KCCX

Thanks to the deep pockets of the Cornell Cycling Club (not to mention the fact that practically no one races in the fall!), Jake and I got to travel to Kansas City for Cyclocross Nationals.

I flew out Tuesday, December 9 to get to KCI airport at night...just in time to get my bike box and catch a shuttle to the Econo Lodge ($42/night!...there's a reason it was that cheap).

Wednesday morning I took a shuttle back to the airport to get my car- a Chevy Aveo. What a piece of crap...I'll take my Subaru. At least my bike box fit in the back seat.


Now armed with transportation, I made my way towards Kansas City



From far away it looks big, like Boston or similar...but it's mostly just sprawl- the combination of Eastern and Western business influence made it a mecca of fast food and strip malls. This is America.

For the next few days I stayed with probably the best host housing you could ever imagine- Todd and Wanda. Peter O and Jeremy found the family last year when they signed up for host housing as part of the volunteer crew. I'm usually skeptical on host housing since I feel like I'm imposing on the family, but it was amazing. Despite our efforts to remain "out of the way" of their daily activities, they went out of their way to be accommodating- they made us great food, washed our clothes, and even took us out to dinner (more on that later). And they're crazy about bikes. Wanda even made us complimentary lockring rings in exchange for us spreading the word about her budding jewelry business- http://soldergal.com/index.html. Sweet.

The first race:

Thursday was the 10-29 B race. I was secretly hoping it was a 19-29 race since it would keep us from getting beaten up by 15 year old phenoms like Jeff Bahnson and various Clif Bar Devo team kids. No chance. There went any chance of the much coveted "B National Champ"/sandbagger title. I lined up next to Jeff in the third row. I figured this would be the last time I would see him. That was fairly accurate.

When I rode the course at 8am it was frosty but frozen ground. If you started to slide, your tires would chatter but you would ultimately remain upright. The course looked to suit me- the lap began with a few flat turns before winding back and forth along a rather long uphill grind. There was a set of "stairs" at the top before a classic down/up on a steep uphill- I think running was faster, but there were riders doing both in all races (Trebon ran, Driscoll rode). Following all this climbing was a fairly long descent with a variety of technical turns, a set of barriers, another stairset, and a few more technical turns before you were dumped back on the start/finish stretch. A really fun course that would favor power riders on dry days and technical riders if the loop got slick.



In accordance with my preview laps, I had my pressure set in the low 40's. Unfortunately I had not factored in the warming of the course- now the frost was water, and it turned the course way slick. It was slippery, greasy mud on top of frozen ground...and every lap became progressively worse. I guess this is the situation where a pit bike would be handy.

I had a fair enough start coming from the third row and encountered more than a fair share of bumping in the hole shot and first few turns. Unfortunately, since it was a B race, a lot of the riders were doing me no favors by jamming up the turns. There was also a major crash on the inside of turn 1 which forced everyone to the outside, transforming the hole shot to a rather significant bottleneck. I could see the 15 year olds getting away at the front. Ah well.

I missed the train off the front, but I eventually worked my way through the masses to get into that small group of people who went out too hard and subsequently got shelled. Eventually I made my way up to probably 7th or 8th position. Unfortunately it was becoming clear that my legs were more than a little stale from not riding since NBX on the Sunday prior. There was a rider just ahead that I just could not catch for the longest time- even on the uphills.

When I finally did make contact I was further humiliated- he was riding a single speed with flat bars! At least it was a nice bike- a Moots Ti frame. For the next 3 laps of the race we would yo-yo quite a bit- I would try to escape on the uphills while he slowly reeled me in on the downhill. I mainly wanted to stay ahead because his tires were pretty damn wide and they were throwing mud everywhere (mainly in my face).

Our cat and mouse ended when I was catching up to a lapped rider- who fell right in front of me on the slickest part of the downhill. I had few options other than ditching, although I tried as best I could. Down I went, and my nemesis went by, never to be seen again. I ended up having to sprint in for 8th place- but I won that minor battle. Not a terrible race, but I know I could have had much better legs. I hoped that Sunday (the collegiate and last race of the season) was my chance for redemption.

As for the teenagers-It turned out that Jeff Bahnson DNF'd, leaving the win for a Clif Bar kid.

