Jingle Cross Iowa City Day 3. 2011.

The rain had stopped, but it had felt much colder. The mud was thicker too, many more broken bikes today. The start was much better today. Instead of making that left into a 180d right, we just made a sweeping left 90d turn and looped around real easy into a nice mud pit.

I was 4th into the holeshot and moved up to 3rd before the 2nd mud pit. We got to the runup and I sucked again, but not as bad as last time. I kept in the top 9 and the descent I passed a few riders.

The descent was much easier today, it was fresh grass and you didn't have to run any of it. The bottom was a mud hole. The worst kind that just caked up your bike. After that section was the gravel section, perfect, you get rocks into the mud and poof, off goes your derailleur, thats what happened to me after the 1st lap. I jumped on my ss, it had my beloved piranhas on it, 3 seasons old, worn down really good. It was hard but I finished the race with it. With 1 lap to go my wheels were barely turning. The side knobs of the tires were grabbing the mud the wheels barely turned with it all over the rear brake and bottom bracket. I ran up to the top of the hill for the last time getting passed by 1 guy at the top where he could ride and my ss could not. At the bottom of the hill I could see the next rider coming, he was 5 seconds back going into the circle of death, coming out I still had the gap but when we hit the gravel into the finish he simply shifted up and pedaled around me while I spun in for 8th.

The pros were switching bikes every lap, you had to, I wish I had a geared bike and maybe an extra derailleur and hanger in the pit, probably would have been top 5 pretty easily.

Next year, jingle cross will be the weekend before thanksgiving, I am looking forward to it.

If you are going, here's what you need to be doing to train for it.


2 times a week, every week in october. Go to Eaton and Cambridge in KCK. Run up cambridge as fast as you can with your bike over your shoulder. Get to the top do 15 10 second max efforts with 15 seconds rest in between. Do 5 sets. If you plan on racing elite, do 8 sets.

Jingle Cross Iowa City Day 2 2011

Race start was 12:30. It had been raining all night, and temp was about 39d. Rain was supposed to stop at 12 but it never did, I think it even rained harder after the start.

I had a descent start, the start was the same for friday and saturday. About 400 meters, then a nice left into a 180 right turn. It kind of sucked to hit at speed. Last year start I really liked, super windy turning that you could take easily at speed. This year, it was a corkscrew that really stacked it up.


At about 50 meters before the turn I stopped pedaling and about 8 guys went around me from either side. It was chaos. The ground was super wet and mud was flying everywhere. I could barely see with my old contacts and the mud.


I made my way back up to 5th or so before the ride up.

The way up krumpit today was like the friday race last year. It was rideable for a while, eventually the dirt was too slick and if you didn't have momentum, you had to run. Being 5 riders back, we all ended up up running.


The descent was treacherous, as ST said. I was able to run down it really fast, I didn't have a problem with it.


From further down the hill.


I didn't crash the entire race, I just couldn't keep up with the leaders riding/running up the mountain.


I had the same problem with my heart again, it spiked really bad and I couldn't really recover the whole race so I ended up racing the whole thing riding at about 50% power.


Mud was everywhere, it was good mud, fresh and wet so there were not as many broken bikes as you'd think.

I ended up 7th, I could see 4th place the entire last lap, just couldn't get up there. 40 minutes is too short to race.

JINGLE CROSS 1 IOWA CITY Friday 2011

Left Kansas City at 11:30, got to the course at 4:00. First thing I do is knock my glasses off my face closing the hatch and my glasses break in half. I have raced with my glasses all year, I haven't used contacts since Tulsa Tough I believe. Luckily I had my contacts in my race bag. They are pretty old. Disposable. The kind you throw out after 2 weeks. I've had these out since March, and have used them for 9 or 10 road races, so I probably have that many hours into them. They worked.

Race start was 5:30. After 1 lap it would be dark. This is my 3rd night race in 3 weeks in a row. I like them alot, as long as you can prelap the course when it is light out. I got a pretty good start. I was 3rd for a while, then we hit this narly mud/ditch section and the 2nd rider colapsed. We all got off our bike and ran while the 1st rider, road away and we never saw him again.

