Quarter Mile Cross

Quarter Mile Cross 11/25/12

Yesterday was Quarter Mile Cross, which was a race at Bandimere speedway. It was another completely new course, and once again I had no idea what to expect. I was worried about this race, because I had been sick for the whole week before. I didn’t race the weekend before, and wasn’t able to get back on my bike until the Friday before my race. I wasn’t sure if my stomach would hold up during the race. I also felt very unprepared and lazy not riding for a whole week. I knew I couldn’t ride, but not riding for that long still made me feel lazy. At least I was itching to get back on my bike and mentally ready to race.

I woke up at 8:30 on sunday morning and started my race day rituals, or at least I tried. I had forgotten to run the dishwasher the night before, so I didn’t have any clean bottles. I also didn’t have the container to make my smoothie, so I had to wait for the dishwasher to finish washing. I had to rethink my morning. I decided the best way to fix it was to do everything backwards. Which meant the last thing I would do before leaving was have my smoothie, and the first thing to do was to eat an apple. I thought if I get still eat the same thing as always I will feel the same during the race, even though it wasn’t in usual order. If it was anything other than a smoothie and an apple, I don’t think it would have worked as well as it did. But even with these inconveniences, I was still able to leave on time.

    To get to parking we had to drive next to the course on a frontage road. From what I could see it was fast, technical, and challenging. The parking lot was huge, and we got an amazing parking spot right next to the start line. I got out, got my license out of my bag, and went to go register. I didn’t pre register, so I didn’t have a callup. But there were only five people registered, so I didn’t have to worry about getting a good starting position. From registration I could see most of the course I couldn’t see before. The first thing I thought about was tire pressure and grip. Half the course was on a very slippery gravel. Earlier in the season I crashed and sprained my ankle on a similar surface, so I was worried that I would take a nasty spill again. I put that behind me and went back to the car to change into my gear. I took off my lucky pajamas, and got into my skin suit. It was warm, and I didn’t have to wear any extra warm clothes. I drank some water, and headed out on my pre ride.
    The start was very interesting and very scary. It was on the ultra loose gravel. It was so loose that when practicing my start I had to sit down to keep my wheel from just spinning. The loose gravel didn’t end there. The first corner was on the same gravel, and it was so loose that I almost crashed. It was like this for four or five more corners before the course went up a steep bike path to a higher parking lot. That is where it immediately went into 44 stairs. I was ecstatic to see a long stair section, because that is my where I can get gaps without spending any extra energy. Then there was a deceptively difficult dirt section. There was a four inch drop into shallow sand that quickly bottlenecked into a trail about ten inches wide. On one side of the trail there was a wall of rock, and on the other was tape to keep people on the dirt. It ended with a four inch lip back onto the road that was parallel to the trail. There was two different approaches, that were equally awkward. The first option was to stay close to the lip and bunny hop sideways back onto the road. The second option was to ride through some sand and turn in to face the lip more perpendicularly to bunny hop it. I chose to stay close to the lip, because it was less awkward and faster. After that section it was almost immediately back onto dirt, but only for a loose switchback. After that it was down a paved hill and onto the loose gravel. There was three corners then a set of barriers. The first one was full size, but the second one was only half size. I debated on bunny hopping them, but I decided it was safer to run them. After the barriers there was a very fast loose downhill. It was treacherous, but at high speeds I could fly over most of the scariest spots.

Another technical and difficult part of the course was a very off camber 180 degree turn. It was hard to get the right line, but if you did it was almost twice as fast. Then it was back onto the road for short but fast climb. Then another switchback, then onto more dirt. Eventually after a very bumpy strait there was a runup. I tried multiple times to ride it, but it was just a little too loose. Running it was still challenging though. It was very sandy, and it was very uneven from the morning races. But it was short and after the runup was another road section. The road lead to more loose gravel, and eventually onto a steep road that led to the finish. I really liked to course. Mostly because it gave me a challenge. Some of my teammates disagreed with me, but I decided it was because they were roadies. I set my bike up in the trainer for my warm up, and I ate an apple. I had 20 minutes until I wanted to get on the trainer, so I talked with my teammates to kill some time. We talked about the course for a while. Mostly about the parts that scared us most. But after about ten minutes most of the people I was talking to had to start staging for their races.

My warm up was unusual for me. Halfway through my mom and stepdad showed up to say hello, but they left before my race. While they were there they distracted my dad, so I had to refocus him constantly. Which is hard when you are going as hard as possible, and almost completely out of breath from it. I was also facing my teammate while warming up. It was only weird because we were just far enough away not to talk, and he was one of the few other people in my category. At least my body felt great, and my stomach wasn’t hurting at all. My mom finally left as I took my bike off the trainer. I love when she is there to watch my races, but with my dad already there she was a bit of a distraction. I went to staging, did a few starts, and waited for the official to do callups.