Friday/Saturday:

When I wasn't working on my take-home final for turbulent fluids, I spent time at the course, watching a super muddy day on Friday, where the 17-18 Junior race turned out to be a great battle. I rode the course about 7 times during the open course time, falling a ton of times as I tried to ride the outrageously slick turns faster and faster. Even putting a foot down didn't work because your foot couldn't get enough purchase to keep you upright. As the day progressed the wind and ample riding served to dry out the course and make it a slow, tacky mud for the remainder of the day (and the next couple). If it stayed like that for Sunday, it would definitely work in my favor.

I later read that Katie Compton recommended only limited pre-riding since the course was "very heavy on your legs". Good to know, since my legs were destroyed from Thursday and Friday. I hoped some good rest on Saturday would have me in form for Sunday.

I also hoped a (un)healthy dose of bbq'd pork would give me ample protein to fuel my muscles. On Friday night, Todd and Wanda took us out to Oklahoma Joe's- a classic Kansas City BBQ place inside a gas station. I got the ribs (and a strawberry soda).

(Ok, I split this with Todd since it's about 3 feet long and a foot wide)

Sunday- Collegiate CX Nationals:

Sunday started out at 65 degrees. Then, in probably 10 seconds, the temperature dropped 30 degrees when a cold wind blew in. In the course of an hour, it dropped 40 degrees down to probably 25! I still lined up without leg warmers and no embrocation- eventual winner Will Dugan also went bare-legged (no word on embro). Northeast solidarity.

I had a second row start, which was great. No front row pressure, like Verge. This was my chance to nail the start and hopefully ride into a top 15. Not knowing the competition I figured that sounded about right. Unfortunately I didn't nail the start, and I ended up in the middle of the field, as usual. If I learn anything from this season- I need to work on starts.

I definitely had better legs today, and was passing a ton of riders on the uphill. The downhills were nice and tacky and you could really nail all the turns. Pretty large ruts and berms built up over the last couple of days so it was pretty non-technical- check out the photos of the pros for a good look at the ruts.

Over the first few laps, I moved my way up to 14th place. Todd and Wanda kept me constantly updated on my progress as I picked off riders on each subsequent trip uphill. I was surrounded by a ton of Fort Lewis and Lees-Mcrae riders- as it turned out I was the highest placed ECCC rider except for Dugan. With 1.5 laps to go, I had a small group of 3-4 riders ahead- prime for the uphill taking. Could I possibly go top 10 at D1 collegiate nationals?!?

Then it all came crashing down. Literally.

As I was railing through a right turn halfway down the hill I was squarely planted in the rut...unfortunately I was going a tad fast to stay in said rut. I popped out and went down in a heap. Dammit. My chain was off. So I fixed that. Then I went to ride and noted that my front wheel was not moving at all. Then I saw that my tire wasn't on my rim anymore!!! I rolled my first tubular...what a momentous occaision.

I was decidedly in "oh shit" mode and delayed my run to the pits being in a bit of shock. I was more focused on the riders ahead that were getting ahead- and the riders behind that were blowing by me. Then I realized I wasn't terribly far from the pits...so I ran.

While running I managed to unhook my brake and front skewer in anticipation of the wheel change- super pro. I also vainly tried to keep with the riders through the slower turns and almost fell. I finally ran into the pits with enough desperation to eventually get attention from the SRAM guy, who kind of fell asleep. He grabbed a 404 with a 55psi mud2 (it was HARD) and I was on my way again, trying to regain my positions. I suspect I lost a minute...but that was a significant minute with such tight placing.

Unfortunately my legs enjoyed the "rest" a little too much...they were pretty unwilling to get moving again for the remaining lap. Also, I can personally attest that a mud2 at 55psi does not turn as well as a Grifo at 30psi (you heard it here first). If I had another lap after, maybe I could have salvaged some positions, but there was just no going anymore. I rolled in for 22nd place. I can't say I'm disappointed since I was racing well prior to that point, but I CAN say that I'm pissed that my tire couldn't stay on for ONE MORE FUCKING LAP!

I guess I have 10 months to perfect my tubular gluing- best watch out next year!

I can't wait.

Catch-up

So.

I've gotten behind again.

To recap the weekends:

November 22-23-Whitmore's Super Cross Cup
Day 1:
Thanks to Dylan McNicholas missing the start on Saturday (and my front row start), I managed to get out well, make the front group, and finally get off on my own and get my first win of the season! Let's just say my legs felt great that day. I rode solo (e.g. damage control mode) for what seemed like forever (with no lap cards) before the official signaled that I was done. Which was good because I lost a contact lens and I couldn't see- note the picture.

