Race.

Gonna test ride the new wheels tonight, 1760 grams with tufo flexus tires glued, sub 2k with u.s.e.1 skewers and 11-26 1090 cassette.

I race ss at 1 and open at 2 at Boss Cross. Gotta remember to eat good today/tomorrow.

I'm guessing its the same park they used for boss cross 4 last year. Pretty flat mostly, some pavement, some off camber, and volleyball courts.

The Last Swayze.

Last wednesday of October means the last sWayze CX. I started off pretty good and for a few laps felt strong, then slid out on this off camber turn/dismount into a runup by the sand volleyball court and tried to pierce my knee with my stem. It hurt bad like a stinger or something. I pedaled easy for the rest of the race. It sucked. I road in this morning and it hurts, but I can tell that I can still pedal hard so I should be good for BC #3.

Carbon Wheels

I broke down and boughtthese a few weeks ago. Shipped from China, $240, received 7 days later. They were much better looking and person, way stronger feeling too. I tried breaking them and couldn't. They only come in 20,24,28 spoke counts which sucks, I have a few DA7900 18/24 hubs I need to use, anyone interested? $225/set.

Anyways, I built them up using Velocity's New Road Hub. Very nice hubs with industry leading cx-rays. Weight is 1190 grams for the set, and they built up super straight/round. Cost me $500, not bad for brand new.



I've ordered some cool hubs from C4 205 gram rear and 76 gram front. Should be 1140 grams or so. Ceramic bearings too! I'll take $600 for a set of 1140 gram 38mm carbon wheels...deal?

Smithville CX Race.

Anybody want to buy a brand new Full carbon Pinarello CX Bike, 54cm, full Dura Ace for $2500?


Helmet Cam Footage from Smithville HERE.


Video of Dan. Absolutely no one else could do this, pretty awesome. If the link doesn't work go onto face book and search, "Dan riding a steep run up then taking money from a tree that grows it?"


No one expected as big of an open field. It was one of those days where everyone shows up thinking know one else would, I think there were 20 of us in the open and there was still a 2/3 race. I held on to 3rd for the first lap, then held onto 4th for 3 more. By now the whole doubling up racing single speed and not eating good got to me and I was in a bad mood. I road with 2 tradewind riders for a few laps, they finally shaked me and I got going really slow. Whenever I get to ride by myself there is no motivation, no carrot in front of me, no will to catch back on. I end up getting past a few more times and when I saw winkler 30 seconds back with 2 to go(his bell lap) I let another rider past to not ride any more for 10th place. I'm really happy with the way I was able to start and hold on for a few laps with Winkler, Travis, and Jensen in front of me.

I really need to start eating good. I've always been a fan of just riding really hard and learning "how to race." Now my body needs to learn how to go fast for a longer period of time.

Diet.
Saturday
7am coffee and cinnamon toast crunch.
11am after 2 hour ride=snickers bar and peanut butter cookie from Wj's. More coffee.
1pm greens to go(don't ask) its this green powder you mix with water. 15 calories.
3pm 1 baci chocolate.
5pm 2 pieces of pan chicken/bacon/mushroom pizza from Rainbow Blvd. Wing street.
8pm mint chocolate chip ice cream

Sunday
7am 2 cups of cinamon toast crunch.
9am at race 20oz of coffee, 2 brownies
10am 20 oz of coffee
11am piece of bread
1:45pm between races, 1 apple gu gel.



Looking back at this I can pretty much say I ate like a retard. I'm going to try and make good changes before boss cross #3, got a 40 minute ss race into a 60 min. open race.

Can anyone believe this weather?



Dude drinking a chocolate milkshake after the race.

Saturdays

Went on a good ride this morning.This guy has some pics. I spent the rest of the day getting the teams bikes ready for what everyone hopes is to be a muddy Smithville Race. Bulldogs are on and ready to roll.

I've had to replace 2 apex rear shifters this week. They suck. Get rival at least if you are buying a bike, they are $30 more and don't break after 500 miles. I'm sick of bike industry companies making shit that brakes after a month or two like they hoped their consumer would use their product or something.