They ended up not even doing callups, because there were only enough racers to fill up one row. Everyone was talking about the first corner. We all were scared of someone wrecking. I decided to try to get the holeshot to avoid any possibility of carnage. I heard the sound of the whistle, and I exploded off the start line. I was side by side with one of the adult racers. The gravel was deep enough to make everyone weave from lack of traction. Luckily the only person I had to worry about was the guy beside me. I let him go before me into the first corner. We made it through unscaved, but behind me someone went down. I couldn’t see who it was or what happened, but when I could look back all the major threats were with me. I passed the first placed rider while going up the bike path. For the first half of a lap I had almost the whole race on my wheel. At the barriers I did a double take when I saw Liam Dunn run past me. I have never been passed while going over barriers. I was a little bit stunned, but I got onto his wheel and followed him through another fourth of the course.

I was content with letting him lead. I was saving energy, and waiting to pounce on any mistake or sign of weakness. It wasn’t long before he overcooked a corner, and I went flying past him. It was the perfect launch pad for a successful attack. As he blocked the riders behind, I was full gas and gaining time. I didn’t lay off until the first lap was over, and I could assess the the damage I created. I was happy to see the whole race in disarray. There was only one person still close. So I decided to play a little mind game with him. I let up so he could catch me, then I acted like I was about to blow up. He came along side me and thought I couldn’t hold the pace. At the end of the stairs I was still in front, but he quickly tried to come around me. This time when he was parallel to me I accelerated. Psychologically he didn’t have a chance, and I was quickly leaving him behind. I know this is a terrible thing to do, but racing is war and I want to win it.

For the next lap the gap kept going up, until a chase group formed behind me. My dad was giving me time gaps at various spots of the course. I was holding the gap at 15 seconds. It stayed that way a while, but Liam was on the offensive again. The gap came down, and eventually it was small enough that I decided to do more psychological warfare. I did the same thing as before, and I wasn’t surprised when the exact same thing happened. This time the gap didn’t come back down. The chase group stayed 20 seconds back until the last lap. I knew that there would be a fight for the last podium spot going on behind me, so I sped up to keep far enough ahead. Even with the increase in speed the gap started to decrease. I wasn’t too worried, but I wanted to keep at least a ten second gap. Halfway through the last lap I went around a switchback and to my surprise Liam was a little close for comfort. I hit the gas, and made a gap of 15 seconds.

    This time it stayed 15 seconds all the way to the end. But I still got to have a sprint finish with a single speed racer. It didn’t really hit me that I won until I saw my dad. He was really surprised I won coming off a sickness, and frankly I was too. I was realizing that I am much faster than I had previously thought. After I started having confidence in my training, I really started to excel. Now instead of focusing on other peoples ability to beat me, I am focusing on being smooth and smart. Not having the burden of doubt allows me to have much more fun while racing, and be much smoother and smarter at the same time. Racing is starting to make a lot more sense to me, and hopefully I can continue this momentum for the rest of the season.