(photo from cyclingcaptured.com)

It ended up that I had a 40 second gap to second place. The key to winning? Have the main competitors not register (Jeff Bahnson), DNS (Dylan), or start in the last row (Colin).

Day 2:
Dylan made it to the start on Sunday. Also, Will Dugan rode for UVM so he could qualify for collegiate nationals. And unlike Saturday, he was there to ride on Sunday.

Just like on Saturday the split occurred somewhat early and before not too long we had a group of 5 riders (Dylan, Will, Rob Collins, Alex Crooks, and myself). I was hoping we had gotten a good jump on the last row starters but when I slid out on an off camber...sure enough there was Dylan and Will. Then they decided they had enough riding at our pedestrian pace. Will put in a few attacks that popped everyone but Dylan, myself included. I managed to claw my way back and join them again on the steep hill when I found that Will had broken his chain from the application of too many watts. So then it was down to just Dylan and me. We rode together for most of the race (Dylan would later tell me he was feeling ill) before I tried a few attacks in the last lap. After finding out that attacks were futile (if Dugan couldn't drop him, how the hell could I?), I got on his wheel and figured I'd take my chances in the sprint. That is why I put a 48T outer ring on, after all.

As we came into the final pavement section I set up on Dylan's wheel. There was a long straight drag, a gentle right hand onto some bumpy grass, and then a short pavement finish. I emphasize short, because I imagined it was longer, despite riding it so many times. Thus, I planned on coming around after the grass. Long story short- didn't work. As we came off the grass I thought I had a chance, but Dylan stood up and put in a couple good pedal strokes to shut the door. Ack. Oh well...taking Dylan to a sprint for the win is pretty good anyday...even if it was an off-day for him.

November 29-30- NOTHING!
I think I lost my chance for third place in the Verge series by not going to Baystate. Meh.

December 6-7- NBX
Day 1: Decidedly a power course. Yes.

Despite my epic fall(s) in the sand thanks to overzealous running (see Colin's end of the season recap ~3min in) I was able to recover and constantly re-attach myself to the front group either through said running or riding very hard in a straight line. The first few laps were pretty tame and there was a rather large group at the front of the race- not what I wanted. I could see no one wanted to come around Dylan, so I took the initiative and went right to the front. I'm not sure how effective the initial attack was, but I eventually got the group down to 5, then 4, and then just Dylan, James Tosca, and myself. With a podium position effectively in hand, I was willing to let them get back in front and take some rest. So I let them fight each other over the last few laps until they pulled away in the last 300m and I slotted into third. Regarding the battle for the verge podium? James "Slim" Patterson flatted earlier in the race, Colin was 5th, and Jeremy Dunn was 7th- no one was out of contention. It really would come down to the final race of the season. Pretty cool.

Day 2:
This was the polar opposite of the previous day, although the course retained (and in fact lengthened) its running sections. It also snowed 2" overnight. When you take out practically all the power sections and replace them with tight turns covered in mud/snow it wasn't shaping up to be great for me. Colin expressed that he was worried about my MAD running skills. I didn't tell him that I was worried about his riding skills.

Right out of the start I got swarmed and slid back in the field. So it didn't help that the attacks started early (from what I heard). Then I couldn't clip into my pedals for half a lap. I was instantly out of contention for the battle for the win between Patterson, Tosca, and Dylan, but everyone who really mattered was still in relative sight. Colin was in a two man group 50m ahead, and I was constantly yo-yo'ing with Jeremy, Cary, and a few others. If I could beat Jeremy and remain within a couple places of Colin (if he doesn't podium), then I could maybe get third for the series. Unfortunately this race was a series of one mistake after another.

The running sections kept me in contact with the group (when I was on my feet), but not with Jeremy since he is apparently a very strong runner as well. The procedure was as follows:

1. ride into sandpit (usually in second wheel)
2. botch dismount, hit course tape/stake, or trip (or combination thereof)
3. get passed by Cary et al.
4. get up
5. empty mouth of sand
6. run past Cary et al.
7. lose 5m to Jeremy

With every fall JD would extend his gap on me by just a little bit- enough that I couldn't ride back on without long power sections. Jeremy was pulling away and Colin already had his gap, although it was slightly coming back. Cary reminded me to stay calm and ride smoothly, but I kept trying to power through technical sections and riding really sloppy. Not my finest day.

