Molly Cameron (Bicycle Studio) digs deep to open a gap for the lead.
Since I can’t really race too much anymore, I’ve resigned myself to being a fan. I’d have to say that watching cyclocross is a great time. More screaming and beer with much less suffering. The best thing is that I can see straight when driving home.
My ankle right before a tapping so I can at least limp around a bit.
Cyclocross, round three, my ankle looses. Not much to say here. I need to ride my ‘cross bike more to get good. I started to feel better towards the fifth and sixth lap but by then a few of the masters had begun catching me. Not bad though for my first A race, still could have been a lot better. Need to stay loose and concentrated, nimble on the bike. Having some trouble with that, if I just ride my own race I’m good.
Onto the ankle, it’s Friday and this happened on Sunday. That is some serious bruising! Nothing but a bad sprain though and Dr. Will from the tasty energy bar company Dr. Will Bar was nice enough to come over and take a look at it for me. The injury has kept me pretty much bedridden for the last week, which has been good for working on a slew of sites I need to get done, but has been bad for getting anything outside of the house done. On that note, I am getting closer to having Oregon Cycling Action‘s new site done, and I’m also going forward with a few marketing and promotional ideas I have with them. Let’s hope this works so Pat (Velonews contributor and owner of Oregon Cycling Action) can travel to more races and cover Oregon’s great bike racing. Also in the works for him are several product reviews, including the set of Kinlin / Dt-Swiss wheels I have.
Climbing the Hill at Pain on the Peak (Photo: Pat @ Oregon Cycling Action)
Photo: PDXCROSS.com
Cyclocross vs Emiliano, Round Two; My rear derailleur lost. It’s okay though, I got second which makes me pretty happy. Seems like first place (Neal Biber) and I can’t decide if we should be racing the “big show” or the Bs. But it’s pretty much decided that I’ll move up into the A race by the first Cross Crusade at Alpenrose. I don’t think I’ll be very fast comparatively but I’m going to try to hunt down some points and have some fun with it. Not to sure if I even want to train for this. I’m taking today (Sunday) and Monday off after the Saturday race and the thought of getting back on the bike on Tuesday to do any kind of formal or structured training seems a little bit off putting. Intervals, ugh…
Anyway, I’ve decided I’m into cross. But I’ve also decided it’s going to take me a long time to be any good at it. Let alone as good as some of the guys I saw this weekend. Especially the abnormally tall and talented Trebone who I caught a video of while he was doing what he does.
As always thank you to Pat @ Oregon Cycling Action for the great photos (Image 1, Image 2, Image 3) and the ever artistic PDXCROSS.com for their Pain on the Peak photo gallery (helps they got one of me and one of my limping bike)
Morning Ride to Dave's House
I rode my first Cyclocross race this weekend and I’d have to say I’m pretty hooked. It’s wicked fun. Although the racing never ended up getting wet, the commute over did. Therefore completing the weekend and making a truly genuine experience of it all, or at least good enough for my Desert Rat ways.
I decided to race the B’s since I really have no idea what I’m doing, and aside from a few practice sessions in the park, I’ve never really picked up my bike. I somehow won the Time Trial (by one second) which was mostly downhill for the first 1/3, flat for a bit then up hill for the last half. I decided to tuck on the downhill and power up the two hills. The only run, which split the two hills and consisted of a barrier and a bridge, was horrible, I must have looked like a newborn giraffe trying to run with a bike. I would have to say the only thing that saved me was some sort of pacing ability from road racing.
The crit, was a crit. Luke who was ridding strong, and eventually won the overall, was even on a road bike. I feel like the course should have been more technical but being a roadie it played into my hands. A little bit of tactics here and knowledge of when to go hard there and I was through the crit.
The first day always threatened rain.
The last day was intense. This is where most of my learning came from. IT’S ALL ABOUT STARTING POSITION. I messed that up and relaxed a little bit on the first run up the hill and got behind some other racers. Not a good idea. As I was riding ass with my high beams on Luke was opening up a sizable gap. Once I got out into the open it was Davis and I chasing Luke. At least for half a kilometer, because then I messed up a remount and was again, behind other racers, this cyclocross stuff is hard. So again, I have to fight to see open trail ahead of me and as soon as I do it’s tempo again. At the end of the first lap Davis has 25 seconds and Luke is 45 ahead of me. Next lap around Davis is at 15 seconds, I think it’s going well and I’m pacing, then I get a flat. I don’t have a spare wheel and I’ve lent out my last tube. So after completing the third lap I bring it in, grab a beer, get all sorts of grumpy about the situation and go home.
I guess it was a true Cyclocross trip, rain and mishaps. But I’m having fun, and that’s good.
