one for me this year. I tried to be prepared, and brought my two bikes, and three sets of wheels. What I didn’t bring was a double chainring, ugh.

I was trying to get myself organized when I heard the announcer say “this is the most elevation gain of any Crusade race we’ve had” Uh, what? “what chu talkin’ bout Willis?”

Think Hornings Hideout, with way more climbing and one really tough quad breaker that went from the bottom to the top of the course. I tried to stay calm, and rode around trying to get a good look at the course. Our races are so close together that if you don’t get there early before the beginners race it’s hard to pre ride. Anyway, the course was dry and grassy, with a really bumpy back section that was mixed with a barrier and a bridge, this was my slowest area of the course. The Mac’s 6 pack was back with lots of grassy corners and a serious downhill section where I’m sure we were doing 30mph. There was some nice singletrack and it really was a fun course, despite the nasty elevation gain. There were a lot of sections with really tight grassy corners where it was damn fun to race while carrying some speed. I had fun nippin’ guys on the inside of those tight corners. Guys on SingleSpeeds earned it today for sure. Props to them, those guys were Killin’ it.

We’ve a new system for starts: I let Brad Ross explain it:

OK here’s the scoop.  After much tribulation, we have decided what we’re gonna do about staging each race.  I’m not not even sure if I understand how it will work, but here we go.

First, there will be a random number drawing from 0-9 first thing in th morning.  That draw will be posted at registration.  The last digit in your race number will correlate to the number draw.  For example, if the first number that gets pulled is 7 and your race number is 547 then you will be in the first group to be called up.

Second, the start chute will be closed off.  It will not do you any good to get there 1/2 hour before your race starts, you won’t be able to line up.

Third, 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start, I will call to the line all riders who currently have points in the series (about 25 people).  After that, I will call the numbers up in order of the mornings random draw.

One consolation for the group that gets the last draw is that will be the weeks beer number.  The least we can do.

It’ll probably be a bit confusing this first week, but that’s how we’re gonna do it.  Any complaints can be directed to your new vice president whoever he/she may be.  Stop with the smack, I grew up in Alaska.

Also, there will be two start chutes.  We will line up one category next to the other.  i.e. Single speed/B.

Onto a new topic.  The Rainier H.S. booster club is going to charge $5 per vehicle parking.  This $ goes directly to scholarships and doesn’t have anything to do with the permit fee the Cross Crusade pays to Rainier School Dist.  Cmon, quit bitching, it’s less than a tube.

Last piece of business.  Rainier H.S. is as you might expect, a no alcohol venue.  For this reason, I won’t be bringing last weeks prizelist.  I will be bringing ALL of the beer to Astoria for the Halloween weekend.  Sorry.

After a public urination scandal at Villebois last weekend, Team Beer has rented their own personal porta potty.  Pretty good idea actually.  They will probably except bribes.

I want to extend a huge thanks to Guy Smith for all the work he has put in to making this race happen.  Rainier is probably one of the best cross courses any of us will ever race on.  Oh by the way, for all y’all that have been complaining about too few barriers, the McTarnahans Six Pack will be back this weekend.

Brad Ross

Race Director

Being that I missed Alpenrose and only managed 30^th last week I have no points. There would be no call up for me. I was suspect to the lottery. Keep in mind that I’m Fodder, a fringe rider, usually I’ll drop somewhere around a dozen spots from where I start from, which means that If I don’t get up front I’ve not much chance at getting a good placing. I’d like to GAIN a dozen spots each week from where I start, but whatever. I’d also like a top ten, but again, whatever. What can I say; the top 20 guys are usually faster than me. I can have a good race and break the top 20, but I’m not gonna do it starting 35 guys down. I crossed my fingers and walked up to registration. This was a hilly bugger, not my strength by any means and I was gonna push a 42tooth chainring the whole way. If the lottery frowns on me I could have a really tough day, I could easily see myself ending up at the back of the race. With the new lottery system I think I can say goodbye to a top 20 finish for a goal this year. Why? We had 28 guys with points in the series today. So 28 guys were called up, then the lottery went off and by some cross grace my last digit was called 1^st. There would only be around 35 guys ahead of me at the start. Could have been much worse. Next week, I may be at the back. Were talkin’ about a field size of 130 guys people. I wish I could say that I’ll just have to dig deeper and bring in some points, but the truth is: I gave my freakin’ all today out there, which is a trademark for me, I give. I could not even stand much less walk for at least a good 10 mins after the finish. So, it’s not like I can just give more to crack that top 20.