In the end, both Tosca and Dylan flatted which allowed Colin to pull into 2nd and Jeremy into 3rd. Of course Dylan had such a huge gap prior that he rode the entire lap on the flat and still beat me for fourth. No matter...even if I got that place I would have ended up 5th for the series. The only thing I could have done was actually beat Colin and Jeremy...which wasn't going to happen that day. In any case it doesn't matter (although the cowbell would have been nice), but it was a ton of fun racing against those guys all season. I'm sure we all cannot wait to get killed in the elite races next year.

Maybe I'll go re-read Matt Kraus' article/interview in CXmagazine to inspire me to upgrade next season...

Mercer Cup USGP

Aside from nationals, this was probably the biggest weekend of the season, at least as far as the professionals go. For us lowly amateurs, we could only bask in their awesomeness while "prepping" the course for their races.

It rained the night before, which meant mud...but there shouldn't be this much!


From the week prior, I had been dealing with sub-par shifting thanks to old shifter housing. With this fixed, I was excited with the prospect of changing gears. Unfortunately, this weekend came down to the fact that my bike never wanted to stay in ANY gear...

Day 1:
Tip #1 for having a good race- make sure you are at the start when the gun goes off!

I was busy warming up on the course when I heard "1 minute to the start of the Men's 2/3/4 race!" Unlike the Verge series, there was little to no time scheduled between races for course preview. This threw off my usual warm-up of getting onto the course when the previous race winner crosses the finish line. I frantically rode over to the starting pavement area to see the entire field gridded up and waiting for the signal to go. I stripped down to my skinsuit just to hear the whistle and watch the race go by. A spectator held up the course tape as I ducked under the joined in, already 50m behind the last rider in the field. Richard Fries instantly commented on my remarkable start, noting that I was a "podium finisher in the New England Verge series" but was dead last here.

The holeshot accordian allowed me to make contact with the field and proceed to weave through. I pulled up next to Jeremy Dunn and was only a few wheels behind Colin. I should note that most of my progess was made by running through (and over) others- not by riding. After only a few hundred meters it became apparent that you could run most of the course faster than you could ride. I began to wish I'd gone to the nordic practices and actually run in the past year.

Running was fine. Riding was not. As I tried to churn through the thick mud, my chain would slip on EVERY pedal stroke, causing more than a few disastrous unclippings. So I stopped and played with my barrel adjustors. Then I tried to ride 25m more and realized that didn't help. So I did it again. And again. Linnea can testify that I actually flipped the bike over to do this at one point. The only gear I could use was my 15 tooth. Unfortunately that was far too big a gear to turn at any section of the course, save the pavement finish. Turning a 39x24/27 was hard enough. My bike was a big muddy weight, incapable of helping me in any way. Anyone have a spare pit bike?

In any case, I slipped and ran my way around the course 4 times, for a total race time of probably 1 hour (note that the race was supposed to be 40 minutes). The top riders were turning in 14+ minutes laps, so I can only figure it was far worse for me (since I was probably almost lapped!). Either way, I didn't get placed since I missed the start. Probably good...I don't really want existing evidence of that race.

Day 2:

I took my bike to the SRAM mechanics after the race on Saturday to find out that my derailleur hanger was significantly bent. After riding around on the road a little, it seemed that my situation was resolved. Or not.

I actually made it to the start on Sunday and rode to the first mud section in a pretty decent position. Then I realized the same thing was happening with my rear cluster. Every pedal stroke felt like my chain was breaking. So I ran a little (ok, a lot). Then I tried to ride down the false flat and someone ran by me. Then I gave up. I didn't feel like fighting my bike for another 40 minutes. So that was it for the weekend.

As it turns out, I didn't consider the fact that my cassette is probably 3 years old, and my chain barely a month. I guess that could explain why it was slipping...

Richard Fries put it in perspective when he saw me walking around during my race- "Everyone has a shitty weekend- forget about it, and come back next week."

Here's a picture of local pro/hero Dan Timmerman on the first day. If these guys won't ride this stuff, what hope do the mere mortals have?

Revelations...

As I was adding up expenses for reimbursement forms, I realized I've spent close to 10% of my annual earnings on travel, lodging, and registration fees on this past cyclocross season. Perhaps this is made more significant because my TA stipend isn't exactly lucrative, but it really puts things in perspective...

Are there studies on what percentage of income drug abusers spend to support their habit? I would guess it's more than 10%, but I feel like a similar figure could really drive my point home.

Mercer Cup and Southampton reports soon.