Mile High Urban Cross Chaos

Mile High Urban Cross Chaos

    Last weekend was the first inaugural Mile High Urban Cross Chaos, and I am super happy I got to race on this totally different course. I had never heard of urban cross before this, and couldn’t find much information about it, so I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would be on all road and maybe have a flyover or a restaurant to go through. It was almost the opposite of what I expected. It had a challenging rock garden, dirt jumps, wood chips, logs, two run ups, a sand pit, and barriers all in one of the two small dirt sections halfway through the course. The best part of this course was that registration was in a small bar so we could get out of the 28 degree weather. Sitting in the bar eating some french fries, thawing out after my race was icing on the cake to a great course.
    My teammate Stuart and I got to the course two hours before my start, and the second we opened the car doors we knew it was going to be a very cold race. We both registered, got our timing chips, and went back to the car to get dressed. It was so cold out that I had to wear arm warmers under my long sleeve skinsuit along with my base layer, leg warmers, and my warmest gloves with liners underneath. When we finally got dressed, we went to pre ride the course. The first thing I noticed was the long straight sections of road. I wasn’t exactly excited to ride up and down the same street, but the other sections of the course would make up for it. The first section of dirt was a couple of U turns through some eight foot tall bulldozer tires. It was fairly muddy, especially where the dirt gave way to pavement. I knew the pavement would be extra slick from the mud so I went well within my limits around it. Next there were two more switchbacks on the pavement, and like the transition from mud to sidewalk they were muddy. Around a building we came to another mud section. I was surprised it they were able to pack eight features into an area that was so small. I really like this section because it was very technical, and required a lot of running. That was where all the time would be gained or lost in the race. After that mud section it was just a two straight aways linked by a switch back, so there was plenty of place to sprint.
    After the pre ride I put on more clothes for warm up and set up the trainer. It was still around 30 degrees, and our hands were freezing mostly because it took 20 minutes just to get the bike onto the stupid trainer. That was was the last straw and my dad finally gave in and decided it was a good idea to get a new trainer. Once we finally got the bike on I started my warm up, and with my dad timing I got a perfect warm up. The only problem was that the category four race was behind schedule so I had to wait for ten extra minutes, which let me cool down almost completely. When we did start I could tell I had lost a lot of my warm up, but it didn’t matter because of the large amount of road at the start. When we got to the section with all of the features I was around tenth place. But in a matter of seconds there was a pile up, and because I chose a different line I got around it. The next time I passed my dad he just yelled “What happened to everyone else?” I just smiled and stayed steady.
    The next two laps were uneventful, and I was just cruising along at a fairly high pace. I was barely feeling any pain, and was not thinking about anything. I felt like a machine, and felt like I could hold the pace forever, but then I saw that I had seven more laps to go. I didn’t know if I could stay on that pace, but I had faith in my training and pushed on. I was slowly gaining time, but only about a second every lap. By the fifth lap I had about 20 seconds on the rest of the field. My lungs and legs still were almost painless, but my arms felt like noodles from carrying my bike through the long running section. Because my arms were so tired, I rolled it through the runups. It was a big mistake, and I dropped my chain. The 20 second gap I had built up turned into a three second gap. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get another gap, but before I made finished the lap I looked back and saw an eight second gap. I was pulling away without giving away any more energy than before. Soon enough I had another 20 second gap, and slowed down to have a little fun and be safe through the technical section.
    On the ninth lap I was surprised to see someone passing me. But I didn’t have to pursue, because he was in the single speed category. Every time I see the singlespeed races I get blown away at how fast they go. At this race they started 30 seconds behind, and  the first place racer finished 30 seconds ahead of me. I tried to hold one of the single speeders wheel, but could only do it for about 100 yards before he dropped me. As I started my last lap I was passed by two more single speeders, but this time I was able to hold their wheel for half a lap. They dropped me just before the section full of features. This time when I looked back I saw the second place rider in my category. He was only about ten seconds back, so I buried myself on the run ups. I hit the road for the last time, and hammered my way toward the finish. I went around the last switch back, and could see how far back second was. I got out of the saddle and sprinted toward the line. I looked back to see him about fifteen seconds back, and crossed the finish line with my hands up.
    I was pretty excited to win my second race in a row, and got some pretty awesome prizes. I got a jersey, a handmade sculpture made out of bike parts, a jar, a certificate to say I won, and a six pack. My dad was pretty happy that I won a six pack. I almost didn’t get it cause I was underage, but they let my dad have it. This race was the second race where I was off the front the whole time, and I am believing in myself a lot more because of it. I have had so many problems with mechanicals, injuries, and asthma attacks that I stop believing I could even stay with the leaders of a race. I am starting to race smarter, and am learning my limits. Knowing my limits and lack experience was the biggest thing I was missing, but now that I have some more experience on the front I think I can win more races.

Tire Choice

Tire Choice

    Tires are the only piece of the bike that is in contact with the ground, and those two contact spots are very small. So it is super important to get the right tire for the right situation. It is even more important on a cyclocross bike because of thin tires, and lack of suspension. It also doesn’t help that there is a max limit of 33 millimeters. I am going to focus on cyclocross tires because of all of these limiters.
    First off there are three tire systems out there. The cheapest and most ubiquitous are clinchers. Almost all bikes come with clinchers, and for most people they are perfect. Clincher rims have hooks that hold the tire from coming off. To hold air they use a tube in between the rim and tire. One of the advantages of clinches is the fact that they are the easiest to maintain and change flats. They also have an almost unlimited amount of options for wheels and tires. But they do have a lot of drawbacks. For one they flat more easily than tubeless and tubular tires, and have less contact area. They are also much less supple than tubular tires, and most importantly they cannot be run at very low pressures. Pressure can be  more important that the tread pattern. The reason for this is because when running low pressure the tire conforms to the ground much more, and in turn there is more contact and grip. Probably the best and most popular clincher tire is the Clement PDX. The PDX has a very open tread pattern, and sheds mud very very well. It is also one of the most supple clinchers out there, but it is also fairly durable.
    The next option is tubeless, and is the middle ground between clinchers and tubulars. Tubeless systems work the same way as clinchers, but instead of using a tube to hold air the tire seals against the rim. I use tubeless for cyclocross and for mountain biking. They are a good option for racers on a budget who want a better performing tire. One major advantage to tubeless is less flats. Because they do not have a tube they are almost impossible to pinch flat. A pinch flat happens when you hit the rim when going over a square edge. The tube gets pinched between the rim hooks and the tire making a hole on both sides of the tube. Another way it prevents flats is the use of sealant. Sealant will plug up any small holes from thorns or small air permeable holes in the tire. Sealant can be used in all tire systems, but it is not necessary in any other except tubeless. Because there is less risk of flats you can run much lower pressures safely. However they are messy, and sometimes a hassle to set up. There is no tube to push the bead hooks of the tire into hooks of the rim, so a large volume of air in a small amount of time is needed to create the pressure needed to seat the hooks properly. Most pumps do not create enough pressure to seat the hooks, so a canister of Co2 or an air compressor is needed to provide enough pressure. There are also not very many options of tires and wheels available. It has been around in mountain biking for years, and there are almost as many options for tubeless as clinchers for mountain bikes. But it is a fairly new technology for cyclocross, and can be harder to find good tires and wheels for it. It is also fairly easy to burp the tires if they are not tubeless specific. Burping a tire is when the tire comes unseated and lets the air out of the tire. It usually only happens when going around a corner, and with the right tire it will not happen. I have found that the Hutchinson Bulldog with a carbon bead is the best tubeless tire for cyclocross. It clears mud very well, and I have never burped one even while running pressure below 20 psi. They are not as supple at the PDX’s but they make up for it with lower pressure.
    The third tire system is tubulars. Tubulars are the nicest and best performing, but the price is far more than both tubeless and clinchers. The tires alone are usually twice the price as a good tubeless or clincher tire, and the wheels can be four to five times as expensive too. But all of this is worth it if you want ultimate performance and comfort. Tubulars do not attach to the rim using bead hooks, instead they are glued to the rim. Tubulars are the choice of pros and serious racers. They can be run at extremely low pressures, flat less often, and are the most supple. The tube is sewed into the tire, and cannot be changed. Because there are no bead hooks for the tube to be pinched against, it is nearly impossible to pinch flat. The down side to sewing the tube in is that it cannot be changed, so it is not practical for training. Gluing the tire to the rim lets the tire have more contact with the ground because the tire is not restricted by the side walls of the rim. Gluing a tubular tire onto the rim takes at least three days, and is very labor intensive. Changing tires isn’t easy either. You have to take off the tire, clean the rim, and re-glue a new tire onto the rim. Pros will have multiple tubulars so that they can have different tires for the conditions. Tubulars are also supremely supple. They conform to the ground so much better than tubeless and clinchers. The added traction also comes with super light weights, and sometimes added durability. Tubular tires are not what’s light, but the wheels are light due to the lack of sidewalls. A nice pair of carbon tubulars could drop a pound or more, and are usually more durable. Carbon is ten times stronger than steel, but is still super light. I personally have not used tubulars for more than one race, but the most popular brands are Clement, Dugast, and Challenge. For pros and aspiring racers tubulars will give you the best performance and help you get to the top of the podium.

