Disconnected notes from Carpentersville CX (and photos)

A LOT of photos. Many of them of Team TATI guys, but many others of other teams. (Thanks to El, Mr. K's daughter, for her contribution.)

-This was my first Masters 30+ race, and the first time I've ridden a 'cross bike for 45 minutes, and the first time I've doubled up (the second race was the 4b). Needless to say, I am exhausted.

-The "pump" section didn't make any difference. It didn't benefit riders with mad skills, or good runners. It just broke your pace. Nonetheless, thanks a lot to the race organizers for going to such lengths to introduce a new obstacle in a CCC race.

-The Masters 30+ field was larger than ever (52 starters in a race that usually fields 20 to 30 riders). I got lapped, and I got passed by quite a few Masters 50+, who started their race two or three minutes behind me.

-I taught myself a new technique for getting rid of my opponents. It's called: Lead them into a big tree. I was doing the 4b race and I could feel somebody's breadth down my neck. I was able to hold him off for a while, but I was sure he would pass me during one of the zig-zag sections. So coming out of a corner, I took the turn way too wide, deliberately. If you did that, you were headed straight for a frontal crash into a huge tree. I corrected my line in the very last instant, avoiding the tree by an inch. The next thing I hear is a "No!!! Shit!" from my follower, who had unknowingly followed my wheel through the corner, plus screeching brakes. No more breadth down my neck--at least for a few minutes. Yessssss. I feel so evil.

Dolan cyclocross bike

Now available at Tati Cycles (not necessarily with this build kit).









Essentially, it's a Dolan frameset with Shimano 105 components. The goal was to produce an affordable and reliable bicycle, at the same price as the entry-level 'cross bikes they sell in big stores, but with a higher quality. It turned out to be pretty good looking too. (I still need to work on the colors of the cockpit.) Total weight, sans pedals, is 20.6 lbs.

Specifications:

-Frameset: Dolan multicross, 54cm (comes with headset, aluminium seatpost and carbon fork)
-Cranks: Sugino RD single speed, 175mm, black
-Chainring: Spot, 42T, 130mm, black
-Bottom bracket: Shimano BB UN54, 110mm
-Rear derailleur: Shimano 105 RD-5600, 10-speed, short cage
-Shifter: Shimano 105 ST-5600, 10-speed
-Chain: Shimano 105 CN-5600, 10-speed
-Cassette: Shimano 105 CS-5600, 12T-25T
-Brakes: Tektro CR720 (not Oryx!), black, with Kool Stop salmon brake pads (bought separately, these brake pads don't come with the Tektro brakes).
-Handlebars: aluminium, mystery brand (from another bike), anatomic bend, 26.0mm, 42cm
-Stem: aluminium, mystery brand, from another bike, Kalloy, 90mm
-Pedals: Shimano SPD M520, black
-Saddle: WTB Devo (CrMo rails)
-Rims: Mavic Open Pro, black (radial lacing on the front, 3-cross on the rear)
-Front hub: Shimano Ultegra 6500, 28h
-Rear hub: Shimano Ultegra 6600, 32h
-Chain keeper: Paul Components

CX videos: That´s all well and good in practice...

but how does it work in theory?

Don't deny it. The C-word is already in your mind. In fact all you can think about is mud, dismounts and cowbells. For newbies like myself, here's a compilation of aaaaaall the CX tutorials I posted last year.

I know that they don't cover every aspect of the sport. And some of you CXperts out there may have cringed at the advice provided by Mickey Denoncourt. But if a few of you learned something by watching these videos, as I have, I I have accomplished something.

Dismounting I

1) Dismounting I. Part I . Introduction to dismounting and remounting.

2) Dismounting I. Part II. How to dismount a cyclocross bike.

3) Dismounting I. Part III. Doing a step-through technique.

Dismounting II

1) Dismounting II. Part I. Dismounting a bike at speed in CX racing.

2) Dismounting II. Part II. How to dismount in sand from a CX bike.

3) How to dismount your 'cross bike. (Scroll down about two thirds down the list of videos.)

Remounting

1) How to remount your 'cross bike. (Click on the "how to" section and then scroll down to near the bottom of the list of videos.)

