Midnight Ride of CX

[jraguin]

OK, the bottom line: maybe CX is not for me.

4/5 race. Fast start, got out great and was probably 7th wheel. Started sliding due to my awful turns in the sand and the chips but still doing OK. Then I rolled my rear tubular 3 times, one each in the last 3 laps. Tons of guys went by. Jeremy still would have won the rookie cup since he went by me shortly before I rolled my tubular the first time and frankly just looked better than I did. Ended up 34th out of 100+ guys. Seems like my races always have an excuse (3 of 5 races this year I have major mechanicals, 2 of them flats and then this one). But the real problem is that I am just not good at turns, especially off camber, sand, wood chips, etc. This may be one season and done for me. A few races left to see about any kind of redemption.

Watched some races with Jeremy and some other guys. The beer was the highlight of my evening. I wished I could have stayed for the P/1/2/3 race. Looks like we had a few guys who did really well!

[Mkidd3]

Good night of racing!! Wish I could have hung out and spectated...

Lined up in the waaaay back of the pack (sigh). Got shuffled back a bit at the hole shot. Once the line strung up a little I started picking off bodies. Hooked up with Stefan for the first few laps and followed his line through the sand pits. Yes, you read that right... I followed Stefan's line in a technical section and it was nice and smooth... Laps two and three, more of the same... pedal, turn, turn, turn, pedal, pedal, pass a body, yell back at Cratty and the rest heckling us. Laps 4 and 5 I spent the time batteling my way into the top 60 of the field (120 guys.... lotta dudes). Last two laps near the front of a group of 7 or 8 making ground on a few more. Race finished with Joe (Rockstar Racing) and I sprinting for 61st.... I got 62nd. womp womp.

[Bruce]

John,

Great effort out there. Wish I could have been there, but battling cold and alligators around my desk. You're a results oriented guy, which serves you well, but don't forget to enjoy the trip and the challenges therein. Cross is unique in that there are so many variables -- fitness & training, technique, preparation, equipment, course features and other riders. And yes, luck is a factor. That makes it frustrating at times, but also fascinating...you never know what to expect. So the focus is less on individual races and more on the overall season -- which is a process of perfecting your sh*t -- dialing in your equipment and improving your technical skills. One thing I'd suggest is taking a race or two or maybe a training race and, instead of focusing on the end result, ride the race as smoothly and mistake free as possible. This is from Helen Wyman -- train yourself to pedal through every corner, especially the sand and chips. Rethink how you're approaching those technical sections! And if that is a weakness ( I can empathize), maybe give up a couple training rides (you might be over training, which is easy to do with how intense cross is) in favor of doing some clinics with the likes of Helen Wyman, Mo Bruno Roy or Adam Myerson.

Instead of thinking of it as a 34th place finish, think of it as the feedback you need to get on the podium. You're so fortunate to have a strong engine and to be in a position where you can look forward to just getting faster and faster as your technical skills improve. Banish the "one season and done" talk!! You're just getting rolling!

[Mkidd3]

To echo what Bruce said.... One and done isn't the way. Driving the bike through the tech sections will come in time. The sand totally threw me the first few times. Finally this year I was able to roll through the wood chips (mostly) clean. All that turning stuff comes with time. Your new MTB will be helping you with that for sure!!

[scottc]

Totally can sympathize with rolled tubie. This year is was a burped tubeless. Its happened to me a few times and always occurs (for me) going into a very sharp turn too hot and locking up the brake (read: skidding) just upon starting the turn.

The now funny thing about this year was that it happened on same exact turn as last year and for the same exact reason - someone chopped me on the inside of the hairpin 180 that wraps back opposing the gravel road start of the course.

Last year I rolled my front wheel on Day 1 of Gloucester because I assumed my lightly ridden wheels glued up a few season back were ready to race. Not so! Having a pit bike helped, but still lost a lot of places putting it back on and racing gingerly until the pit.

Research yielded that tubular glue dries out and loses adhesion strength even after one year.

The take away: make sure your gear is completely dialed for every race! If you're gonna race tubulars, check the bond before each race a few days prior to the event so you can patch!

[swawersik]

Hooked up with Stefan for the first few laps and followed his line through the sand pits. Yes, you read that right... I followed Stefan's line in a technical section and it was nice and smooth...

My proudest moment of the night was after that section when I heard a conversation behind me along the lines of "How'd we get through that?" "I dunno, I just followed Stefan."

I think that may have been the best technical race I've ridden. I managed to move up a bunch of places from my 2nd or 3rd to last row start, and stayed on the gas the whole race. I was trying to discipline myself to look all the way through corners, and to take 5+ hard pedal strokes out of every corner where it was feasable, and both seemed to work. I did try to take an off camber 180 turn too fast, which put me on my side (losing a few spots) and got stuck behind a guy who royally screwed up his remount on the uphill barriers, causing me to fall out of Mark's group. So it wasn't perfect, but it's the first time I felt like I drove the bike really competently in a CX race.