After the mud we hit the fly over and then to the bottom of mt. krumpet.




It has a long run up, pretty slick too. When you get to the top, you still had some riding to do to get to the descent.


I was 2nd to the runup, but by the time I got to the top, I was 20th. My heartrate spiked, I couldn't breathe, and I basically walked up the the thing. I couldn't really recover until 2 laps to go. Finally I felt ok to pedal hard again. I made up a bunch of spots and got back up to 6th or 7th with 3rd/4th/5th 10 seconds up, but I couldn't close the gap.

After the race my legs weren't tired at all. Like I had barely ridden.

Black Friday

Big Black Friday Sale. Buy all your christmas gifts here! If you don't, at least try buying from locally owned merchants and small business.

I road my bike today, the first time since last saturday. Before I got on my bike my legs felt strong, 20 minutes later they are jello again. Ouch. I'm going to eat a bunch of food and try riding again. Leaving for Iowa Friday morning at 11am. I'll be at the 39th sale from 8-11 to sell things.

Eating.

Its almost thanksgiving. Holidays are usually bad for me. I'm not a potatoes kind of person. My dinner plate probably will weighs about 1 lb. but my desert plate will weigh 4 lbs. Its a choice, not a good one, but I'll take responsibility for it.

Eating is something I haven't thought about this cross season. I remember listening to Road cat 3 racers talk about dieting when I first started. They had it down to a science which kind of freaked me out. 3 days before the event, eat chicken or salmon with pasta..yadayaydayaysda yada.

I usually just try to eat something. If I wasn't paying for it, I'd probably eat a salmon scramble from room 39 the morning of every race. Instead, I usually make a batch of waffles and share them with my oldest. I think I end up eating about 1k calories of carbs. I'll especially do this if I'm racing twice. I usually try to eat fruit during the day and 15 minutes before the race I eat a espresso clif shot.

Thats it. It could be better, and I probably should try to get better at it.

The main point about the article below that I like is the importance of recovery. Keck does this. He has a whole lunch packed to eat after his race. Recovery, eating well right after the race, pb/j, apple, pasta/chicken, all that. I'm going to try hard at that this weekend. The weather looks descent, it could be a lot worse. Friday, low of 48, saturday, 70% rain and high of 48, sunday, snow.

What to Eat?

Peloton Magazine.

The thick of it.

This time of year, it goes by fast. The time of year you think about all season, all throught the spring road races, summer crits, and fall training for cx. Sad thing is by the time it gets here, the real season of cx, you're tired, flat, and are fat.

I'm not riding my bike this week till friday, hopefully I will have good legs by then. I'm not saying that is what people should do to prepare to race, its probably the opposite, but I want to be truly motivated to race when I show up in Iowa, even if I am out of shape. Right now I wish I could go back in time, maybe to the 1st of october, and started a running regimen. 1 mile a day, 3 days a week. Train real hard. Instead, I didn't do any running, and I wasn't able to ride much, so I just got fat. I'll no for next year. I'm pretty sure I said something like this last year too. You think you want to be fast in october so you take more rest days and stay off your feet and avoid running to avoid hurting yourself, then you realize that you should have worked harder.

I'm still gathering my thoughts from last weekend. I have spent much time debating what makes a great cx race, what gets 200-300 people to come out to race. I am now realizing that handing out $13,000 does not do it. What gives? What causes people to sell their cx bike and stick to the road, or cancel there cross events because they fear of a low turnout and are tired of the effort for no reward? I'll keep thinking. Why aren't more people getting cx bikes. 80% of the cx bikes ridden in KC probably never line up to the starting line of a real race.

For a few weeks I was jealous of places, such as portland, getting 1400 people to show up and race for cans of food. Now, I'm truly proud of what the KC Cyclocross scene has to offer and no one should take it for granted.