Specialized Romin Expert Saddle Review

Specialized Romin Expert Saddle Review

Specialized makes amazing bikes and components, but their Romin Expert saddle didn’t quite meet expectations. The Romin Expert has titanium rails, and a stiff carbon reinforced shell. It is 145 millimeters wide and has a claimed weight of 205 grams. It also has a fairly large cutout going from the middle to the back of the saddle. Coloring is rather boring, and only comes in white and black. It has a smooth and sleek design that utilises Specialized’s patented Body Geometry which insures blood flow to arteries. It also comes in four sizes so you can get the best fit for your sit bones. It is important to get the right width because your sit bones can sit on the cut out and be very uncomfortable.
    The second I got on the saddle I could feel a big difference in comfort. The saddle flexes nicely, yet does not feel like it is wasting any precious energy. I do not shift much on the saddle, and because of this my butt usually really hurts on long rides. This saddle made the pain almost disappear. Cyclocross remounts were difficult at first mostly because of the slightly flared end of the saddle. I still haven’t been able to get remounts quite as smooth as with other saddles, and when it gets wet the saddle gets a little grippy making it just a bit harder to remount. It isn’t bad enough to make that much of a difference, but it should be considered. The saddle didn’t give me any chaffing, and even on really bumpy rides I didn’t chafe at all. I would totally use this saddle for a very long time to come, but it just isn’t durable enough to keep using.

I recently broke a Romin saddle for the second time. The first one was the Romin Pro which was even stiffer and lighter, but I snapped the rails clean off while riding on nothing more than a bumpy trail. Boulder Cycle Sport was kind enough to give me store credit, so I got the Romin Expert. This time I broke the shell of the saddle. It happened during a race in which I didn’t crash or have any abnormally hard remounts. I almost didn’t notice, but I looked down after the race and saw an abrupt dip in the middle of the saddle. I was lucky the leather didn’t break and the shell didn’t impale me. To me breaking two of these in one season is unacceptable. Before it broke the saddle was very good, but getting a new one every two or three months is not worth it.

    There are some other companies that make more durable yet similar saddles. Selle Italia makes a very wide range of saddles for all different disciplines, but I would recommend getting one of their saddles meant for offroad use. Fizik is another popular company, and they make very durable yet fairly light saddles. They also make a cyclocross specific saddle, and have custom color options. It is hard to go wrong when getting saddles from these companies, but it is always best to try them for yourself before buying one.

Tips for a Clean Bike

Tips for a Clean Bike

When I see or even worse hear a dirty bike it makes me cringe. Keeping a clean bike will ultimately keep it running better and longer. It is important to keep all of your bikes clean, especially your cyclocross bike. A cyclocross bike takes more abuse and gets dirtier than any other bike, but cleaning your road and mountain bike is just as important. After almost every ride I do some simple things to keep my bike out of the shop longer. The dirtier your bike gets during a ride, the more important it is to clean it immediately after.

    If my bike is muddy or dusty I spray it off with water. It is helpful to have a nozzle to make the water stream stronger, a sponge, and a soft bristle brush. I usually can get all of the mud off the bike without soap or a brush, but if you want a great way to clean the bike fast the WD-40 foaming wash is the best (http://www.wd40bike.com/). WD-40 also makes a great degreaser to clean a dirty chain. Power washers also get mud off a bike super fast, but it can damage components and take stickers off the frame. If you are using a power washer try not to spray bearings directly, and spray the bottom bracket and headset from the top not the bottom.