John- CX will expose every weakness you might have in both your driving and bike-prep skills. I discovered that I have a very long list, which I'm still working on. Don't focus too much on results, as we can't all be preternaturally gifted like Patrick "Phil" Collins. Instead, focus on improving. That's much more in your control, and in the long run the results will come.

[pace21]

"Phil". LOL.

John, Bruce is a sage.

[JeremyC]

I'm 1 and 0 in the Rookie Cup!!!!!!!! The Pirate and the Battenkiller better bring their A-game to night weasels...

[PJ McQuade]

Nice to live vicariously through your reports as I was resting me bones at home. John, keep after it - my first cx season was a mess. I crashed so often Todd Prekaski referred to my racing strategy as 'stealing bases.' But I raced my way into getting more comfortable in the turns. I still steal bases, but I'm not leading the league in that category anymore.

[NCgaron]

Okay so this race was super fun! I raced the p/1/2/3 with Patrick and others, it was pitch black by the time we started our race. I got a pretty decent start and was riding with a group that consisted of 15-22 or so until someone slid out right before the uphill barriers and forced me to name my brakes on and loose all of the momentum that I had. I tried to chase back onto the group after that but ended up being stuck in no-mans land with AJ Moran coming into the last lap. We battled it out the whole lap with me not felling confident that I could take him at the line, luckily he slid out right before the barriers in the same turn the guy who took me out earlier fell in. All in all I think I was 26th out of 56. I was predicted in the high 30's so I will take that as a win.

[pcollins]

I started on the 3rd row and had an ok start, it would have been better if I didn't get stuck behind a guy who had trouble clipping in. I sat on Nolan's wheel on the first lap up until the downhill turn before the second barriers where a guy in front of us crashed, I just missed running into him but was lucky to get a good line, so not too much momentum lost. Fast forward a lap or two... Yarosh chopped me in a corner then fumbled, almost crashes, we sprint for position going into the next corner, I got ahead of him but then crashed on the loose dirt. I lost around 5 positions trying to sort myself out. I bridged up to a group of four in the wood chips and then passed them on the hill after the *literally pitch black* section. I held that position for the rest of the race, but I almost bridged up to a group of 3 on the last lap. Breathing was an issue, especially on the last few laps, probably due to the cool temps. I feel like I could have had a better race, but overall I'm happy.

P123 17th/53

[swawersik]

I'm 1 and 0 in the Rookie Cup!!!!!!!! The Pirate and the Battenkiller better bring their A-game to night weasels...

Don't get too cocky: I just watched the video of your barrier technique on dirtwire. I can't un-see that.

[JeremyC]

This one? I thought that was pretty good. I hope they didn't catch the next one on film.

http://dirtwire.tv/2014/09/mrcx-cat-45s ... s-lap-one/

[Bruce]

http://dirtwire.tv/2014/09/mrcx-cat-45s ... s-lap-one/

Mr Raguin, ...#Helen Wyman @clinic:) -- when rounding the bend after barriers, keep bike in air whole time. When remounting look ahead not at pedals (looking at pedals causes you to slow/stop). several seconds per lap right there

[scott_sweeney]

John, assuming it's still available, get Adam Myerson's CX techniques DVD. All the basics with fun drills to practice. Getting proficient with mounts, dismounts, barriers, tight turns, etc. Jeremy Powers has a really good one too. Both videos break down technique in slow motion and it's pretty easy to set stuff up to practice on.

For tight turn practicing, go hit a soccer field and set up some cones. It's fun and applicable to any aspect of riding.

[swawersik]

John, assuming it's still available, get Adam Myerson's CX techniques DVD. All the basics with fun drills to practice. Getting proficient with mounts, dismounts, barriers, tight turns, etc. Jeremy Powers has a really good one too. Both videos break down technique in slow motion and it's pretty easy to set stuff up to practice on.

For tight turn practicing, go hit a soccer field and set up some cones. It's fun and applicable to any aspect of riding.

I have a copy of this somewhere if you (or anyone else) want to borrow it.

[pcollins]

Also, thanks to the people who were able to stick around late into the evening to cheer/heckle. Its always awesome to hear someone scream your name and know your supported!

[Mkidd3]

Nice to live vicariously through your reports as I was resting me bones at home. John, keep after it - my first cx season was a mess. I crashed so often Todd Prekaski referred to my racing strategy as 'stealing bases.' But I raced my way into getting more comfortable in the turns. I still steal bases, but I'm not leading the league in that category anymore.

Oh the memories of Putney....

[Mkidd3]

John, assuming it's still available, get Adam Myerson's CX techniques DVD. All the basics with fun drills to practice. Getting proficient with mounts, dismounts, barriers, tight turns, etc

I have a copy I can loan out.

[cbusick]

Hi/low lights for me:

First lap I was so focused on passing a couple guys to catch up to Scott that I blew a turn and did a power slide like I haven't done since I owned a BMX bike.
People behind me cheered "Way to go, Dukes of Hazzard style!" as i dropped back 5 spots sorting myself out.

When I passed the leader of a small group I was stuck behind later I could hear behind me:

"Dude don't let him get away!"
"He's got a belt drive and discs, man, he's gone!"