2013 Cross Season Wrap-Up

My 2013 Cyclocross season ended with a whimper last Sunday at Kringle Cross. This was the BIG weekend for cross racing here in Boise. The Idaho State CX Champs were on Saturday, followed by Kringle Cross, the last race in the Waffle Cross Series, on Sunday. We had cold temps, snow, ice, mud, beer, a Food Truck Rally, waffles, costumes, and Waffle Cross Series championships up for grabs.  There were plenty of reasons to be mentally and physically “up” for this weekend.

And they're off!  Masters 45+ Race Start

The whimper? I simply felt flat and raced poorly both days last weekend and it is still eating at me.

You know that feeling when you can stand and hammer out of every corner, easily stick to the wheel in front of you, or respond when a rider accelerates? Yeah, I didn't have that feeling last weekend. You know that feeling when you go into every corner with confidence regardless of the surface or angle? Yeah, I didn't have that feeling either. Feeling flat and lacking confidence is no way to go through a cross race.

Givin' her all I've got Captain...but it wasn't enough

The Cat 1/2, 3, 35+ Race was muddy!

Ok, let’s turn this frown upside down, shall we? In contrast to my racing performance, the State Champs / Kring Cross weekend was rad! The Idaho Waffle Cross crew did a great job with the “Big Show” and created an awesome atmosphere for cross racing. They took their already excellent event promotion & organization up another notch. There was a giant heated tent for registration, great course markings, sponsor & event banners throughout the venue, a dedicated timing tent, and of course plenty of good food and beer to keep the spectators happy...very PRO. Overall, racer attendance was a little less than I thought it would be which begs the question: Should the Idaho State CX Champs be held at the end of November? Just wondering out loud whether some folks lose their cross mojo once we get into December.

Nancy Odle rocking the Gingerbread Cookie costume. Best costume winner!

Kringle Cross was festive!

Mike Kennedy sporting a Tu Tu, bows, and nipple bells! Nice!

We had an Abominable sighting at Kringle Cross!

Prior to the State Champs weekend, we had several great weekends of racing to sharpen our skills and tune the engines.

Dec 7th - Eagle Island CX @ Eagle Island State Park
Snow! We woke up tp 2-4” of cold, dry snow on Saturday morning and temps stayed in the low 20s all day keeping things wintry throughout the races.

Conditions were cold & snowy for Eagle Island CX

Team Real Theater put on a great event in challenging conditions and the venue at Eagle Island State Park is just gorgeous. I was excited to race in the snow and felt pretty confident ripping around the course despite the slippery conditions. The crux of the course was the steep run up and if you didn't have toe spikes, you were in for a long day. I had toe spikes. :-)

Twisting through the trees

The Masters 45+ raced with the Cat 4 men and we had a decent sized field sharing the course. My personal race sorted out very quickly at the front as I battled with three Cat 4 racers who I traded the overall lead with several times before opening a little gap on the last lap and taking the W.

Ron Miller with a PRO shoulder-carry up the run up. Toe Spikes!

Nov 23 - 24 - SICX #6 & #7 @ Sandy Point

Frozen grass and failing SRAM Hydros was the theme for this Sandy Point weekend.  My goal was simply to race as hard as I could for 60’ each day and try to stay with the fast Masters 35+ group as long as possible.  The timing of this race made it good training for State Champs.

Remount on top of the SICX Flyover

As much as I love the venue at Sandy Point, I have yet to have a good race there. I struggled Saturday with a few off-camber corners in particular as well as the beach run up. I just never got in a groove and made several little mistakes that cost me time. As the sun got higher in the sky, the frozen grass began to thaw and things got increasingly more slippery with every lap during the race.

When I got home from Saturday’s race, I noticed that my rear brake was a little mushy. Not bad, but not crisp either. A little voice in the back of my brain said “bleed it!”...but I didn’t.

We had overnight temps in the low 20s and as I was warming up, my brakes were losing pressure. As we are now learning, SRAM Hydro Road Disc brakes don't like sub-freezing temps. With 30’ until my race, I had no rear brake. I was ready to call it day early but Steve (Dirt Dart Mobile Bike Service) and I attempted a last-minute brake bleed but we missed a step under pressure (with no manual or YouTube available) and I was out of luck. I got SRAM’d...again.

Steve and his Dirt Dart Trailer are a regular fixture at the Boise Cross races. Thanks Steve!