I’ve not been however: my usual stressed out self at the starts lately, I’m liking that. I’m calm and confident that I’m gonna give, regardless of the adversary. There’s lots of fringe riders just like me that are gonna have to deal with the same lottery so shut up and just give Jim.  Get some cheese out if your gonna whine. Show up and give’r yo’.

All n all, it was a good race:

·         I didn’t crash, always a good thing.

·         I didn’t have any mechanicals

·         I didn’t flat

·         I gave it all I had and then some.

So, I had me a good race. J And I feel good about it despite my 48^th preliminary placing. Which is around the top 38% of the field. Not my hopeful top 25% but hey, did I say the course was hilly?

Chaos at the start…

For once, I had my tubbie pressure dialed, I was railing the corners today…..

Mac’s 6 pak was back….

There was gobs of this today: standing, out of the saddle, Climbing.

Runnin’ after the barrier and bridge, we had to run aways as it was too bumpy to remount here

The Start of a very long climb…..

I’ll check the results tomorrow to see where I actually placed. Till then..

Cheers!

Greetings Readers…

Being a self admitted tubular tire addict and cross junkie, (yes I have a tire problem) I had to post Za Rhino’s.

Would you look at the size of those knobs?

I struggled with these beauties for quite some time, trying to justify my Master C racin’ slow old arsk needing a set of mudders. You can see that post HERE. Anyway, after finally getting my wheels rebuilt I got them glued on and they’ve cured.

As any crosser worth there salt knows… there is no better performance upgrade that gives you bang for buck more than a set of tubulars. No matter how you slice it, tubulars rule. Even though I’ve had problems with my Grifos bleeding air, there is no denying the speed, control, and traction that tubulars provide. Sure, I’ll hear the tubeless debates, sorry, no matter how low your clincher can go in psi, the sidewall of a clincher vs the casing of the tubular is night and day. Cotton vs Rubber, nuff said. Anyway, off my high horse. I had my old pretty in pink CK hubs rebuilt with Sapim Laser spokes, brass nipples, and 25mm niobium alloy rims. I really dig these rims, I’ve three wheelsets with these rims. Deep enough, but not too deep, and plenty pretty on the eyes. There just isn’t much in the way of tubular rims available in that depth without going carbon. I’m not quite ready for some Zipp 303 pave’s. (Maybe when I start killin it in the B’s, Doh!)

I was in the garage over several nights glueing these babys up. 1st night, aquaseal and stretching. 2nd night, 3 coats on rims, 2 on base tape. 3rd night, another coat on rims and base tape, then mount. I’ve now glued up all three of my tubbies. It’s sort of a right of passage, gluing your own tubes. Sort of this white underbelly of cross thing that somehow makes you appreciate more the nuances of the sport. But then again, I have a tire problem, so there’s that. If I’m hanging out in my garage freezing my ass off gluing tubulars, and it makes me feel (in some twisted way) more like a crosser, what’s wrong with that? I think between Devin and myself, we’ll be able to handle the tubbie gluing needs of our soon to be team.

Front wheel, Back wheel, and as a couple.

Bring on the Mud! Ain’t scared. Just sayin’

I race two bikes, I luv them both and I like having the ti bike for the all out pig slop. My 1st set of tubbies was a pair of Flexus, which is my favorite dry (think krugers dirt crits) tire. I’ve also a set of Grifos on my Zank, and now these for the mud.

Next year I’ll be adding two more tubular wheelsets with these….

yup, that’s a matching pair of Grifos and Fangos. I took a closer pic of the treads:

They sure dress up the counter top, I wonder if my wife would let me keep them there?

In looking at the size of the tread blocks on the Fangos, I’m guessing that they’ll reside somewhere tween’ the Grifos and Rhinos. With the Rhinos taking the all out USGP type slop we get in Portland. I dunno, I haven’t rode the Fangos yet, so’s I’m just speculating. Once I’ve raced them both in similar conditions I can give you a difinative, that’s another post……

So, next season I’ll have both my bikes and 5 wheelsets between them, a set of Grifos for each, a set of Flexus, and both Fangos and Rhinos for the mud. Did I say I had a tire problem? Now, what wheelset am I gonna put these on………..