2) How to remount a cyclocross bike at a run

3) How to dismount and remount in cyclocross racing

Off-the-bike skills I

1) How to carry and shoulder your 'cross bike. (Again, click on the "how-to" tab and scroll down to the end of the list of videos.)

2) How to carry a cyclocross bike on a shallow run.

3) How to shoulder a cyclocross bike for a steep run.

Off-the-bike skills II

1) How to go through barriers in a CX race
(Velonews.tv has its own video on going through barriers, but as of the time of writing this post, I couldn't play it. Maybe you'll have better luck: How to get through barriers. Click on the "how-to" tab. You'll find this video near the end of the list.)

2) How to run in sand in CX racing

On-the-bike skills I

1) How to pedal when cyclocross racing

2) Tips for riding light

3) How to work with obstacles

4) How to descend a hill

5) Body positioning tips for hill descents

On-the-bike skills II

1) How to brake in a turn on CX bikes

2) How to make sharp turns on a CX bike

3) How to go through closed corners

4) How to go through open corners

On-the-bike skills III

1) Tips for riding steep climbs

2) Riding off-cambers

3) How to race in mud

4) How to race in sand

Training techniques

1) Sprinting drill

2) Doing double sets

3) How to practice starting

Racing tips I

1) Overall advice about racing

2) How to prepare for a cyclocross race (warm-up)

3) How to start a race

4) How to pace yourself

5) How to pace yourself on a run

6) How to pass people (better on straight sections)

7) How to use the pit

8) How to finish a race (raising your arms, right?)

Racing tips II

1) How to analyze the course

2) Pre-race strategies (eat, drink, warm-up. Mickey is a big fan of coffee too.)

3) Terrain considerations

4) Race tactics

CX bicycles

1) What kind of bike is used in CX?

2) Road bike vs CX bike

3) CX gearing

4) Chainrings and chain retention tips

5) CX handlebar width

6) Seat height

7) Handlebar controls

8) Setting up the brakes

9) Tweaking the brakes

10) Tweaking the cable routing

Tires

1) How to adjust cyclocross clincher tire pressure

2) How to adjust cyclocross tubular tire pressure

3) How to select a cyclocross bike tire tread

4) Why you should have a spare set of tires

Clothes

1) What head gear and shirt to wear in cyclocross biking

2) What to gear for the elements in cyclocross biking

Collected tales from Lansing

The official results are now posted (see left column). In terms of the course, St. Charles and Northbrook set the bar really high, so I heard that Lansing was a bit disappointing. Everyone was talking about the sandpit though.

Debbie Dust (W-1, Verdigris / PACT-Dish Network)

I was happy to be finished - it was a bit of a suffer fest at times as evidenced by the (simultaneously cool yet nasty/gross) copious amounts of spit and snot stuck to the various surfaces of my bike.

Joe Kallo (Masters 30, UCVC)

As I was doing my practice laps I developed this (utterly genius, no doubt) strategy: I was going to serious bury myself for the first 2 laps. Just 2 laps. No matter what, I was going to remain over redline as much as I could muster. No thought of future laps, and nothing held in reserve.

Jesse Williams (M-4, Tati/UCVC)

I felt pretty good at the start and appeared to pass many of my competitors through the barrier/sand sections. I even managed to recover some of my entry fee by picking a dollar pass-up as I sprinted though the sand.

Lou Kuhn (M-1/2, Pony Shop)

Race #2 was an experiment of sorts, just 2 hours after my race and still in my roubaix skin suit hoping the embro that accidentally slid south is killing a bit of the bacteria that could be roaming about after sitting in chamois post 30 plus race.

I felt great for the first 4 or 5 laps, then noticed that they hadn't put laps to go up yet???? when they did it didn't help my psyche to see 6 to go. Sixty minutes is a lot longer than 45.

Holly Klug (W-1/2/3, Killjoy)

I am not the greatest rider on power courses so my goal for the race was to ride the pit to show off my "skillz" and try to hang on to June or Debbie's wheel as long as I could. Kevin said right before the race to "not do all the work" and let the other girls pull you around at the start. With this in mind, we go and I get the hole shot.