Nov 9-10 - Idaho Waffle Cross Series, Turkey Cross
The theme of my Turkey Cross was chilly, dry, and one bunny-hop gone wrong. I had a solid race on Saturday and battled with Ron Miller and Rob Burke for the top three spots in the Master’s 45+ race. I was able to hold off Rob for 2nd place but Ron was too smoove (yeah, I said smoove) and rode off the front for the win.

Turkey Cross - Staging the Masters 45+ / Cat 4 race

Trying to hold off a determined Rob Burke

A little post-race interview with Brian Price, co-organizer of the Idaho Waffle Cross Series

Sunday was new day and I was ready to rock. I got to the venue early and planned on doing several laps to get my lines dialed in. My first practice lap was mellow...just scouting things out and seeing what the Waffle Crew changed overnight. On my second lap, I came into the 10” double barriers and thought, “I am SO bunny-hopping these”. I backtracked a bit, and then got up some speed before hopping the first barrier...but I clipped my rear wheel and endo’d into the frozen grass. My left shoulder and head took the brunt of the impact. As I layed there in heap, Zach came down from the parking lot to help as he had seen the whole show from above. My left arm wasn't working. Ruh Roh. My first thought was “broken collarbone”, but Zach said my shoulder looked out of whack. Luckily, Dr. Lori Smith was in attendance to race and came over to check me out. She sat me on my tailgate, had me hold my arm at 90 degrees, and then calmly put my shoulder back into its socket. Holy Shit! I could immediately move my arm again. She must have seen a twinkle in my eye because she immediately said, “You are NOT racing today.” I was very fortunate to have Lori put my shoulder back into place just minutes after my crash because the swelling wasn't bad yet and this made it easier on both of us.

Fidee Cent made the trip from Jackson to race Turkey Cross and took the Men's Cat 3 WIN on Day 2...in his sweet new Athlete360 skin suit.

I have a lot to learn about how to prepare for, and then race, a full cyclocross season. It is a tricky balancing act between resting enough to be fresh for racing and not losing fitness as the season goes on. I also have a long list of CX-specific skills that I want to work on before next season. I learned a ton this season and I am already looking forward to applying it next year.

To everyone heading to CX Nationals in Boulder, CO, best of luck and Hup Hup!

2013 Cyclocross Season - Week 4 - Waffle Cross #1 & #2

The Idaho Waffle Cross series kicked off this past Saturday at the Eagle Bike Park under sunny skies and pleasant temps.  Over 110 racers showed up to tackle a challenging course and enjoy the festive atmosphere created by the Waffle Cross crew.  In addition to an awesome, technical course, we had Bob's Red Mill waffles and delicious adult beverages from Payette Brewing to look forward to post-race.

My Waffle Cross almost didn't happen.  I woke up the Wednesday prior with the first signs of a nasty head cold and I tried to nip it in the bud by taking Wednesday off of the bike and keeping the rides short on Thursday & Friday.  I REALLY didn't want to miss Waffle Cross, but I also didn't want this cold to go "nuclear" on me and leave me unable to function the following week.  Armed with a handful of Hall's Menthol cough drops and embrocation, I decided to give it a go Saturday morning.

Dropping In! Photo by Reed Cycle

Masters 45+ Race - Waffle Cross, Day 1

The Waffle Cross course at the Eagle Bike Park is no grass criterium race...and I dig that!  This venue rewards bike handling on a variety of surfaces and forces you to think about what you are doing out there.  After a couple of recon laps, I felt good about my strategy for racing this course. 

With a front row call-up, I decided to step on the gas and try to stay in front of the inevitable carnage that was going to take place in the first tricky section.  Rob Burke was glued to my wheel and made a quick pass when I bobbled in the sand early on. Rob and I would be locked in a tight duel for the remainder of the race.  I was able to make a pass on the 2nd lap but Rob was always right there, waiting for me to make a mistake.  And this course was a mistake waiting to happen!

As we rode through the finish line and I saw "1 Lap To Go", I got a little nervous.  I am not used to being at the front of a bike race.  I needed to stay smooth but also stay on the gas.  I made it through the trickiest sand sections and steep hills just fine but Rob was still lurking a few bike lengths back.  Into the grass section, I ran the big double barriers pretty well and was feeling good about my gap over 2nd place...and then I crashed.  I lost my front wheel on a grassy downhill, left-hander and went down in a splat! Shit!  I scrambled to my feet and remounted as quickly as possible and was relieved that Rob did not pass me in the process...but now the gap was tight.  I stomped on the pedals, bunny-hopped the final section of short barriers before the paved finish straight, and crossed the line in first place. Holy shit, I just won my first bike race! 