I built up some carbon rims I bought on ebay to the New Road Hubs. 1200 grams for a 38mm tubular wheelset, paid about $500. Could have done laser spokes for $425 with the same weight, but not bladed spokes. I'll get the Tufo 700x32 Primus Flexus Tires glued on by Boss Cross. Get my single speed down to 14 lbs by then.

Tufo 700x32 Primus Flexus are on sale for $99, tell me you want a pair and they are yours.

New Race.

Spent a lot of time this week going over plans for another Manion's Race. This one will rock. Its going to be a completely different course, not much climbing.

Gonna stay and race Smithville on Sunday, gotta figure out my chainring situation first. Didn't get to ride this week except for the Swayze race, hopefully I'll find time.

8am ride from Volker Bicycles on 18th/Wyandotte. Gonna be 2 hours or so, pretty good ride. Come early for coffee.

Swazye and Racing

I got beat bad last night at the Swayze Race. Got 4th, freakin Shea ate his wheaties or something.






Free Alley Cat Race Tonight.(click)

Wheels

I've got to sell these.



1400 gram tubular wheelset. 28 spokes f/r. velocity hubs, velocity escape gold rims.

$250 for the set, or $330 with either challenge 30mm grifo or gommitalia 34mm(more like33) tubulars.

Blvd. Cup

Blvd. cup, as always, was an awesome race. Great food, great coffee, great beer, great course. I had my new blue ex built up 15.5lbs with pedals for the ss race while Kent raced my pake. I told him to just go super hard the first lap, get a feel for the course at race speed, then cruise to be ready for the 3 race right after. There were more than 20 of us at the start it seemed. The 4's and masters 4's went off first, so we new we had lots of traffic to negotiate. At the whistle a couple of ss mtn. bikes were flying with very fast gears, meaning they were pedaling fast, but not going fast. I was a little scared to ride close to them for they were all over. The first turn onto the grass wasn't so bad but the next turn was super scary. It was all grass with tons of gravel and loose rocks, though you didn't know any of the loose stuff was there.

Anyway, Kent went really hard, Steve from 360 didn't follow him and I road his wheel for a while, I tried to pass him at the end, but couldn't hold a gap, then Steve passed me back and easily won the sprint.


As soon as the race was over I stretched my back got some water and grabbed my bike, then remembered I need my other number so ran all the way back, got my number and lined up. At the start I realized I had way too low of pressure in my back tire. I need to remember to get both bikes ready before the first race. The open field was big, I was in top 8 after 2 laps when I was digging into an off camber section and my tire popped off the rim. I was still able to walk to the pit and finish on my ss for last place.



Benon started day care this week, so I no longer need to ride the 35lb baby bike. Here's my track bike. A friend and I built the frame over 2 years ago. It was our first frame and we did it without a jig. I broke it a few months ago and my friend Marko repaired the ht/dt section with carbon. Its super sweat and stiff now.



High flange hubs and colored deep v's are out, d/a low flange and nmsw aerheads are in. If the bcd of your crankset isn't 144 then you can go play kickball someplace else.

Topeka CX

Upon hearing that this race was hilly, I went in early to the store to work on my bike, had to swap the 11-25 6700 cassette to 11-28t. I have a 38/46 right now but the 38 is all bent up so I'm stuck in the 46t always, I guess this was kind of a good thing.

The race in Topeka on Saturday was good for me. It had a semi technical section with proper barriers into a hard climb/ technical descent. I won the ss pretty easily and didn't have to pedal much. In the open race we had to go a lot harder. After 2 laps it was me Justin, Ben S., and Mark C. The course had a good climb into a barrier, which then had a very steep run up. I hit the barrier fast and ran up hard. Got a gap and was able to keep it a while. Justin caught me but I kept gaining time at the run up. The last lap was pretty much a victory lap, I had lots of time to take it easy. The course was great, very flowy. All the tape was not breakable and the stakes were super strong, it you hit them, you were the first to hit the ground, no the stakes.