Jeff Holland (M-3, XXX)

I was caught and passed by Al, managed to catch and pass Ernie and Adam, and eventually settled in right behind Ryan. I chased him for a few laps, until he rode the sand instead of running it to get a gap on me. The next lap he went back to running it, but the damage was done. I never caught up.

Greg Heck (M-3, XXX)

For the next several laps I sit on the wheel of Jason Knauff of Burnham Racing. Since he has already won a couple of races I figured it was his reward to set the pace while I wheelsucked ( I am not embarressed to admit it!!).

Stories from Northbrook

The results are posted here (riders sorted by their overall standings, not by their results at Northbrook).

Joe Kallo (M-4, UCVC)

I was also hurting a whole lot, and not paying attention to my hup hup. In the last two laps, I kept shifting the wrong direction because of the way the SRAM shifters work (well that, and my dumbass decision not to dress properly), so I gave up shifting.

Beverly Bike-Vee Pak

After ascending the stairs you had the pleasure of riding the most challenging section we have ridden all year, three off-camber muddy, greasy turns where if you had too much speed, or hesitated just a bit you found yourself upside down. And believe me, more than a few people were trying to ride that section who had no business doing so, and some were making it look easy.

KillJoy

I was almost successfully making the turn when I decided to go against everything I have learned in mountain biking and grabbed my brakes mid turn. This obviously caused my wheels to lock up and there was CRASH #1! I was able to get back on my bike quick even though it literally knocked the snot out of me (hopefully there isn't a pic of that).

Jeff Holland (M-3, XXX)

Great technical course, true cross weather, too bad I didn't bring my A-game. I had a good start, until someone plowed into the back of me about 200m into the race, which sent me right into Jacques. He managed to stay up, but it caused me to have to stop and remount. After that, I kept sliding back from the leaders. Add a crash where I wrapped my seatpost in some marker tape and went down, and a crash on the last lap down the hill trying to avoid another crashed rider, and I rolled in for 22nd place.

Pony Shop Cyclocross

On to the race...Thank you to the Garner Northbrook Bike Club and Flatlandia Cycling Team for setting up a fantastic course, which had two rarities, no man made barriers, and 2 stair run ups per lap. I never really thought about the lack of barriers, didn't miss them at all, the course had a really good flow to it, with lots of turns, but more importantly off camber turns, very tricky. The weather helped add to the technical challenge of the course and made it really feel like the Motherland.

Tamara Fraser (W-4, XXX)

As I came through the start/finish, steeling myself for another lap or two, the officials were standing in front of the lap counter. "How many more?" I asked, they called back, "You're done!" Woooo!

Jim Brody (Pony Shop)

On the 3rd lap I started getting passed in the technical stuff, first Mike and Randy from xXx, then a DICE rider, then James from Turin. I tried to stay with each one, but then I'd have to slow down in a corner. Just too tentative in the corners, wasting massive amounts of energy braking and then having to re-accelerate.

CX 101 on video: Recap

Here's a compilation of aaaaaall the CX tutorials I've been posting over the weeks.

I know that they don't cover every aspect of the sport. And some of you CXperts out there may have cringed at the advice provided by Mickey Denoncourt. But if a few of you learned something by watching these videos, as I have, I feel that I have accomplished my mission.

Dismounting I

1) Dismounting I. Part I . Introduction to dismounting and remounting.

2) Dismounting I. Part II. How to dismount a cyclocross bike.

3) Dismounting I. Part III. Doing a step-through technique.

Dismounting II

1) Dismounting II. Part I. Dismounting a bike at speed in CX racing.

2) Dismounting II. Part II. How to dismount in sand from a CX bike.

3) How to dismount your 'cross bike. (Scroll down about two thirds down the list of videos.)

Remounting

1) How to remount your 'cross bike. (Click on the "how to" section and then scroll down to near the bottom of the list of videos.)

2) How to remount a cyclocross bike at a run

3) How to dismount and remount in cyclocross racing

Off-the-bike skills I

1) How to carry and shoulder your 'cross bike. (Again, click on the "how-to" tab and scroll down to the end of the list of videos.)

2) How to carry a cyclocross bike on a shallow run.

3) How to shoulder a cyclocross bike for a steep run.