Masters 45+ Race - Waffle Cross, Day 2  

We would race the same course, but in reverse, on Day 2.  The reversed course presented several new challenges because there were now several sections that were possible to ride, but potentially faster to run.   

Pushing! Would a shoulder carry have been faster? Photo by Reed Cycle

We also had a new rabbit to chase. Ron Miller, who didn't race Saturday, line up with the Masters 45+ on Sunday. 

Ron Miller, smooth like butter. Photo by Reed Cycle

I took a similar approach to the start on Sunday and was the first rider onto the grass and through short double barriers.  I was able to bunny-hop these each lap and keep my momentum through the following corner.  Ron was kind enough to let me lead through most of the grass but then flexed his quad muscles on the grassy climb-to-pavement and passed me handily.  Ron is wily veteran of cross and was riding really smooth. I think he made one small mistake, on a very tricky course, the entire race.  Speaking of mistakes, I tried to ride the steep, loose "S" turn on the first lap and paid for it. I bobbled mid-turn and had to dismount while losing all momentum. Ron's gap instantly went from 10" to 30"...and I would never get it back.

Lurking not far behind was my nemesis from Day 1, Rob Burke. Every time I looked back, Rob was not far behind so I had to stay smooth and on the gas.  Day 2's course kept you on your toes and made you think on every lap. Should I try to ride this section?  Should I run it?  If I run it, should I push my bike, suitcase carry it, or shoulder my bike? I have a lot to learn in terms of which technique to use at a given time during a race.

Ron Miller opened a solid gap by the end and easily won Day 2. I finished in 2nd and Rob Burke placed 3rd on the day.  I am looking forward to several more close battles when the Waffle Cross series resumes on Nov 9th & 10th. 

Random Gear Note:  The 10spd SRAM S-700 Hydraulic Levers appear to be more durable than the carbon 2012 SRAM Red Levers I rode last season. I crashed a couple of times over the weekend and I am happy to report that I did not break a lever! I broke two SRAM Red Levers last year crashing on grass and their fragility led Tim to nickname them "SRAM Breakaway Levers".  

Post-race recovery waffle!

The registration tent...PRO

Eastside Cycles was onsite with a full arsenal of Ridley Cross bike to demo

Take your Cyclocross cheering to another level with a bell from Donger Mfg

Huge thanks to the Waffle Cross crew for putting on a GREAT event.  This year's Waffle Cross was unofficially the biggest cross race to date in the Treasure Valley and I think that trend will continue.  It would be great to see my friends from Sun Valley and Teton Valley / Jackson make the trip over for Turkey Cross in November.

2013 Cyclocross Season - Week 3 - Moose Cross

Moose Cross is a race that I helped start six years ago in Victor, ID.  I remember planning the race that first year and wondering whether anyone would come to Victor, ID to race cross.  Now the race draws over 100 racers from all over the west.  I know first-hand that it takes a ridiculous amount of work to put on a quality cyclocross event and I sincerely appreciate the great job that Victor Velo and the Fitzgerald's Bicycles team did this year in putting on Moose Cross.

Heading into Moose Cross weekend, I was feeling a bit over-stressed and over-cooked.  It was the perfect storm of "life stress" and fatigue.  In fact, had it been any other race than Moose Cross I would have pulled the plug on the trip and stayed home to recharge the batteries.  In hindsight, my perception of being over-cooked was dead-on because I came down with a cold the Tuesday after Moose Cross. Doh!  

Saturday's Master's Race
A big field lined up on Saturday to contest the Masters 35+/45+/55+ race and I had a first row call-up based on registration order. Woot! Why not pin it off the line and see what happens?  I will tell you what happened:  Sputtering, black smoke coming out of the tail pipe, and a massive slow-down halfway through the fist lap...that is what happened!  As a result, I think most of the field passed me.  And nothing kills your mojo faster than having most of the field pass you. I wanted to quit only 10' into Moose Cross, Day 1. Ha!
 