Thank you to Monster Energy Drink for having drinks there, I drank a few and they made me feel pretty good.


Some pics here.


Gonna try and race 1x10 now. Should save a little weight in the front, gonna probably try out the Paul deal since its the lightest.

Blue

I'm racing CX tonight. It should be fun. The ground should be a little soft and the weather is perfect. There were 30 starters last time, hopefully more this time. I have the leaders jersey to defend so I need to come up with a good course. People are mad because I didn't like the course on Sunday. For that I am sorry, I'm not blaming anyone, I'm just saying I personally didn't like it. I liked it better than going to St. Mary's 4 times, that is for sure. All the races this year have been within a 20 minute drive from my house which is awesome. I appreciate everyone who feels they are owed a thank you.


I built up the blue ex frame. It is 15.4 lbs with pedals. Pretty light and faster than the 23 lb pake bike. I am excited to try it out.

Long Week.

I didn't do well at the last cross race. I road once all week, felt rested but I guess too rested. Went into the first few turns in perfect position, 4th wheel, then the guy in 3rd crashed on an off camber turn, I went off the course and the whole field passed as well as some of the 2/3 racers(they were started 10 seconds after us.) I didn't really like the course, no good feel to the land at all. Having a downhill dirt start into a 120 degree corner wouldn't have been my idea either, nor having the finish on a descent. Judges hate that. I know they hate that because my wife has been an official for most of the cx races, she hears it all. There is a lot more to putting on a cx race than putting up a bunch of stakes and blowing a whistle.

I've ordered a set of these. It'll be a $500 1250 gram wheelset with a/c hubs. Should be ready by jingle cx.


Gonna build up my blue ex as an ss for this weekend. Gonna be pretty light. May go to Kentucky and race ss but still on the fence.


I've got tufo flexus 32 tires(thegood ones) for only $100 each. Challenge grifo 30mm tubulars for $55 and vista cruiser 1650 gram tubular wheelsets for $200.


Race Tomorrow, I'm in the leaders jersey here.

New Blue.

Got a Blue ex in finally. Apparently it was the last one in its existence so I had to grab it. I ordered one for myself about a month ago but SC told me he'd give me real money for it. Nothing wrong with my focus. Its beautiful. Just has a lower bottom bracket and slightly heavier.




The pic shows it with cdale cranks(gonna change the rings to 42t single with k-edge) and ec90 seatpost. The way its pictured is 2.75kg. Super light. Were talking frame/fork/headset/bearings/cranks/clamp/post.

Free Racing Tonight!

CLICK.

BC Day 1 SS Vid.

View on ExposureRoom

Kentucky

I'd like to go to kentucky for the usgp race. There is already a 116 rider field for the 2/3 race. Last year at Jingle Cross it sucked lining up in the back of a 100 rider field to try to get a result. Its was a waist of time.

Registered riders for Kentucky USGP.

Looks like there are only 3 riders to race single speed. Might be interesting.

I'd have to upgrade my 22 lb. single speed bike with the 38mm piranha on the 16h front and the 30mm grifo tubular on the 36h mavic reflex rear.

This is cool.I'm no raleigh dealer, but riding a belt drive full carbon ss would be sweet, were talking 13 lbs. easily.
How convenient. They go on sale tonight....$1220 shipped...just a little out of my range....but enve fork...carbon frame, that's a great price.

This is good. I've never been a salsa fan but this dropout design is good.

Or Bamboo. Not a Boo, I don't like them, but a dude in town who's been fixing my broken carbon has a bb30 shell, paragon ti ss dropouts, bamboo from south carolina, and a good amount of carbon/epoxy.

Boss Cross #2

Saturday night I was in a lot of pain. It didn't matter how much mexican food from El Patron or HOptober ale from new belgium I drank. I stayed up most of the night tossing and turning over which gear to run for the ss race. I had ran 42/19 for saturday, and it seemed well, but if the course was to be run backwards, it would be even faster, and if there was to be no wind, then even more faster. I only had a 17t, no 18 and I did not want to make that huge of jump.