Cheers!

Greetings Readers!

So’s I had to post again, I’ve had some really good vibes after yesterday’s sufferfest. I finished in 29th place, not great, but in the top 19% of the field. We had 150 riders in the Master’s C yesterday. I’m trying to not get too caught up in a good day of racing, as next week could turn spoiler and I’ll be in a less desirable position. I’ve had to somewhat let go of the rollercoaster of emotions I ride during cross season, getting really down and beating myself up over a bad placing or riding a high after a good one.
 
I need to stay even keel and let the chips fall where they may. Cross gives and Cross takes away, all you can do it put your best effort out on the course on any given Sunday. That’s all Cross can ask of you: Show up and give’r.
I usually don’t have a problem giving; it’s the placing that gets me down. No more. I’m going to do as I did yesterday, give and give some more. I’ll have good races and bad ones. I still need to give regardless. I have to remind myself constantly, I’m pack fodder, there is no podium glory for me. I’ll never taste a win, and prolly as my competition gets stronger and I go up in class, never taste a top ten either. Check the pain cave on the link below, I gave all over the course.
 
http://photos.oregonvelo.com/p/cc080203/cc0802mjb0055442
 
 
I think what really made my day was having people there that I’m getting to know, and enjoying rooting for, and racing against, my soon to be teammates. On the line I tried to think of something positive to offer Devin, but I’m a mess at the start line. His blog is HERE. That is the toughest part of the day, waiting for the gun to go off. I’m a kaleidoscope of emotions while stewing at the start. Even though Dev and I wanted to beat each other, we also were rooting for each other. I offered up some yells of encouragement to my soon to be teammate (who gave me all I could handle yesterday) as we both were chasing Hinkley. I was lucky to get Dev yesterday, somehow I don’t think that will be the norm.
 
As soon as I got to the venue and registered, I thought of Speedy, and wanted to see him and give him some cheering. Speedy has a big motor and once cross skills are developed Marcelo will do some real damage. I unfortunately didn’t get to see Marca race, but the thought of sharing cross with teammates opened up a whole new dynamic for me. I was thinking of my soon to be teammates and that was a positive distraction from my stewing over my own race. Marca too, once cross skills develop will do some damage. Hell, Marcelo and Marca are killin’ it already consistently finishing in the top ten in the beginners class. I saw three of my friends give yesterday and each of them is full of upside. I’m thrilled to have them and to get to watch them kick ass in cross.
 
Next year will be even better, we’ll all share the same kit and we’ll have another season of cross under our belts with more experience and even higher goals and aspirations.
 
A few people have commented about the pic of Jim, Devin, and I after our race, totally destroyed. I don’t know why we do it to ourselves but the people who race cross get it.
It’s like the line in Pure Sweet Hell:
“People who don’t do it, don’t quite understand it.
People who do, know, intrinsically, as soon as you try it you are hooked on it.
Once you race cross, it is hard not to.”
 
That’s why we all cheer so hard for each other, cuz we know, how deep the pain cave goes, and just how hard it is.

Greetings Readers!

So I haven’t posted in a few weeks, well, cuz if you read my last post I was sick before, during, and even worse after Barlow. I spent the whole week off the bike after Barlow trying to get healthy enough to go at Alpenrose. Saturday, I rode out to Alpenrose with my pal Tim to preregister and ride the course. It was all I could do to get out of the meadow, I had my answer. There was no way I was gonna be able to race on Sunday.

I drove out anyways and stood on the runup just outside the Velodrome and watched my peers give’r. It was so solitary, erie, lonely. I didn’t like it, it’s great to watch the other races IF you’ve raced yourself. Not so much if you’ve not raced at all. I really missed being part of the action.

I watched Devin have one of those frustrating races that we’ve all had. Devin would redeem himself today.

I managed a few commutes this week, and took Friday off to enjoy some pizza and beers with the family. Yesterday I went out for a road ride to spin out the legs, just rode, and didn’t burn any matches. Some serious words of wisdom have been hanging in my head over the last few weeks from my pal Ken, I’ve a new perspective on cross, and it showed for me today. Amazingly, I slept last night, unworried about todays race. Thanks Ken.