After I get most of the mud off, I take it inside and give it a quick tune. First I clean the chain again with degreaser and a rag to make sure all the grime is out of the links. Most of the time the dirty grinding sound is just the chain with some dirt or sand still in between the links. Probably the most effective and easiest way to prolong the life of your drivetrain is to lube the chain. It will also keep the noise down, and will make shifting faster and smoother. I personally think that WD-40 makes the best lube for muddy conditions, and the best lube for dusty dry conditions. Then I make sure the shifting is working well and adjust the derailleur, but most of the time I do not need to adjust it. Every three weeks I put more sealant in my tires to make sure I still have enough. Using rubbing alcohol to clean your rims or rotors will make them quieter, and brake better. I use Pledge furniture spray to shine my bike and make it look like new. There are also many bike specific cleaning and shining products such as Bike Lust. Cleaning your bike with more than just water is one of the secrets that bike shops use to make bikes look like new after a tune up.

There are a couple of small upgrades that can make your bike work better in adverse conditions. Sealed cables are super nice when racing cyclocross. It keeps mud, water, and sand out of the housing, resulting in smooth shifting no matter what the conditions. There are a couple of companies out there that offer cable upgrade kits. Jagwire and Gore cable upgrade kits are both very good. Better or new brake pads can make braking performance much better, especially when in wet or muddy conditions. Lizard Skins grip tape is also another great upgrade for cyclocross. It grips better than any other grip tape I have used, and it will stay grippy the in wet conditions. These upgrades along with taking good care of your bike will keep it running better and longer without going to the bike shop.

High School State Championship Race

High School State Championship Race

This weekend was the last high school mtb race in Fruita, Co. Frankly I wasn't very excited to drive four hours to race on a course that I knew in advance wasn’t fun at all. Pre riding the course on Saturday just confirmed what the course was like. It was ridiculously dusty, flat, boring, mostly dirt road, and not even remotely fun. This course had to be the most boring course I have ever ridden, and it was in the middle of nowhere with nothing to even look at. Pre ride was boring and slow because my friend forgot his riding shoes. It was a 30 minute lap, and that was while going slow. The only dangerous thing about the course was the speed we would be going. I was guessing that we would average 20 mph, which is very fast for a mtb course.
After the pre ride my dad and I went to the end of season picnic for some food. We stayed for about 20 minutes, but we didn’t eat anything. The food was too gross to eat, so we decided to go to a restaurant. I wasn’t really concerned about how well I was going to place, so I got a 20 inch meat lovers pizza. It was amazing, but not the best pre race dinner. We got back to the hotel at about 8:30, and I prepped my bike, and went to bed. I had a great night sleep, and because my race was at 1:10 I was able to sleep in.
We got to the race venue at 10:30, and it was dusty, sunny and warm. Time went by fast, and soon it suited up. I gave all my numbered bottles to my coach so he knew which ones to give me during the race, and then left for my warm up. I found a dirt road that was perfect, and I started my warm up. Of course when I was as far away from the race as possible my stomach started to hurt, and I needed a bathroom as soon as possible. I sprinted back to the porta potties, and didn’t come out until ten minutes to start. I felt awful, and didn’t know if I could race. But I sucked it up and made my way to the start. Even with a messed up stomach I knew I could beat almost everyone in my category. So I pushed my way to the front pissing off everyone in my way, and was the first one to get into staging. I needed to be aggressive because I didn’t have a call up. I had the best starting spot I could, but I was still in the sixth row. It didn’t matter, and after the first corner I quickly made my way to the front.
I could tell my body wasn’t functioning quite right, and after a mile into the race I was dropped by Kurtis, Sam, and some kid who I knew would blow up later in the race. I was thinking that I was going to drop even further back, but I was able to hold a wheel. But then I got an asthma attack, and I couldn’t stay in contact with the kid I was drafting. I let off the gas a bit to get my asthma to subside, and as soon as it did I surged forward to make up some time.  Of course soon after I accelerated I threw up. I almost stopped, but instead I decided to go faster. I puked again, and after I felt a bit better. I went around the next corner and could see fourth. I caught and passed him.
At this point I was starting to think that I had a chance to get on the podium. I knew that I had to race smarter than everyone else to make up for my stomach. I tried to make as much time up as possible on the few corners on the course. I felt like my bike was on rails going through the corners. I went up the last little climb, and then got mixed in with the varsity riders who had just finished the varsity loop. I latched onto someones wheel to save as much energy as possible, but the pace was too slow and I passed him. He got on my wheel, but could barely hold it. Now only a couple minutes away from the start/ finish line, I got a second wind. I started to feel much better, and caught a
teammate who was in a different category. I told him to get on my wheel, and we rode through the start finish together. I got my bottle as planned, and started my second lap knowing that the gap between me and third was dropping. My stomach kept feeling better as time went on. I felt like a different person, and was having a good time jumping off of every bump in the road. I kept charging forward on the boring course, and eventually caught another varsity rider.
The already strong train of three riders was now joined by a very fast varsity rider. We were passing slower and lapped riders almost every other minute now. The varsity and j.v. races were so mixed in by this point that I barely noticed when we passed the third place j.v. rider. But soon the varsity riders had to go on the varsity loop, and I was on my own again. It was almost a relief. It may have been an easy course, but it is mentally taxing to have your wheel inches away from the rider in front of you. Now I could rest for a few minutes while I hammered along a smooth dirt road towards the finish. The last time I went through the finish was rather uneventful, except for the feed station. It may seem hard not to grab a bottle from someone holding it out for you, but it is harder than it seems. Like usual I took my close to empty bottle and held it in my teeth. I never ditch a bottle until I am sure I have the full one. It almost came in handy when I bobbled a bottle and sent it into the air, but I hit it high enough to catch it a couple feet later.
Now with that out of the way I hit the gas and over the next hill I saw the second place rider. I didn’t accelerate, but instead kept him in my sights. I couldn’t tell if he could see me, but he must have because he started going faster. I matched his speed, and just stayed ten seconds behind him. I didn’t know if I could catch him, and didn’t want to blow up if I couldn’t, so I waited. I kept him just close enough so that if I did have it in me I could get him. But in the end he finished the same distance in front of me. I just didn’t have the legs to catch him.
I learned a lot from this race, but the thing I am most proud of is the way I finished. I had plenty of time on the way to the finish to think of what I should do when I crossed the finish line. I wanted something that I could do across every finish line no matter what place I got. So I decided the best way to finish was sprinting across the line even though I had nobody to sprint. I was happy with my race and the respectable third place finish I ended the highschool season with.