Off-the-bike skills II

1) How to go through barriers in a CX race
(Velonews.tv has its own video on going through barriers, but as of the time of writing this post, I couldn't play it. Maybe you'll have better luck: How to get through barriers. Click on the "how-to" tab. You'll find this video near the end of the list.)

2) How to run in sand in CX racing

On-the-bike skills I

1) How to pedal when cyclocross racing

2) Tips for riding light

3) How to work with obstacles

4) How to descend a hill

5) Body positioning tips for hill descents

On-the-bike skills II

1) How to brake in a turn on CX bikes

2) How to make sharp turns on a CX bike

3) How to go through closed corners

4) How to go through open corners

On-the-bike skills III

1) Tips for riding steep climbs

2) Riding off-cambers

3) How to race in mud

4) How to race in sand

Training techniques

1) Sprinting drill

2) Doing double sets

3) How to practice starting

Racing tips I

1) Overall advice about racing

2) How to prepare for a cyclocross race (warm-up)

3) How to start a race

4) How to pace yourself

5) How to pace yourself on a run

6) How to pass people (better on straight sections)

7) How to use the pit

8) How to finish a race (raising your arms, right?)

Racing tips II

1) How to analyze the course

2) Pre-race strategies (eat, drink, warm-up. Mickey is a big fan of coffee too.)

3) Terrain considerations

4) Race tactics

CX bicycles

1) What kind of bike is used in CX?

2) Road bike vs CX bike

3) CX gearing

4) Chainrings and chain retention tips

5) CX handlebar width

6) Seat height

7) Handlebar controls

8) Setting up the brakes

9) Tweaking the brakes

10) Tweaking the cable routing

Tires

1) How to adjust cyclocross clincher tire pressure

2) How to adjust cyclocross tubular tire pressure

3) How to select a cyclocross bike tire tread

4) Why you should have a spare set of tires

Clothes

1) What head gear and shirt to wear in cyclocross biking

2) What to gear for the elements in cyclocross biking

CX 101 on video: clothes

-What head gear and shirt to wear in cyclocross biking

-What to gear for the elements in cyclocross biking

CX 101 on video: tires

From watching cyclists prepare their bikes at Jackson Park, I can tell that tire pressure is more important in cyclocross than it is in road racing. Let's hear what Mickey Denoncourt has to say:

-How to adjust cyclocross clincher tire pressure

-How to adjust cyclocross tubular tire pressure

Aside from tire pressure, bike tread may play an important role under extreme conditions:

-How to select a cyclocross bike tire tread

A few words on why you should keep a spare set of tires:

-Why you should have a spare set of tires

CX 101 on video: CX bicycles

1) What kind of bike is used in CX?

2) Road bike vs CX bike

3) CX gearing

4) Chainrings and chain retention tips

5) CX handlebar width

6) Seat height

7) Handlebar controls

8) Setting up the brakes

9) Tweaking the brakes

10) Tweaking the cable routing

CX 101 on video: Racing tips II

1) How to analyze the course

2) Pre-race strategies (eat, drink, warm-up. Mickey is a big fan of coffee too.)

3) Terrain considerations

4) Race tactics

Less than two weeks now...

If this doesn't get you fired up, nothing will... (Via Beverly Bike-Vee Pak.)
(The image of the guy slapping himself around 0:57 is priceless.)

CX 101 on video: Racing tips I

1) Overall advice about racing

2) How to prepare for a cyclocross race (warm-up)

3) How to start a race

4) How to pace yourself

5) How to pace yourself on a run

6) How to pass people (better on straight sections)

7) How to use the pit

8) How to finish a race (raising your arms, right?)

Weekend CX fun

I don't know how important this race is, but the camerawork is professional and the guys look very fast. Plus, it seems to be in Belgium, so it's gotta be good.


And for the sake of gender parity... (This looks insane, I promise.)

CX 101 on video: Training techniques

Dismounting, running up a hill, remounting: This sounds like something you would do over and over during a CX race, and it's a skill you can practice even if you don't have a hill nearby.