Crazy venue today, looked like a new home subdivision in construction. I actually liked the course today. I staged early, none of that crap at the back. I was in third row, just behind my pal Devin who was in the second row. The 1^st few laps are always a blur, and after awhile I’m wondering where we are in the race, as I wasn’t sure how much more we had to go. No matter Jim, just give. And so I did, I actually felt like I was going faster on the last two laps than the two preceding them.

The Best part of the race today? I had people to race with. Normally I’m off the back of the lead group, or, in the front of the chase group, or, even worse in no mands land somewhere inbetween racing by myself. Today, I put a bullseye on Jim Hinkley and Devin and even though I yoyo’d off the back of those two; I kept them in sight and really battled with those two guys till the end. The three of us finished together at the end.

Great race today,

·         I didn’t crash

·         I didn’t have any mechanicals or dropped chains

·         My tubbies held air and I didn’t have to go the last two laps on the rims

·         I had a good attitude and focused on racing.

·         Although I wasn’t 100%, I wasn’t plagued down with the cold

I don’t know where I finished today, and I don’t really need to know. I was right behind Jim Hinkley who has chewed me up for two seasons. So to be right on his tail at the end was a huge deal for me. I’m so happy with how the race went for me today, polar opposite over the last two. I had fun out there today.

The three of us: Hinkley, Devin kneeling, and myself hanging over the bike right after the finish line. All three of us gave big time today.

I was focused today, aggressive body language and stickin’ the turns

The barrier in front of the runup….

right behind Devin on the downhill.

Crazy downhill, with lots of deep ruts and very sharp bumps.

finally, crossing the finish line.

My soon to be teammate Devin was strong today, nuthin’ but upside for you pal. I see Devin racing the Master’s B next year. Speedy was plagued with the bug I had at Barlow, Marcelo was hurtin’ today for sure. Way to give anyway Speedy. Way to Give.

Cheers!

Greetings Readers,

I was sick, sick I tell ya. Yesterday, I went out for a short road ride, which I like to do on the day before a race. Just a light ride, 25 miles or so, easy, no burnin’ matches. I felt really tired, then just felt horrible all day. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, trying to race in that kind of condition?

I thought I’d just head over to the venue, pre ride, and see how I felt. What I felt was like shit. I didn’t come all this way to not race right? so I line up, way at the back, and I do mean at the back. We had 75 riders in my class today and I prolly was staged in 65th position. I figured I just take it easy the 1st few laps and If I really felt like puking I’d just pull off and take a DNF.

Yeah, right. Like I’d ever take a DNF. They’d have to physically remove me from the course before I’d quit. That’s just how I roll. Well, you can forget about taking it easy as once the gun goes off its race time. By the third lap the adreneline was wearing off and I was feeling like puking, the penultimate lap even worse and I started to feel dizzy like I was gonna pass out. “Just keep going Jim” I told myself, I thought that if I let up enough the leaders would go through the finish line faster and I’d get pulled. I got my wish. After 5 laps I got pulled.

What the hell am I doing? I came in 50th place. Why pray tell did I go out today and kill myself, sick, just so I could get a crappy placing and then beat myself up over it? Cuz, cross comes around only once a year and a missed race is a missed race. There is 365 days till I see Barlow again, and I love that stinkin’, kick my ass runup. Plus, My mom came out to see me today and she’s no spring chicken, it was hard for her and there was just no way I was going to let her down. If nothing else, mom would see me give. I gave it all I had today.

runnin’ across the bridge at the base of the infamous, Barlow railroad tie runup….

About halfway up….

Starting to get crowded…

nearing the top.

runnin’ the barriers.

On top of my misery, my rear tubular bleed out of air with 2 laps to go. I couldn’t corner for crap on the pavement, and on the fastest section of the course guys were blowing by be. Demoralizing. This is, by far, the worst race I’ve done. I’m not only sick, but I’m sick to my stomach over it.

I need three things to happen next weekend at the Crusade opner:

• I need to get over this crud
• I need to have air in my tubbies for the whole race
• I need to stage early and get a good start.