Everything changed when I saw Fitzy on the grassy knoll.  In classic Fitzy-style, he had launched off of the front on lap #1 in an impressive display of fast-twitch ability and took the first lap preem but was now riding mid-pack.  With about four laps to go, he had a good 30" on me.  From this point on, all that mattered was catching Fitzy! It was ON!

Trying to shake Fitzy through he Grassy Knoll

With two laps to go, I had closed down the gap and was on Fitzy's wheel.  Strategies were bouncing around in my head as I calculated where I was faster vs. where he was faster.  I really didn't want it to come down to a sprint between Mr. Fast-Twitch and myself if at all possible. Just before the end of the lap I made a pass on the short pavement section.  As the lap bell rang signalling one lap to go, Fitzy was right on my wheel.  I gave it everything I had up the railroad tie run-up because I know Fitzy has an advantage there with those long legs of his. And then came the grass. There was a tricky little single barrier on the grass that was hop-able but I chose to run that section while Fitzy hopped it. He was like a skinny piece of velcro...I couldn't shake him. With a hard right-hander before the finishing straight, this was going to be tricky.  After clearing the final corner, I sprinted for the line and expected to see Fitzy pull along side for a bike throw...but I crossed the line alone, well in front of my nemesis. Evidently when Fitzy stood up to unleash his own furious sprint, he cramped. Doh!

That was some serious mid-pack drama and made for a memorable race despite not feeling my best at the start.

Sunday's Masters Race
Sunday's course was the reverse of Saturday, with a few minor changes. To make it interesting, we had rain overnight and the grass section was very slippery for our race.

Where's Fitzy? As I scanned the start line, the black Fitzgerald's Bicycles skin suit was suspiciously absent. Sunday's race would present a new set of adversaries shortly.  I took a conservative approach to the start and didn't blow myself up right off of the line.

As the race quickly unfolded, I found myself in a battle with Pocatello Idaho's wily veteran of cross, Bob Walker, and a rider from Montana wearing a red jersey who, from this point forward, will be respectfully referred to as "Big Red".

Bob, Big Red, and myself were very evenly matched in terms of power. Whomever made the least mistakes would win this little mini-battle.

The slippery grass claimed its victim when Bob aggressively tried to ride an off-camber section that we had been running on previous laps. Bob lost his front wheel, went down hard, and Big Red and I squirted by on the inside.

Note to self:  Just because you can ride a section doesn't mean that riding is necessarily faster. Try both in practice.

Big Red was a monster on the power sections and I could barely stay on his wheel. My only shot was to get around him on one of the technical sections and hope I could stay away. However, Big Red was having none of that. In fact, he had his own trick up his sleeve. Big Red was pinching off every inside corner through the grassy knoll and left no room to pass...none, zip, zilch, nada.

Once we got through the grassy knoll for the final time, Big Red dropped the hammer and I was not on his wheel when he dropped it. The gap went from one bike, to two bike lengths, to more than three bike lengths very quickly and that is how it ended. Good job Big Red!

After the race, Bob Walker and I relived our glorious duel and he jokingly accused me of taking him out on the grassy knoll. Ha!  Fun battles mid-pack in the Moose Cross Masters Races for sure!

Be sure to put Moose Cross on your 2014 Cyclocross Race Calendar and "Like" the Moose Cross Facebook Page to stay in the loop.

Lastly, check out the Moose Cross album from Cody Downard Photography.

2013 Cyclocross Season - Weeks 1 & 2 - Avimor & SICX #1

9/28/13 - Boise Cyclocross Season Opener, Avimor

Avimor's grass was a touch wet

This year's cyclocross season kind of snuck up on me.  I had planned to race one more mountain bike race, the Draper 50, on Sept 21 but "life stuff" got in the way and I didn't make the trip. Since I had planned on being totally blown from the Draper 50, I hadn't really considered racing the first two local cyclocross races.  With no Draper 50 in my legs, there was no reason not to jump into the season opener at Avimor.

The Avimor race proved to be a great kickoff to the season.  There was an informal clinic on Friday that was good for some barrier practice and a course preview.  One thing was immediately evident during the course preview; Avimor has some crazy-thick grass.  I felt like I was in slow motion.  As an added bonus, the course designer threw in a little section of buffed singletrack that was a nice break from the grass.