1) Sprinting drill

Doing double sets is necessary, since you will often find sets of two or three or more consecutive barriers in CX races:

2) Doing double sets

From what I've seen in videos, a good start is a huge advantage in CX races. Practice:

3) How to practice starting

CX 101 on video: On-the-bike skills III

1) Tips for riding steep climbs

2) Riding off-cambers

3) How to race in mud

4) How to race in sand

CX 101 on video: On-the-bike skills II

So you're riding down a steep section of the course at 20 mph and need to decelerate to go over an obstacle, or to take a turn. How do you do it?

1) How to brake in a turn on CX bikes

OK, you slowed down before the turn. How do you actually take the turn?

2) How to make sharp turns on a CX bike

3) How to go through closed corners

4) How to go through open corners

My CX shoes

I just got my Adidas Razors and I wanted to share some thoughts with you, in case they can help you with this purchase. You might also wanna check out these Guidelines for Cyclocross Shoes.
Finding good shoes for CX is hard. First, not many manufacturers make CX-specific shoes, if any, so you have to buy generic "MTB" shoes (retailers abuse the MTB designation so much that I must put it in quotes). What makes CX different from MTB riding is that you need a sole stiff enough for good power transfer while on the bike, but flexible enough so that you're comfortable running in them. It sounds like squaring a circle.

Carbon and rubber are at the two extremes of the stiffness spectrum, so neither might work for you. I would opt for nylon, possibly reinforced with fiberglass or carbon inserts on the cleat area. The Adidas Razors seem to bend quite a bit on the mid section --that is where the arch of your foot is-- but I can't test them on the field yet.

The second thing to consider if you have CX in mind is the hardness of the rubber lugs on the sole. It seems intuitive that very hard rubber will have poor traction and, almost surely, will transfer more shock to your feet while running.

At 365g of actual weight (730g for the pair), the Adidas Razors are quite light, and they're spike-ready. (My knowledgeable sources tell me that spikes come in very handy in courses with steep, muddy climbs.) The toe spikes are not included though.

They come with XC-lite outsole, TPU lugs (whatever those things mean), a micro-ratchet strap plus two velcro straps, and synthetic upper (not real leather). The accents on the top and heels are silver, not white.

The one thing that doesn't please me about the Razors is the large mesh surface on the upper, sides and heel, because these are supposed to be the only shoes I'll use in the winter, my tootsies are very sensitive to the cold, and I don't feel like spending $$$$$ on proper winter shoes. But then, these are performance shoes, so I can't complain.

The size 10/44 I ordered fits me very well with both thin and thick socks, perhaps thanks to the ratchet strap (my shoe size is between 10 and 10.5, depending on the shoe).

The ones I got are available at pricepoint.com for $89.98. BlueSkyCycling.com carries a white version for $74.98, which tempted me for a long time. (I'm going through a period of infatuation with white cycling apparel. Plus, considering that my CX rig will be white, can you imagine how outrageously good I would look?) It finally dawned on me that after my first muddy ride any white shoe would retain a nasty brownish hue forever, even after I washed them, so I went for the more practical black. Sigh.

Other options I considered: Time MXE, Nashbar Pro, and Vittoria Pro X. If you must buy Adidas, you may wanna give a chance to the Voltage, which are less pricey than the Razors, but also less good looking.

CX 101 on video: On-the-bike skills I

(All the videos today are by Mickey Denoncourt.)

1) How to pedal when cyclocross racing

2) Tips for riding light

3) How to work with obstacles

4) How to descend a hill

5) Body positioning tips for hill descents

CX 101 on video: Off-the-bike skills II

1) How to go through barriers in a CX race (by Mickey Denoncourt)

(Velonews.tv has its own video on going through barriers, but as of the time of writing this post, I couldn't play it. Maybe you'll have better luck: How to get through barriers. Click on the "how-to" tab. You'll find this video near the end of the list.)


2) How to run in sand in CX racing (by Mickey Denoncourt)

CX 101 on video: Off-the-bike skills I

So you have dismounted and need to carry your bike: How do you lift it? How do you carry it? How do you drop it back on the ground?

1) How to carry and shoulder your 'cross bike. (Again, click on the "how-to" tab and scroll down to the end of the list of videos.) From VeloNews.

2) How to carry a cyclocross bike on a shallow run. (By Mickey Denoncourt.)

3) How to shoulder a cyclocross bike for a steep run. (Also by Mickey Denoncourt.)