Sprinting to the finish

Feed station

Super dusty JV division start 

What Pedals Are Best?

What MTB/Cyclocross Pedals Are Best?

    Pedals are one of the most debated components on a bike. There are too many options to count, and almost everyone has their opinion set in stone about them. One reason that people like one company over another is riding style. Different pedals are better for different situations, but all pedals have some flaws in some way. The most popular companies are Crank Brothers, Shimano, and Time.

The most popular pedal from Crank Brothers is the Egg Beaters. I use these pedals on all of my bikes, and I personally think they are the best option. Egg Beaters Are the lightest of the three, and to a racer that is very important. The four places to clip in makes it nearly impossible to miss. It also helps that you can clip in by moving your foot forward or backward. One feature that is very smart is the different cleat for the foot you clip out of most. The difference between the two cleats is the release angle. One releases at 20 degrees and the other one releases at 15 degrees. In cyclocross this is very important because of the amount you have to get on and off your bike. One thing people either hate or love about this pedal is “float”. Float is how much your foot can move from side to side while clipped into the pedal. Egg Beaters have quite a bit of float, and this can be a deciding factor when getting pedals. If you ride in a lot of mud you should get these pedals. They have a very open design, and it clears mud better than any other pedal I have tried.

But there are a few flaws to the design. For one they do not last very long. If you are on a budget, and cannot buy new pedals every season then don’t buy these. I have been lucky and haven’t broken any yet, but I have heard stories about pedals breaking or falling off during races. They also have a rather small platform that can create hotspots on long rides. There are four levels of this pedal, ranging in price from $50 to $425. Overall a very good option for racers, and can be found at http://www.crankbrothers.com/pedals_eggbeater.php.

    The next option is Shimano’s SPD’s. Shimano makes a race and trail version of the SPD, but I will be talking about the race version. SPD’s are a rock solid pedal that can be used for many many years of everyday use. If you want a pedal that you do not have to replace every year this is the pedal for you. These pedals also have four levels, and range from $45 to $315. They are the most adjustable pedal of the three. The easy of release can be changed very easily using an allen wrench. This is a very good feature if you like to customize the feel of your bike. They do not have any float, and have a very mechanical feel to the release. They are harder to in and out of, but once you are in them you will know. They are harder to get into because there is only two places to clip in. But they are in no way hard to get in and out of. the down side to these is the weight. The highest end version of the SPD is heavier than the lowest end Egg Beaters. They also get clogged with mud fairly easily due to the more solid design. I do not like the release feel of these pedals, and that plus the weight are the deciding factor for me not to use these pedals. These are still very good pedals and can be found at http://bike.shimano.com/.
    Now for the less popular, but still very good Time ATAC pedals. The ATAC pedals design is almost a combination of Egg Beaters and SPD’s. They have the wings to clip into similar to Crank Brothers, but they also have a more solid profile like SPD’s. Everything about these pedals are in between the other two. They have six models, and they are a little bit lighter than SPD’s. They have a release angle of 13 or 17 degrees, which means they have less float than Egg Beaters. They are easy to get into, and have a fairly easy release. They clear mud fairly well, but not as well as Egg Beaters. These pedals are more durable than Egg Beaters, and will last a few seasons. Overall this pedal is for the person who wants the best of both worlds. If you are a weight weenie, or do not like float then you probably won’t like these pedals. These all around pedals can be found at http://www.time-sport.com/index.aspx.