The competition at the Crusades will be stiff, and I’ll need to have my best race to compete. They’ll be 100 plus riders in the Master’s C @ Alpenrose. My attitude needs improvment too, after a promising start to the season in the dirt crits, I’ve had two very bad races back to back and I’m not to happy about it. The last thing I need is to start the season sick, and have a shitty showing at Alpenrose.

Be positive Jim, be positive.

Cheers!

Greetings Readers!

It was not to be my day today, one thing after another building against me like a snowball rolling downhill gaining momentum and volume. I was not my usual stressed self today and was looking so forward to racing a real cx race with the dirt crits behind me. I was excited, tired from no sleep, but enthusiastic all the same. Hood River is a fun course, and today’s course was even better than last year. I was actually smiling about racing today.

I pumped up my tires this morning before I loaded the car and we drove to Hood River. I was worried when we got to the venue and it was already low on air. I pumped it up again and went out to preride the course. Exciting fun course, but there lies a problem with lots of single track, no room to pass and bottle necks. The runups looked fun and challenging all at the same time, there was very little room for error however as a few bridges and some dropoffs could spell trouble for some.

Not sure what happened as we started to move toward the start line to stage, and as soon as the C’s last place rider came through we cramed into a very tight space. I got a very crappy position 3 rows back, I was screwed. Shortly after the sprint at the start there was a tight 180 turn, and that spelled a bottle neck. Soon after the 180 we went through the grass field and had another 180 into an off camber section.

I got a bad start, and was bottled up at the 1st turn, we spread out a little afterwards and I made some ground but by the 2nd 180 into the off camber I was bottled again. Shit, I’m jammed up and the leaders are halfway through the singletrack right now I thought. I was right too. There was 20 riders ahead of me and we were barely through a quarter of the 1st lap. The insuing singletrack bottled me up some more and I tried in vain to find an opening. By the time we were at the runup, which was single file all the way I had to stop running as the guy in front me was whacking me in the head with his rear wheel. I mean I’ve been called a wheel sucker before but this was too much. By the time I hit the start/finish area at the end of the 1st lap my race was over, the leaders are having clear sailing and the gap to me was getting bigger by the minute, I was in the 2nd half of the field.

I kept the pressure on as hell, I’m out here so give right? I took a tight left hander on the inside trying to pass and went down. I only lost a few spots but I noticed something wrong, my front tire was getting soft and I was bottoming out more frequently. I kept racing and came through the start finish area with 3 laps to go. I rode the last 3 laps with basically a flat on my front tire, it wasn’t totally flat but I’d be surprised if I had 15psi in it. I couldn’t corner at all and had to be very careful through the singletrack sections, I just tried to hang on and finish the race, out of options. Every time I tried to lean the bike over it felt like I was going to roll the tubbie off the rim and I was riding on the rim . This was not how I wanted to start my season. That’s racing, you don’t get to write the script, you just give and do what you can do. Right? There are 50 things that can go wrong in a cross race, you just hope to keep them to a minimum.

I’ve a bit of a sick stomach over it tonight as I just hate to suck, or finish in the back half of the race, and today I did. I couldn’t help my tire, nor my start position, but I’m going to have to get more agressive at the starts. If your not at the front of the race, you’ll never see the front of the race again.

I’ve got a week to get a new tubular glued on and be ready for Barlow, hopefully I’ll have a better race. I think I finished somewhere around 25th place. I’m not sure how many riders we had, maybe 45.

I only have a few pics for you, hey I’m riding not playin’ photograher. You’ll notice there’s not a lot of guys around me in some pics, that’s bad, alone off the back with lots of space between me the leaders, and the very back of the race.

2nd wheel here, just crossed a bridge and heading for a runup….

near the top of the runup

heading into the sand around a barn, I went down right here earlier in the race.

heading into the start finish area.

Tonight I’ll stew in it and be pissed, tomorrow I’ll let it go and focus on next Sunday.

Cheers!

Greetings readers!

After a stress filled work week the family and my pal Tim decided to hit Mcmenamins to celebrate the end of the work week. I had called ahead to insure that the Irish Stout on Nitros was still pouring, and it was. Delish. Good Grief that’s some tasty beer! My Pal Tim worked me over like a fat steelhead with a treble hook stuck in it’s cheek, and after a few pints goaded me into a mtn bike ride this morning.