Boss Cross is December 3rd and 4th. This race is gold. If you have friends interested in bikes, get them to come out and watch. Offer them beer, offer your bike for them to ride the course. Share the fun with them.

If there is a race not to miss this year its this one. Why? Because its next!

Too tired to Think.

Next time I say something like, "I think I'm going to race 4 cyclocross races in the span of 22hours with barely any sleep," feel free to slap me in the face, as hard as you like.


Felt pretty worn out when I woke up for the 9am start today. Like I had just ridden 100 miles. After the ss race, I had more coffee, and about a liter of black tea. I never drink tea, but I was craving it for some reason.


I watched the Cat 3 mens race, Ben S., Bob C., and a tulsa man were way off the front. With 1 to go, Bob flatted his front and Ben attacked putting in a huge gap, winning $300 pretty easily.

Then there was the cat 4 womens race. They made those poor girls race a whole hour, but they all got paid.

The open race for women paid out 15 places, only 4 girls showed up, Catherine won the $750 first prize, Karen B. had some mechanicals, finishing 4th, getting about $200. The cat 3 womens race paid 10 places, only 2 showed up.

By the time the womens open race was halfway over, I had pulled 5 goat heads out of my tire. Stan's sealed it up fine with the pirahanas. I ran about 42psi on friday night, road about 34 today.



The course was super hard. Very fun, but you had to have an engine to ride it well, I didn't.


There's a tough ride up, you had to run it with the ss, but with gears everyone could ride. The first 2 laps I messed it up. I was riding 11-23 cassette which is not the cassette for this course, by a long ways, even 11-25 would have been too much.

After the ride up, there's a power zapping climb, then a super long pavement section into the headwind.

I am not a power rider, I can't haul for minutes, I can zap for seconds. I am usually able to make the course work for me by zapping/coasting but when you are exposed out there for a minute or two and you just have to pedal, its hard for me.


I got an ok start, about 5th place. Stayed there until the first ride up, about halfway through the course, got passed by 4-5 guys. I started losing all my legs. I couldn't go. I kept going but not hard.

Finally, after racing 5 laps or so, they posted the laps to go, there were 6, they did't show the lap counter until 4 to go yesterday.


I think the top 7 were really going, the next 6 or 7 were all treading water, I was one of them. With 4 to go Joe S. lapped me. He won the $1000 at the end of the race.

There was a really smart racer with us, he barely raced the first 4 laps, staying in last place, but when he got lapped, he could hang on to the leaders wheels, he'd get dropped, but then catch on to the next guy, he ended up passing all of us who were dead in the water finishing top 10, I just had to laugh.

With 3 to go I dropped my chain, it got me frustrated.

With 2 to go I think I was 15th, I got passed. Then I tried staying with the guy in 5th place, but was dropped. Then I got on 6th places wheel, I could see 2 guys a head, but I messed up the ride up. I could see the guy in front of me jump on to the 6th place rider and stay with him through the power/pavement/headwind section, that must have been nice.


I kept him within reach, knowing I could get time on them through the barriers and pass the 2 guys racing ahead of me for about 13th place. Instead, as I dismounted the fast stair section, I threw my bike in the air, it did a summersault. The chain got wrapped around the derailleur/cassette a few times. 2 guys pass me. I fix the chain, jump to go and the front wheel is rubbing. I loosen the scewer, fix the wheel, and pedal really hard, suddenly I can feel my legs and they actually feel like going. The next 30 seconds go by, I finished the race, but didn't catch anyone in front of me.



Tulsa people don't see cross that often. I don't think I heard a cowbell rung properly the entire weekend, didn't hear heckling either. All this, "good job, you look great!, keep going man!", that doesn't make me work.

They had a great beer garden at this race, I didn't drink any since I needed to drive, but it looked like really good beer and lots of fun. One old man hit the deck around 1pm and an ambulance was called .

2nd.

Crashed after 4 laps. There was a rocky descent into this berm, I didn't ride it at all until this lap. I tried riding the whole thing and the dirt was way too loose, didn't hold my tires and I washed out landing on my shoulder. Legs were pretty flat and still feel flat. Racing again at 3:30.