Cold Riding Essentials

Cyclocross Essentials

The days keep getting colder, and the temperature is dropping every day. I have tried countless ways to stay warm during training rides and races. The things I do work for me, but many of my teammates have different ways of doing things. So here is what every cyclist should have in their arsenal of cold gear.

1. Arm and leg warmers
You should wear these any time the weather drops below 60 degrees, because your joints will be damaged if you do not. They are easy to take off, and carry if the temperature rises. They can also be rolled down when you don’t have the time to take them off.
2. Base layer
I use a windproof short sleeve wool base layer, and it works great for chilly to sub freezing rides. It will also keep you more dry when it gets wet. Wool base layers will insulate when it gets cold and wet, so if possible get wool.
3. Thermal wool socks
Wool socks are great for cold and wet rides, because they insulate even when wet. Thermal wool socks are even better because they are specifically made to keep your feet as warm and dry as possible.
4. Warm gloves
Any gloves that keep your hands dry and warm will work. I use gloves specific for riding, but many use cross country ski gloves, workman's gloves, and even downhill ski gloves.
5. Wind/Rain cape
Something to keep the wind and rain out while riding will make your day a whole lot better. It is also very versatile, and can be paired with other warm clothing to be very warm.
6. Hat
A hat can be a great way to stay warm in very cold weather. I  have thin hat specifically for cyclists that easily fits under my helmet. I only wear it when the temp gets below 30 degrees. It is also very easy to take off while riding, and is small enough to put it in a jersey pocket.
7. Sunglasses with interchangeable lenses
This is a must for wet, and cloudy days. Clear lenses will let you see when it gets dark or muddy. When conditions deteriorate is when it is most important to be able to see. Interchangeable lenses can be the difference between crashing and staying rubber side down.

Always remember to take more clothes than you think you need to. It is easy to take off clothes when it gets too hot, but you can’t put on clothes you do not have to stay warm. I usually want to be chilly when I leave my house. If you are warm or hot you will overheat once you start riding. It can be difficult to get temperature right, so give yourself a some extra time to get there in case you have to go back to get more clothes.

Frisco CX

my frozen wheel

Frisco CX 10/6/12

This Saturday I woke up to sub freezing temperatures, but it had no effect on my excitement to race. I was more excited than I had ever been before to race a cyclocross race. I wanted my first race on my newly-fixed bike to be a win. I also wanted to win my first category three race. It turns out that being way too excited and not having any motivation both make me crash and burn.I needed to be in that magical state where I was completely focused, but instead all I could think about was my bike.
I had a good drive up, and registration went fairly smoothly. I had to give them ten dollars and my drivers permit to rent my timing chip, which is annoying because I always forget to get my permit back. But, soon enough I forgot, and put on just enough clothes to be chilly during my warm up, and warm during the race. I was already ten minutes late by the time I finished putting my number on. I was flustered and now rushing to get on my bike. I left for my warm up and couldn’t find a good road to do my efforts on. I ended up doing them on the busy road that we entered on. I made my way to the start, and shed my jacket to prepare for the start. I wasn’t nervous, but my mind was occupied by all of the things that already went wrong.
The start was way faster than the category four race. Even with the faster start I quickly moved into second. After about half of a lap the leader and I had a big gap on the rest of the field. We came to a technical section, and I followed the leader into a terrible line. I crashed on the rock garden that lead into some deep sand, and lost contact with him. The chase group quickly caught me, and I attacked trying to catch the leader. I made my self a gap of about 15 seconds. I was killing myself trying to bridge the gap, and that’s when I crashed for the second time. Once again the chase group caught me, but this time I couldn’t stay with them. I could feel my power being drained, and shortly after my back spasmed. I made it to the pit zone and collapsed off my bike. I layed there in agony for about five minutes, and finally my back released. I was starting to shiver, so I tried to get up. I got to my feet, but then I felt a sharp pain in my right ankle. I sat back down and took off my shoes, thinking they were too tight. I ripped my shoe off, but that made it worse. My teammate’s dad tried to pinpoint where it hurt. He felt around my ankle, and then found the source of the pain on the top of my foot where it connects to the ankle. My mom finally got there as I tried to get up and walk it off. She saw that I was freezing, and wanted me to go back to the car. I got onto my bike and pedaled with one foot clipped in. I wasn’t far from the car, so it didn’t take long to get back and get into warm clothes.
We immediately went to King Soopers and got Ibuprofen. I took it and then randomly thought about driving, and the fact I always forget my permit at home. Then I realized that I forgot my permit at registration. I told my mom and we drove a few miles back to the race. My mom went to cut the timing chip off my fork and give it back, but it wasn’t there. She asked my step dad to try to find it, but he couldn’t. I finally got tired of waiting and took a look for myself. I couldn’t find it, and then knew why it wasn’t there. We didn’t know what to do, so we went to registration. I told them that it fell off when I crashed, and asked them what I should do. They had no idea, and because I was hurt they gave me back my permit and sat me down to wait for their boss. It took a while and my pain level went up. My mom told me I was going pale, and shivering worse. She asked the ladies at registration for the medic, but by the time she got to me, I was back to normal. I told the medic I was fine, but she insisted to look at my ankle. A few minutes later she told me I had a level one sprain, and not to walk for the next four or five days.
Some people don’t have enough motivation to race, and some people, including me, have way too much. I tend to pump myself up for races until my head is ready to explode. I thought that was the only way to prepare for races. But, what I should be doing is relaxing. One of my coaches says smooth is faster, and now I can see that. Doing two smooth races that lead to good results, and one over zealous race that resulted in a sprained ankle opened my eyes to it. In the end I need start looking for experience first, and the results that I want will follow.