I had forgotten, it’s been a very long time since I’ve been on a mtn bike ride. I’m thinking back to 2004 prolly. Just so you know, road fitness and mtn bike fitness are two different things. That was some very technical, tuff single track. And I loved every damn minute of it. Again, I had forgotten just how much I loved mtn biking. It’s my roots, I started in the dirt and it felt real good to get back to basics. Trust me, they’ll be lots more mtn biking in my future.

Back in the day, I had a Gary Fisher Sugar. I think it was a 2000 model year. It had a Cane Creek rear shock and it was like riding a pogo stick, I soon sold it a year or two later and went back to a hardtail swearing off full suspension forever. A few weeks back I had the pleasure of test riding a Santa Cruz Superlight, I couldn’t beleive how nice it rode. It didn’t take long, a mile or so into the trail today and I was amazed at just how well the suspension worked together. There was no pedal induced bob, and the rear shock worked in complete harmony with the fork.  I’ve ridden Brown’s Camp many times and there are sections that I’ve never cleared, today I rode right up them. I’m very impressed indeed. Initially I was concerned about not having a lockout on my rear shock, but not any more, it climbed extremely well and gave me some real confidence as I cleared some nasty technical stuff, not to mention the descending properties. I can see why the hardtail has suffered in recent years, the new technology in rear shocks and suspension designs has come a long way indeed. I’m sold baby. That was damn near as much fun as a cross race.

Sorry for the blurry pics as I wasn’t the one taking them. My pals Titus, and my Santa Cruz.

Just ridin’……..

The roots were nuthin’ for my superlight.

As with any riding, no matter the niche, flats are part of the experiance.

What a great ride, I loved it. Problem is, I fear I burnt a few matches today and I’m just not going to be as fresh for tomorrow as I would have been had I rested. Some things folks, are just worth the risk.

Cheers!

Greetings Readers!

Today was the last race in the Dirt Crit series at Krugers. The warmup for cross was to come to a close today after the end of my race. Mom finished the entire series and got some valuable race experiance going into next weekends Race in Hood River where we’ll put on our cyclocross numbers for the 1st time, and use them for the rest of the season. 

Mom, learning to get out of the saddle after every turn.

I was my usual stressed out self, not sure why, as I don’t remember stressing so much last season. Maybe it’s the stiffer competition, or the pressure to preform for the peeps who live vicariously through me (friends and family) But I’ve sure carried around some stress and pressure this year already and cross hasn’t even started yet. I ran into my pal Speedy (standing with his daughter) who pulled down a bronze and got on the podium in his race, way to go Speedy!

Speedy was checking in on my stess level and made me relax a little. I staged in the 2nd row, chosing for some reason to not go like hell at the start. I don’t know if it’s a confidence thing, or what, but the time before the race is really hard for me. Once the gun goes off, I’m racing and there’s no more nerves, just my heart in my throat and give’r till it’s over.

The Master C is a heated competition, on three seperate occasions I was in an elbow lock with another racer. At the gun, about 30 yards into the race a guy crossed my wheel and almost took me down. I saw it and made a quick adjustment and stayed upright. Before we got to the 1st turn a racer almost put me into the trees, I said something and he backed off just a bit. Yo’ we haven’t even made the 1st turn bro, we’ve seven laps to go, it’s not worth stacking it up now. Another time I was at the back end of the course and a racer came up on my left, we were approaching a right hander and he surprised me, we locked elbows neither willing to give. He said something to me, startling me more than anything and I was just trying to keep from going down. On the penultimate lap, I was drafting a rider just off his right side when he flatted, I yelled on your right and almost went into the bushes as he was rolling on his rim while drifting right into me. It was a tough day out there today, I gave, but I think I could have went a little harder. I sure could have used a better start. I just didn’t have the attack the start mentality today. I’m not going to beat myself up over it as you can’t have your best race every race. The 1st race I had it both physically and mentally but suffered a mechanical at the end. The second race I had it mentally, but not physically. Today I had it physically, but not mentally. Getting the two together without a mechanical will get me some results.

I made my attacks on two parts of the course, on the long gravel straight and coming out of the corn field. The single speed paid dividends today as I dropped the gears on the gravel and spun like I had no gears and no choice. I went buy 5 riders on the second lap on that gravel section alone.