The course was pretty technical, lots of hard, short, steep climbs, not good for ss. There's a really cool descent into some fast long barriers, I think that was my favorite section.


Wind is still going hard.

tulsa showdown at sundown.

Won the ss race. It was much harder than I thought. I was battling with another guy, we actually caught 3rd place in the masters race if that tells you how fast we were going.

My legs felt horrible afterwards. Race got over at 5:50, so we had some time to kill until the 9pm open race.

Watching the 3 race was pretty fun. Ben Stover won pretty easily with Bob C. in 2nd. It was a pretty good field, 30 some riders. Bob had a few bad hookups with riders crashing right in front of him almost each lap.



For the open race, they staged us by usac ranking, which was the first time this has happened. I was the 9th rider called, so in theory, I should get 9th place.

My legs just wouldn't go, I got a descent start, but the first 2 minutes of the course is the hardest with a tough section straight up a hill with barriers at top, plus a few 180 degrees, straight off camber. Then it loops around and has a killer hill straight into a bad wind.

Did I say it was windy? Yes, a solid 25mph with gusts of harder wind.

The course was really wide open after that, lots of off camber stuff but the grass so was grippy it made it impossible to slide out. You really didn't need to use your brakes if you were going as fast as I was.

Anyways, my legs wouldn't go until lap 3, which by then I was in 15th place. I started riding better and got to 9th. With 3 to go I got passed. I lost all my steam. Then 2 to go I got passed.


Ended there at 11. Not wear I wanted. 1 place out of the $30 payout for 10th.


The usac ranking system was pretty interesting. Tilford was called up first, he got 3rd, Fawley was called up 2nd, he got 1st, Ankney was called up 4th, he ended up 4th. I'm pretty sure the 3rd place racer was called 5th. Coe was called 3rd, ended up 7th. There was a solid group of 7 in front of me the first 2 laps. Then it turned into a group of 3 with a group of 3 a few seconds behind. It was definitely a super fast grass crit. Wish I had better legs, or maybe a motor on my bike to keep up.


Its 11:52 now, got a 9am race start, $125 to the ss winner, $65 to 2nd, I hope I get 1st! We'll see, its supposed to be super technical, I don't know what oklahoma's version of that is.

Payout is 20 places tomorrow, start is 3:30, a good 6 hours after the ss finish so hopefully I'll have better recovery.

For Sale.

Lots of parts for sale. Click HERE! You see something you want, email me an offer.


Complete Record 11 Group, complete with cable kit. 172.5, 53/39 crank, 11-25 cassette. $1700




I've got plenty of stuff not listed too. All the new ritchey 260 light stems, zipp carbon bars, lots of parts, trying to sell it for Christmas.

Got a few bikes that I need to have gone too.


2011 xenith comp 51cm, 105, Was $1950, now $1300
2011 Pinarello fpquattro campy 11, was $4k, now $2700
Xenith T1 Triathlon frame. M, 54cm. No wheels, full carbon $2000.

Fors

Tubeless Wheels

Took a set of these for >http://www.rutsandguts.com/ which is this weekend.



The piranhas sealed up really well. I tried the 700x35 ravens, they didn't even air up, I did not like that. The piranhas are crazy fast and bombproof, which is what you need for saturdays race. Last year I heard there were $1000's of tires ruined after just a few hours. Hopefully these with tons of stan's hold up. They are holding so far. This is the first time I've had a bike down here in Pittsburg. Benon seems to like being able to ride with me instead of riding for me. The wheels are super strong for how light they are, 1200 grams. They have held true very well during my bunny hopping practice sessions. I still have 2 sets left to sell. Grey c-4 hub, silver cx-ray spokes, alpha rim, $550.

Cheap Wheels

Ritchey 50mm carbon tubulars, with grifo 34s and sram 10 speed cassette. Ti skewers included. Over $2000 here, get it for $900.

