First Weekend of CycloCross Racing
Little MIA around recently, mainly I've been reading about CX and learning to actually ride a bike. Something that Triathlon doesn't prepare you for is hair pins turns on a muddy downhill or jumping off your bike at speed and remounting with your heart rate pegged.
If you think Triathlon is fun, you need to try CX. Your definition of fun was will be reworded. Here is a brief recap of my first week as a bike racer, do'in it in the dirt as they say.
Karin and I headed up to Eagle Wisconsin on Saturday for the No Good Double Cross, which takes place at the Kettle Moraine Ranch, and serves as Mock Wild West Town. This is Wisconsin, so in true fashion, this town had a working saloon.
What happens when you put a Triathlete on a CX bike and add in a thunder storm two hours prior to the race? Hilarity ensues.
The course featured numerous hills that became unridable as well as sections of the course that were washed out and covered in piles of horseshit. It that doesn't give you incentive to stay on the bike, nothing well.
The course featured a long run up = pain & suffering
Got to my Dad's a quick family lunch of Iowa Ribs and the kit when in the washer and the bike got hosed down. Sunday morning, back in Chicago we did it again. Raced Masters 30+ and 4a's. I can say I outraced everyone with an IM dot tatoo.
Off we go for Masters 30+
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With the course completely dry, I made less of a fool of myself and keep upright most of the races. The barriers were smooth with the exception of one remount where I landed on my bike tire. Don't ask.
The vibe at the races is amazing. The heckling is first class grade A. This overheard at Jackson Park "How do you make such a fast bike go so slow" "You're getting bet by a girl" with the response "She got a call up" , "You should try peddling harder" "You ride like you drink decaf" "Don't worry you're not last, you're like third from last" and my favorite as I was chasing a Vision Quest Rider "Come on VQ, you've been riding this course inside all summer! "
Seen in the 4B race was a Rib hand-up, multiple PBR handups.....
I can't wait for the next weekend and the weekend after that and the weekend after that!
Comments
looks/sounds awesome. My first cross race will be in the middle of October assuming that I ever actually put the bike together. Any advice?
Looks great. My first cross race is this weekend. I'm looking forward to it, but a bit nervous.
Chris, fitness wise you'll be in good shape. I lose a lot of time on the serpentine downhills sections. You know the line you want to take but two doodes are already there and you have to find new lines. On one lap, I just jumped off my bike and ran around everyone as the hill was clogged up.
If you start in the back, you stay in the back. With races being 30-45 mins long, the first half of the race is gone after the first bottle neck. Learn different turning techniques, leaning the bike or leaning you for slower speed turns. Practice mounts/dismount until they become second nature. In the early stages of the race legs are flying all over place so you need to being to adjust on the remount.
Masters racing has all Cat's and the 1's wlll blow everyone's doors off, made skills and a bigger engine. I did much better in the 4 race where my engine is similiar but my tech sucks.
Just go out to a park and do 180's around trees jump over homemade barriers. We used empty beer cans to mark a course last night...Its a ton of fun.
Spectating does sound like loads of fun. Is all this creative heckling normal?
If there is a Chicagoland ENer field trip to spectate/eat brats/heckle, I am so in.
For sure I'd be in a sling after that! Awesome, Hayes! The fun comes right through! Keep it going, and keep us posted.