I decided in the last few days to drive down to just east of Hartford and do this race. I regret it a bit and here is the story. Lots of technical parts of the course with some power parts as well.
Over 60 guys. I got out well and slid into 5th or 6th wheel. But that was about it for my glory. Basically, I sucked at riding today. I just could not get in any kind of groove on this course. Lots of technical soft dirt. The worst part was steep uphills with soft dirt (needed a 28 in the back, not the 25 I had), followed by steep short downhills right into a soft dirt turn. I bit it hard on one of the steep descents and tore open all the cuts on my arm from the crash LAST week. Owwww, with a big O and big W. Definitely lost my will to really race at that point. I think I finished around 11th or 12th.
CX sucks when you crash hard. I have to find a way to get better at riding or my return to CX may be one season and done. My little rant in general to CX race organizers is that why do they make courses like this... I was one of many who bit it. Steep short downhills with an immediate soft dirt turn is a recipe for crashes. I watched a few European world cup races and they seem nothing like this.
John
Silk City Cyclocross 9/13
Re: Silk City Cyclocross 9/13
Great recovery on a spill that sapped your will to race! Those descents only got hairier as the day wore on.
Carpooled with some of my friends who race masters and got to the venue good and early. It was nice to not have to drive and even better getting a few good looks at the course and to see the lines the masters were taking. First lap impression: this course sucks - way too much transition and hard with too many turns. Road it again and got my stoke on. John's description cuts details out, but does underscore technicality - they pack a lot into each lap!
Starts on a gradual paved uphill with speed bumps to a right hand turn hole shot, fast down then onto turns wrapping around trees, a set of steps forcing you off the bike, a few more turns, a steep rooted bank (ran every time), a fast sandy descent, a sharp up off the bike again traversing steep sandy bank (ran every time), another more choppy descent with a fast left turn, to a quick transition back up again leading to a fast flat back stretch to some pavement, then sharp left turn onto loose dirt, to a log jump, more dirt turn chichanes through the woods, then down again onto fast grass, more turns around trees, to 2 barriers, more grassy turns, and onto 2 steep up then downs (rode first ran second), then a paved bike path completed the lap. Observed racers riding all of the described run-ups. I was really dusty everywhere on the course.
New term learned today perfectly describes all non paved, grassy sections: dry mud; dirt is dry like sand, loose, and not inspiring confidence.
This race was literally my first time riding a brand new Specialized Crux E5 Single. Original planned on racing the 3/4, but decided to race with the singles as it was an hour earlier and appropriate. I managed 5th wheel on the hole shot and moved up to 4th by the end of the very brisk paced first lap. The course was way more fun at race pace and the transitions really made it feel like we were in Belgium sans the crowds. Second lap was fast and finished in 4th. Third lap pushed me to 5th because a stronger rider had a slight technical on the first lap, who I gave courtesy to and let pass. Stayed in 5th for a while, but a guy was wheel sucking for a lap and on the tail end of the 4th lap, I mandated sharing the load. He said he was cooked, but okayed and pulled through. He bobbled on an easy turn and slowed down right before a punchy climb, then drilled it. Relegated to 6th, but good racing on his behalf. Stayed this way for the rest of the race and crossed the line 6th with a good gap behind me. Overall pretty happy to lap a guy and to ride the 2nd-to-last run up every time and finish the race without a single crash and nothing left to give.
Changing tomorrow's race from 3/4 to SS at Riverfront in Hartford and looking forward again to another new race and know a bit more on what to expect with this single speed thing.
Carpooled with some of my friends who race masters and got to the venue good and early. It was nice to not have to drive and even better getting a few good looks at the course and to see the lines the masters were taking. First lap impression: this course sucks - way too much transition and hard with too many turns. Road it again and got my stoke on. John's description cuts details out, but does underscore technicality - they pack a lot into each lap!