Heartland Park Topeka Gran Prix

Best course of the year. Finally, we had some soft dirt to ride in!

This race is one of the best races of the year, at least for this area. Someone needs to give the promoter $8k so they can make it uci, it has that potential.

Knowing that this was my only race this weekend, I decided to double up back to back. Haven't ridden since blvd. cup, so I new I wouldn't have much zap in my legs.


I raced my ss with piranha tires, these things are the best tires you can get for clinchers, or tubeless. I ran them at 35psi and they were awesome. Even in the slick dirt they gripped well and just rolled over everything. The tufo primus flexus tires, though very fast, seemed to grip too much on the dirt, and slow down. It took a while to adjust in the open race, I really didn't need to brake at all with the dirt being so slow, but did the first two laps, since in the single speed I had to brake cuz the piranhas were rolling so fast.

I was off the front and caught the 3/4s before we hit the track in the ss race. Slowly worked up to 4th or 5th place behind SC. He was up there just a little ways with 3 to go, but I started riding more conservatively to save some speed for the open race. I won, with 2nd place being 15 seconds or so behind me.


In the open race, we started out flying, I thought I was hurting during the ss race, it was all out in the open. AC and Bill were in front of me going around the track. Finally AC's ultimate power starte gapping us and Bill lead me around, we had 5 seconds on 4th place on the first lap. Then Bill started flying, I couldn't keep up. I road as hard as I could and still finished 3rd. After 3 laps I made the ultimate mistake of shifting down a hill without pedaling into the gear and hit a bump, the chain came off just as I was heading onto the track. Lost a ton of speed and lost Bill. Bills gap went from 10 seconds to 40 seconds and my gap on 4th place went to almost nothing.


The course was wide open, with plenty of technical turns and tough descents/ascents. Lots of power zapping short climbs. Riding at night was the most fun. Can't wait to do it next year.


Road ride today. Come check out the Dogma2. Leaves at 1pm sharp from 39th. Lots of people to be there.

HPT Tonight, Road Ride Sunday.

HPT in topeka tonight. This has been my favorite race since I started cross racing. Historically, this is in the only race in the area that you pray for a dry race. Last year it rained all week, and it was tough. Lots of running, tons of thick, cakey/peanut butter mud. We haven't seen much rain all season, so hopefully the ground is solid, which I'm betting it is.


Got in the new pdx tubulars. Same tufo construction, super seamless basetape adhesion. Super burly, bombproof tread construction too. These are tires that will last a few seasons, $100 each. They are tubeless, so you can use sealant. They weigh 350 grams, which is way lighter than limus tires.


FMB order comes in this week. I have a set, maybe 2 of the new super mud tires that have not been called yet. $190/pair.



Sunday, 1pm. Leave from 39th. Road ride, 3-4 hours tempo riding. I doubt I'll make it past 3 hours myself, haven't been on the bike that long for while. Can't wait. Gonna be 60/sunny.

Everyone is invited to the 39th st. road ride, we leave sharp at 1pm, so come early if you're habitually late or have bad luck with street signs.

Rhythm

Its really hard for me to settle into a rhythm during a race. "I'm like Jojo the idiot circus boy with a pretty new pet." I pretty much go as fast as I can passing as many as I can until I'm with someone that I'm comfortable to ride with. Last season I had a really hard time with this, I'd go to hard and be done after 1 lap, and if I was lucky, I'd last 3 laps. This year, I'm doing a little better pacing myself.


Here's some music I've been listening to for a while, it has helped my racing. Good music takes patience, really good music tells a story.

Too many spacers is always a bad thing.

I read this the other day, I figured I'd post it before he took it down.
"
Nov 8 | Death.