I woke up and drank a great cup of De La Paz coffee which I had won the day before and started to feel better.



I clipped in well at the start and immediately got a little gap. Then there wasn't a gap, then there was. With no wind I just decided to go hard the first lap and try to hang on. I did.





With the course backwards, there was a straight shot into the sand, most people could ride it. For some reason it was way easier on my ss than my geared bike. Maybe it was the extra weight of the ss that helped grip good.

Funny thing about my ss, 16 spokes front wheel, 36 spokes rear.


So I keep the jersey, I'll be wearing it HERE!


Open race sucked again. I had 15 minutes to get my bike from Andrew, who I let borrow for the cat 4 race. I took my sock to wipe off the the chain/cassette, so much sand. As I was doing so I felt my right knee pop and it hurt.

I road around looking around for a pump but couldn't find one. I didn't know how much air I had but I knew less than 32. I needed at least 36psi for these fast turns or else you feel your tire folding over your rim.


I never found a pump, barely got to the starting line 1 minute before the start. Lined up in the very back this time behind some slow riders. Got stuck into the very fast hole shot. Got stuck again in the next turn. The next turn was wide enough around to get by 3 riders, then 2 more the next turn. Then I crushed it around 3 more after this nasty horseshoe turn. Barriers made up 2 more riders. I got in a good group and then on the 2nd lap a guy right in front of me clipped his pedal going around the horseshoe hill turn. I ran right into him and lost 5 places. Landed right on my right shoulder that I hurt saturday and twisted my bars. I raced the next lap back to the group riding with my bars sideways, then crashed the horseshoe turn next time around, then lost my chain. I quit racing here and kept riding, got lapped a few times and finished last place.

Boss Cross #1

This race was very good. The grass was very fast and there were tons of corners(wide ones) to keep people honest. It was a total big ring course, no down shifting anywhere, even the sandy run up. I decided Friday that I needed to double up both days, meaning racing 100 minutes each day almost back to back.

The start of the single speed was pretty slow. Three of us got away pretty quick and I didn't want to push the pace so that we did not do any extra laps, (40min is long enough). After 4 laps I attacked and maintained a little gap till the end. What I like about Boss Cross is that they have leaders jerseys.



I was getting sore, back, hands, neck, all the symptons of a hard cx race. The open race had 27 starters, lots of fast dudes. I lined up 3rd row and crushed it to 5th position into the windy/off camber hole shot. I told my teammates if they were more than 5 riders back at the start, to get off and run it, Wink in front of me did this, but I decided to ride it. Immediately a rider next to me lost momentum and t-boned me, hooking bars and knocking me off my bike. The 27 rider field past me and I was in last. I lost my bar end and tape as you can see below.

I immediately put my head down and started passing people. Barriers and windy turns made it easy. Through the sand I past 3 dudes. I made it up to a group of 4 or 5 riders and the leader had already put in a pull and no one would pull through. I made a bad decision to ride really fast and pass them all, only to not be able to slow down before the next turn which had a concrete wall. Shoulder, finger and knee all took the hit, if that wasn't worse, I also caused another rider to stop which sucks. Its a bad feeling when you negatively effect another riders race by a mistake like this. A very dumb mistake. Looking back I could have easily been patient, waited till the barrier run up and pass there, or just had my brakes adjusted to slow down better, but I didn't. It sucked. My race was pretty much over at this point. I managed to pass a few people later in the race and finish 20th out of 27.




New socks coming from swiftwick.

Bosscross 2010, Day 1 from 28 Spokes on Vimeo.

click

click

Racing this weekend.

Gonna race ss and open both days at Boss Cross. They do all the cool stuff like providing leaders jerseys and such. I might have a chance at scoring a ss jersey, very exciting.

New CX site for kc here. Supposed to help newbies out...hopefully. Check it out and send friends interested in cx here.