Starts on a gradual paved uphill with speed bumps to a right hand turn hole shot, fast down then onto turns wrapping around trees, a set of steps forcing you off the bike, a few more turns, a steep rooted bank (ran every time), a fast sandy descent, a sharp up off the bike again traversing steep sandy bank (ran every time), another more choppy descent with a fast left turn, to a quick transition back up again leading to a fast flat back stretch to some pavement, then sharp left turn onto loose dirt, to a log jump, more dirt turn chichanes through the woods, then down again onto fast grass, more turns around trees, to 2 barriers, more grassy turns, and onto 2 steep up then downs (rode first ran second), then a paved bike path completed the lap. Observed racers riding all of the described run-ups. I was really dusty everywhere on the course.
New term learned today perfectly describes all non paved, grassy sections: dry mud; dirt is dry like sand, loose, and not inspiring confidence.
This race was literally my first time riding a brand new Specialized Crux E5 Single. Original planned on racing the 3/4, but decided to race with the singles as it was an hour earlier and appropriate. I managed 5th wheel on the hole shot and moved up to 4th by the end of the very brisk paced first lap. The course was way more fun at race pace and the transitions really made it feel like we were in Belgium sans the crowds. Second lap was fast and finished in 4th. Third lap pushed me to 5th because a stronger rider had a slight technical on the first lap, who I gave courtesy to and let pass. Stayed in 5th for a while, but a guy was wheel sucking for a lap and on the tail end of the 4th lap, I mandated sharing the load. He said he was cooked, but okayed and pulled through. He bobbled on an easy turn and slowed down right before a punchy climb, then drilled it. Relegated to 6th, but good racing on his behalf. Stayed this way for the rest of the race and crossed the line 6th with a good gap behind me. Overall pretty happy to lap a guy and to ride the 2nd-to-last run up every time and finish the race without a single crash and nothing left to give.
Changing tomorrow's race from 3/4 to SS at Riverfront in Hartford and looking forward again to another new race and know a bit more on what to expect with this single speed thing.
Last edited by scottc on Sat Sep 13, 2014 5:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Silk City Cyclocross 9/13
I raced the 3/4. Started 3rd row, staging was first come first serve, pretty disappointing, as I would have started on/near the front. I was on the very left side for the start, near the speed bump one guy didn't want to go over it and decided to swing left into my line, we made slight contact and my pedal hit the curb, I lost a lot of momentum. I was probably around 20th at the holeshot, so I had to do some passing throughout the race. It was a dust storm and I didn't like the course. There were a couple times that I had to come to dead stops to avoid running over people crashing. I crashed once myself, on the second to last lap in a fast sandy corner. If the race was longer, like maybe 1 hour, I think I would have placed better, but I am very happy with 6th/65-ish.
Great recovery John. Nice work in your first SS race Scott.
Great recovery John. Nice work in your first SS race Scott.
Re: Silk City Cyclocross 9/13
You guys are really impressive. Riding up a bunch of those steep soft uphills is impressive. To tell you how far behind you guys I am, I never rode the 2nd to last run up during the race. Only in the cool-down lap after the race did I actually do it. I was behind some guys warming up for the masters race and they did it so then I tried it. Why I didn't do it in the race I have no idea. But Scott, to do it on a single speed is impressive.
Just one final comment on crashing: I don't mind crashing/wipeouts as that is part of cyclocross, but it is when the course makes it likely that crashing while going fast which hurts...
Just one final comment on crashing: I don't mind crashing/wipeouts as that is part of cyclocross, but it is when the course makes it likely that crashing while going fast which hurts...
Re: Silk City Cyclocross 9/13
Got to the line late with a few others after warming up. I was very disappointed not to be staged because it was my first cat3 front row ended up on the 4th row and the hole-shot prize made the start extra aggressive. I got a bad start and when I got to the technical sections I was bogged down by the less technically skilled riders when trying to make passes and ride sections that could have been done up at the front of the race. Oh well it was disappointing I feel a cold coming on so I skipped out on todays race and I will focus on the races that are my real priorities. ended 33 of 65
Re: Silk City Cyclocross 9/13
They say train your weaknesses. If you want practice riding sandy stuff, go no further than the Wed night Cycle Lodge in Marshfield...OMFG.