The "Corkscrew of Death"

The Race
My USA Cycling racing age is 45 this year and Avimor would be my first time lining up with the Masters 45+ group.  This just in...these guys are fast!  The twisty nature of the Avimor course allowed you to see where the competition was most of the time and it was fun trying to gauge the gaps and then trying to close them...or stop them from widening.

Did I mention the mud? Evidently the sprinklers at Avimor run ALL NIGHT on Friday nights and nobody thought to shut them off so we had soaking wet grass, which turned to mud, on most of the course.  The file treads that I thought were "money" on Friday afternoon were marginal at best on Saturday. Doh!

My race was fun as I was locked in mortal combat with Troy Nichols for the second half and we traded positions many times. I had a little extra zip over the last barrier and was able to hold him at the line...barely. I think Troy and I will have some fun battles later in the season.

The CX bike was a little muddy after the Avimor race

10/5/13 - SICX #1, Sandy Point

The SICX Flyover made an appearance at the first race

I typically love racing at Sandy Point.  Ironically, I have yet to have a good race there and the SICX kickoff race was no exception.  Captain to engine room, "Scotty, I need more power!"    

The highlight of my race was my little "race within the race" with Michael Shaw.  "Shaw-Zam!" typically crushes me on the mountain bike so I was a little surprised to gain some ground on him and latch onto his wheel near the end.  On the last lap, he dropped me like a bad habit and left me alone in no-man's land.  That really wasn't very nice of him.  I am looking forward to future rematches with Shaw-Zam! at future SICX races.

Mmmm...sand in the drivetrain

Gear:

One of the coolest pieces of gear I have used in a while is the Billie Rack.

The Billie Rack slides out to make access SO much easier. The hand-brake is to prevent the rack from moving while traveling or while parked on a hill.

Billie Racks are made here in Boise by a couple of great guys who genuinely want to build an innovative product.  The single biggest benefit so far is NOT having to crawl into the camper shell to load heavy items. I can simply slide the Billie Rack out, place the items on the cargo top, and slide it back in.  The cross bar in the front is 1 1/8" so it is compatible with all Yakima crossbar accessories. Nice!

I will do a Blog post on the Billie Rack soon.

Kringle Kross

What a great final day of cross racing for 2012!  In my opinion, the Kringle Kross course was the best of the year.  The course was really hard, it had a little of everything, AND the Waffle Cross crew did a great job creating a festive atmosphere by decorating parts of the course.  Did anyone else feel like their legs were going to fall off after the gradual climb immediately after the stairs run-up?  I was cryin’ for my momma there every lap.

Santa slimmed down and jumped into the Masters 35+ race

In my final cyclocross race of the season, I finally managed to suck a little bit less.  Woohoo!  Sure, my legs were screaming at me at times and I was drooling on my top tube, but I rode the tricky sandy corners well and stayed smooth the whole time.

Kringle Kross Highlights:

• Cousin Eddy on the mic all day (National Lampoon Christmas Vacation reference)

• Santa racing the Masters 35+

• Yukon Cornelius with Peppermint Schnapps hand-ups for the brave

• Huge donation table for Toys for Tots.  Bike racers are RAD!

• Bob’s Red Mill waffles!

• Costumed riders everywhere

• Christmas decorations around the course and podium. Nice touch!

I definitely finished the cross season on a high note and I thoroughly enjoyed my first Boise cross season.  Now that I know what to expect out of a full cross season, I cannot wait for next year.  I am coming for you Zuber! Ha! 

Grabbing some brake before the 90-degree corner at the bottom

Santa had to grab his "B" bike, powered by Rudolph on the bars

Festive!

Even some of the vehicles were decorated

Rooster the Rhodesian looking very festive

One To Go!

Kringle Kross is this Saturday, Dec 15th and it is the last local cross race of the season. I have mixed feelings about cross season being almost over. I have truly enjoyed the cross scene here in Boise and for some sick reason I enjoy getting my ass kicked in the "A" races each week.

Eagle Island, Race #3. Photo by Reed Cycle

Since posting last (I know, its been a while), I have raced twice: Eagle Island, Race #3 and the SICX Idaho State Championships at Sandy Point.

The Eagle Island, Race #3 was my first time at this venue and it was yet another awesome course. The run-up with logs was a highlight and it was rideable if you chose your line carefully and stayed on the gas.