Xilinx

Boulder Racing Series # 2-Xilinx 9/22/12

    Five a.m. and the first thing I think of is my favorite course of the year. The perfect place to prove that just because my cyclocross bike was out of service I could still win. It was really early, but my mind is already racing with every scenario that could possibly happen from the time I get into the car to the moment my timing chip crosses the finish line. But before I get to the race venue I have to do my race day rituals.

Wake up with an hour to get ready before leaving. Then take a shower without soap, put in my contacts right eye before my left, get into something comfy and go make my smoothie. One cup full of mixed berries, one cup of orange juice, one banana, squirt of honey and a cup of protien powder. I double check my bag to make sure I have everything and load the car full of all my race gear and bikes. I try to have my parents drive to races so I can focus more and not have any added mental strain. Personally these don’t help my physical performance at all, but it subdues some of my stress and nervousness of the unknown.

    Usually I’m really bossy and critical about how people execute the things I tell them to do, but this early morning went very smoothly. We ended up getting a prime parking spot most likely because I was in the third race to start at 8:50. I went straight down to registration to get my number and timing chip. Everything went well and I was ahead of schedule. I took my time getting suited up and checking my bike to waste some excess time. At 7:15 I pre rode the course and after three laps it was 7:30 and I started my warm up.

My warmup is essential for me to have a good race. Without it my muscles will be cold and more importantly I will get an asthma attack during and not before my race.  It may sound weird to try to get an asthma attack before a race, but when it subsides the airways cannot constrict again for at least another three hours. My detailed warm up that induces attacks consist of a three minute Lactic Threshold effort at  just below race pace. That is usually the effort that makes me have asthma attacks, but to be sure I take a couple of breaths full of Ventolin and three minutes easy then do two more . One minute as hard as I can go with another three minutes in between. I did two more of those and three sprints with a three minute easy spin in between each. By the time I finish my perfect one hour warm up it is time to start staging.

I wasn’t very nervous up until that point. Rolling up to a field of 70 riders would make anyone nervous. A couple of short chats with competitors and teammates wasted time and occupied my mind. Finally after what felt like an eternity they started callups. I didn’t have enough points for one so I had to be aggressive and sneak into the third row. I was waiting thinking about what I needed to do to win. Five minutes to start, two minutes to start, 30 seconds to start, 10 seconds, the whistle blew and an explosion of 70 racers stomping into pedals surged forward. Me, the only one on a mountain bike, immediately slid into third place while going up the road towards the first dirt section. By the time we made it through the most technical section of the course and down the grassy descent I was in the front of a three man group. I gained time by jumping over a ditch instead of slowly riding through it. We made our way through a sandy singletrack section and came to three logs about a foot tall. I slowed down and jumped over them while still on my bike. The two others in my group, who happened to be twins, lost time from getting back on their bike after running the logs. That gave me a short time to rest while the twins got back onto my wheel.

Back on the finishing straight I decided that letting them draft off me for the whole race wasn’t a good idea. I flicked my elbow to show them that they needed to share the work and let me draft off them for a while. I went to the back of the line, but at the top of the road I looked at my heart rate monitor and saw it was at 170 bmp. I attacked and one of the twins cracked and fell off the pace. The other one was still glued to my wheel as we snaked our way through the business park and back towards the logs. I bunny hopped the logs and looked back expecting to see a Clif Bar Cappo rider out of the saddle trying get back into my slipstream, instead I saw a bike flying through the air over the head of my competitor. I later found out that he was watching me bunny hop the logs and forgot that he had to get off and run over them. At that point I was by myself and thinking that this race was mine. I rode within myself and on the fourth lap slowed down and was giving spectators high fives as I went by.

As I came down the finishing straight I heard the one lap to go bell sound and I flipped out. They said at the start of the race that we had four laps not five. I looked behind me and saw my teammate coming onto the road. He was only 20 seconds behind and gaining. I kicked it into high gear and buried myself to stay as far ahead as I could. Every time I looked back to assess the time gap he was closer. The next time I could get an accurate time gap was when I could hear the announcer’s voice come over the speakers. It was getting smaller the closer I got to the finish line. I accelerated again burning my last match. I hit the tarmac for the last time, and looked back to see if I needed to sprint. I didn’t so I soft pedaled to the finish where I did one of Peter Sagan’s celebrations called the “Dancing Chicken.” I was so happy that I had finally won a cyclocross race, after all of the third and second place finishes from last season I could finally feel the glory of crossing the line first at a cyclocross race.