Posted by Noel, November 8th, 2011 at 1:44PM


There was a Rapha ride last weekend that took riders down Las Flores Canyon. My father lived up that canyon in the early 80′s and I know it like the back of my hand. I’ve been riding it since 1983…. and I just rode it last week. I always give every descent my full attention and I treat every descent the same way a surfer treats a big wave… with the respect and attention it deserves. The rider that died simply overcooked a turn near Hume and Las Flores. A moment’s inattention on a diminishing radius turn and he’s gone. Riding is playing.. but its also a skill. Always always always treat your riding like a skill that takes devotion and patience. Have fun… but never bite off more than you can chew and never be afraid to slow down or take a break. I’m not a fan of fondos and fun rides…. they tend to celebrate disconnected riding. I hate that someone died on that road. I hate that the shop chose Las Flores when there are other descents that take so much less skill (when I read the email I commented to a friend that it was too technical a descent for that kind of ride and that someone would get killed). I’m tired of seeing folks ride like it doesn’t take skill. I’m tired of seeing guys that are more worried with getting faster than they are about getting better.
I traded messages with a friend.. we host a slow long Saturday ride up the coast. We’ve decided to change the focus of the ride to being about the group riding old school, perfectly aligned 2 abreast with nary a wheel overlapping. I love the Lance effect and all… but how you ride is what matters. It’s easy to get strong, it’s an endless conversation with yourself and the bike to get connected. Ride beautifully. It’s what matters.

You may think it’s ok to die riding because its doing something you love. I call bullshit. Dying having overcooked a turn is a real shit way to die. We’ve all over cooked a turn in our lives… its not worth dying over and knowing how to save it is a basic skill. Yes it takes luck. Yes people die every day in any number of stupid ways, and people die on their bikes.

Work on your descending. Dont get suckered into anything above your level. Dont be afraid to melt a rim or pull off and think about the next set of turns. And really think about those big group rides. If the nature of the ride is that being off the front or the top ten folks is the only good place to be… tap out. It’s not worth it. I love Rapha products. I’ve come to love them. I love the branding and the adverts… but you know it isn’t real. Don’t show up for that ride thinking what you see on the website is real. Riding isn’t a sentimental act. It’s not romantic until you’re off the bike and the photos are processed and printed. Ride present, ride smart, think critically and make your own luck.

I saw a picture of the guy… he looks like he was a lovely fellow. His bars were too high, too many spacers. I’m willing to bet his stem was too short. How you sit on a bike matters. How your bike fits matters. How much weight you have and where your center of gravity is going down a hill matters. It’s life and death.

Thanks for indulging my rant. I’ll probably take this down later.

*edit. I’m inclined to add that i dont represent any company veiw here. i dont speak for any entitiy or person involved with Vanilla. these are just ideas in print about something tragic for all parties. any conversation is important.


"

2011 Jamis Bosanova Review.

This review is long over due. I've been riding the Bosanova for about 18 months. I have more miles on this thing than any other bike I've owned. About 7000 miles right now. Have I had to replace any parts, no, have I have had a flat, no, have I broke anything, no, well...I did crack the rear fend while bunny hopping a curb, other than that, this bike is spectacular. Not only were those 7000 miles hard, they were heavey. Me with my 32 lb. kid on it, plus the rack/seat...going pretty hard on roads like Cambridge, SW Blvd, Paseo, 39th, broadway, all roads with cracks/curbs.

I've put a little chain-l on the chain about once a month and other than that, there has been no service needed other than air in the tires. The tires on this thing are phenomenal. The first time I saw this thing I new I'd be pinch flatting all the time with 700x28 tires on it, I was wrong. This bike comes stock with 25mm wide rims, thus making pinchflatting obsolete, even while running 45psi with the kid on the bike. They do have all the miles(7000) and have not flatted.

Vittoria Randonneur Cross with Double-Shield puncture protection, 700 x 28c

So far I have not had to make any adjustments to the bike, haven't had to true wheels or regrease anything. The bottom bracket has never made a sound and still rolls smooth.

Handling the bike is great, it is different geometry from the aurora models(Jamis touring bikes), it is cyclocross ready. If you want a 24lb. racing cx disc bike, just take the fenders off and get muddy.

I ride sram red on my race carbon road bike, going from that to tiagra 9 speed took some getting used to, but no time did the tiagra dissapoint me. Always shifting well, even under loads.