I approached the start finish area and got my old arsk out of the saddle and hammered each lap, building momentum for the approching blueberry field and then the gravel straight.

As always racing is an exercise in mental toughness, it’s much easier to mail it in rather than to kill yourself. My goal is always to finish on the lead lap, I’ve done that so fat this year. Most of the race was a blur, hammer on the gravel and towards the start finish area and try to hang on for dear life the rest of the time. This last pic shows the pain cave, I’m sufferin’ folks.

I finished in 17th, I feel much better tonight physically than I did this time last week and I’ve gained some valuable confidence. I belong in the front half of the race, and with some luck the top 25% of the field. I just need to learn to not stress and relax a little more, and I think with more confidence I will. As we approach the Crusades the competion will get stiffer, and the size of the field will double. I best be ready, both physically, and mentally. There will be no room for error, hesitation, or laspes of concentration. It will take my best race to pull a top 20 out of a Crusade race. That, would make my season folks.

Cheers!

Greetings Readers!

After taking a few days off the bike to recover from Sunday’s efforts I’ve been back to my old commuting ways the last 3 days. Tired legs I had coming home today, tired legs. Tomorrow will be just a light easy ride to spin out the legs and that’s it. I’ll be resting for Sunday’s race tomorrow afternoon. It’s going to be 90 degrees and very dry and dusty. Not, repeat Not, cyclocross weather by any stretch. Like the rain and muck, I can no more control the weather when it’s dry and hot than I can when it’s pouring and cold. You just gotta block it out and give’r.

I was reading the RSCF yesterday; one, cuz I like Richard Sachs. And two, I dig his bikes and his love of CX along with his team even though he’s on the east coast. I bought a set of Grifos from E-Ritchie and found him to be really cool as a person, and to deal with atmo.  I saw that his new brake sponser is ZG, taking over from last years sponsor: Cane Creek. I’ve long loved my ZG’s on my road bike and saw some pirate pics of the cross prototype canti’s that are going to be up for the masses and was chomping at the bit to see them for real. Here they are……. Uber pimp, no?

Initial reaction is typical ZG machineing, excellent. Aesthetically stunning and I’m sure they weigh nothing,  not to mention a ZG price tag to go with. But, I can’t help but wonder about the style of arm that this type of canti uses? I.E. Avid Shorty’s, Cane Creek’s, Tektro’s, etc. = minimal leverage. This type of design just doesn’t stop nearly as well as a horizontal arm much like a Paul Neo, or Spooky, Froglegs, etc. Why would ZG put R&D into an inferior design? Move those arms out to the side, like a Paul Neo and we’d sure as hell have something to up roar about!

What I’m really wrapped up about  is TRP’s new Euro type brake, available in alum, carbon, and at $300 scrill and a whopping 104 grams, magnesium.  Pictured is the alum version and is a mere $49 a pair.

Having long run Paul brakes on my crossers, I’m itching to try these new canti’s out next year. There light weight, have the basic horizontal arm design that produces much more leverage and stopping power and there inexpensive. How can you go wrong? Either way I’ll be waiting to hear how the Sachs team likes the ZG’s and planning on running the TRP Euro’s instead. It’s never too early to start planning for next year.

Miles ridden today, 25

Miles ridden 2008, 3325.

Cheers!

Greetings Readers!

Even bigger news than Lance’s return to pro cycling to try for #8? Challange has a new tubbie out!

The Fango is the new tread destined to go up against the Rhino and is designed for MUD. Having a set of the Challenge Grifo’s I’m thrilled for one to here it. Grifo’s rock, I love my Grifo’s, and for the cost savings over Dugast or FMB? This is right up my alley.

Challenge tires are easily available, (well more so than the aforementioned anyway) and most shops here in town have them.

Umm, that’s a good lookin’ tread no?

I dought that the masses will see them this season (maybe some sponsered pros) but you can be sure I’ll be buying a pair of these come next year. I’ll be adding them to my Rhino’s for PDX slop next season.

Yes, I admit it. I have a tire problem.

It’s hard to tell from the pic but the center blocks have a scoop in them to aid in mud shedding. The row of knobs along side the corner knobs are really tall. Me thinks this tread is gonna rock in the slop and hook up real nice. I can’t wait to try them……

Now, the only queston is; what wheelset am I going to put them on?

Cheers!