When I first started riding this bike, I planned on going on it for about 6 months, get through the winter and then clean it up to sell. I doubt I'll ever want to sell this thing.

The 2012 bikes have upgraded tiagra parts with 10 speed now. Retail is $1275, get it at volker for less. They will be available to order soon. click.

A few sizes in the 2011 model are still available at a fantastic price.

BLVD. Cup

Got to the venue about 50 minutes before the start. A few people joked that I was early, and I was...

Found my bikes, got registered and watched a few minutes of the 3/4 race. 46 starters. A lot. Keck got 3rd.

I road aroud a little, but didn't get a warm up in like I should have.


The course was open, with little room for recovery. The only real technical spot was this small bank along the road. Up and down, up and down, all off camber, just went on forever.

26 starters in the open race. A good size field for a local race.

I got a descent start, and kept my 4th position for the first 2 laps I believe. Then I started slipping a little. Just lost my power and was breathing pretty hard. No time on the bike all week.



There was a sand section at the end of this long charge around a baseball field. It took me by surprise the first lap, I had no idea it was there, got through it fine each lap, except with 4 or 5 to go had a crashed rider right in front of me, lost a little time.



With 3 to go Coe and I were together with Marshall chasing. We went through the barriers and Coe crashed, he did not finish, though I heard he is ok, just bruised. Thats his first dnf ever I believe.

Without Coe, I new I need to pedal hard the last 2 laps to hold off Marshall and keep my 6th place $40 paying spot. I did. I road pretty conservative through the technical spots and sprinted the open charging areas.

Good beer for free afterwards. The blvd. cup was once again a well promoted race.

My brother got married on Saturday, thus my absence from the 360 cup. Here's a little jewel from the reception.

Racing.

BLVD. Cup today. Pretty much the cx world championships of Kansas City. I am looking forward to this race. Best party race plus good organizers. Its at Stump Park in Shawnee.


My brother got married yesterday, so I missed out on 360 cup.



Pictures of the Lapierre Frame. Compliments of http://artasamurderweapon.blogspot.com

Hard Courses.

What is the mentality of the average cx racer. Someone who would actually own that label. How do they look at courses, what do they say about them? All I ever hear about is how hard a certain section is or how dangerous a certain obstacle was. CX is supposed to be hard. Its supposed to wear you out so bad in 1 hour that you don't want to look at a bike for a few days let alone pedal. I'm tired of the grumbling.


You say you don't like that little 30m section of sand? How about a whole course, of sand. A 200meter drop, on sand, then turn around and run back up...

Some superprestige action. Please watch.

Watch more video of European Cyclocross 2011/ 2012 on cyclingdirt.org

Shimano XC60 Review.

I've been riding Mavic Chasm shoes, the same pair, for 3 years now. Since then I have tested maybe 9 pairs of shoes, none of which seemed to be any better than the old beat up shoes that I have, until now. The Shimano xc60, just now shipping are everything I've wanted. Great fit, super light, super tough. The main thing I like about these shoes is the toe box protection. My main complaint with the Chasm, and almost any other mtb shoe is that there is no protection from rocks or stubbing your toe, or braking toe nails. The xc60 have superior protection, almost like a steel toed boot for your toes. The shoe is designed perfectly to maximize comfort and stiffness...like how carbon frames are vertically compliant/laterally stiff.



The materials are super durable, very easy to wash, and have a lifespan of what most shimano shoes have...forever.

These things weigh in at 367 grams for the 44. They are 9 grams less than the Fury($350) and 30 grams less than my chasms($240).

You can't beat the price either. The xc60 cost $240 retail which is a really good price for a really light, well fitting carbon soled shoe. It is also available in wide(E) sizes.

Email me this week if you want a pair, super cheap.



Down the road I may pick up a set of these insoles. Custom arch and you can customized either foot independently.



Selling lots of ZIPP! Please consider a locally owned, racer owned bicycle store when making your purchases, you'll get a better deal.