The State Champs at Sandy Point was brutally awesome. Sandy Point is definitely a classic cross venue and would be worthy of hosting a national-caliber race. Tim Phillips and the SICX crew took the flyover to another level for the State Champs with fresh paint and steep stairs.

The SICX Flyover

My race at the State Champs was exactly not what I was hoping for. After a good warmup, I finally got off to a decent start and was in a good position going into the first tricky right-hander when another racer crashed in front of me, forcing me to stop, and the entire field went by me in an instant. Doh! This course had everything; twisty grassy, two sand pits, flyover with stairs, and a mini-barrier to give you a bunny-hop option. I did manage to have a good mid-race battle with Rick but he was too strong in the end...again.

Check out the great video from the Idaho State CX Champs:


Idaho State Championships from Jesse kroll on Vimeo.

Turkey Cross Weekend

Despite a minor setback, Turkey Cross weekend was a blast. Cross season has been super-fun so far and I am continually impressed with the race organization and race venues here in Boise. I believe there were 96 racers in attendance Saturday so I am not the only one feeling the cross stoke.

Rewind to 11:59 AM on Saturday morning. I was staged at the start with my fellow 35+ Masters Racers and ready for the one hour of glorious suffering that was about to commence. The Men’s Cat I/IIs would go first, and then the Men’s Cat IIIs and then a 30” stagger before the Masters. Finally the race official turned us loose and I actually had a descent start for a change. We powered up the pavement and jockeyed for position before having to slow down to enter the first tricky turn on the grass which forced the field into a single line of riders. I was sitting comfortably in the middle and we were all wheel-to-wheel as we ripped through the opening twisty grass section…until I went down. It was a silly fall. I simply lost my front wheel in a 180 degree grassy right-hander and I went down on my right side in an instant. I heard the “snap” when I hit the ground and when I scrambled up quickly to remount and continue I noticed a piece of my right shifter fall out and land on the ground. Yep, I broke another SRAM Red shifter. Un-Friggin’-Believable. My race was over in 4’.

I have crashed twice this season, both on grassy corners, and I have broken two SRAM Red Shifters (a left and a right):

Should a slow-motion crash on soft grass do this much damage? I realize that I crashed, and when you crash you stand to break things, but really?

The broken lever and the piece that fell out onto the grass. Oops.

Did SRAM shave too much material out of the shifter body in their quest to be the lightest?

The lever body looks like Swiss Cheese on the inside

Did SRAM get a bad batch of molded plastic shift bodies (because they sure seem brittle)?

Does the outward angle of their lever design promote breakage because it is the first piece of the bike to hit the ground?

You can see how the end of the shift lever would be the first thing to hit the ground in a fall to the side

Is it simply bad luck?

For Sunday’s race, I mounted a pair of Vittoria XG TNT tires on my Scott Scale29 and I was back in business. The Scale29 makes a great substitute cross bike… what I am trying to say is that my result on Sunday had nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with the engine. My fellow 35+ racers are fast and they are rude. Yes, I said rude. I say they are rude due to the way they rode off and left me to ride alone in no-man’s land for much of the race. That is just not polite at all.

The weekend still had a couple of highlights. One highlight was hanging with Gabe and watching him take 3rd in the Men’s Cat III races each day. Fiddee Cent made the trip from snowy Jackson, WY to get his “cross” on and get a little taste of Boise. Gabe’s weekend totals: Two Cat III podiums, a delicious burger & beers at BitterCreek Ale House, a short mountain bike ride Sunday afternoon, and a huge breakfast burrito at Big City Coffee…I’d say Gabe had a pretty darn good Boise weekend.

Fiddee Cent might be the only gansta' in the world to ride tubulars and use embrocation

The other highlight was watching my little buddy “H” finish the kid’s race on Sunday despite going down in the first corner and shedding a few tears before remounting and finishing strong like a true hard-man of cycling. Nice work Henry!

Henry and I discussing race strategy during his warmup

This weekend is Eagle Island Cyclocross, Race #3. Hup Hup!

Cyclocross-ically Challenged

I see myself going so much faster in a cyclocross race...in my mind. What the hell am I doing in a sport that rewards those with a naturally high VO2 Max and plenty of fast-twitch fibers in their body? Each week I line up and hope that I can overcome these genetic shortfalls through sheer will and stubbornness… but I continue to get absolutely killed. Yet, for some sick reason, I am addicted to cyclocross.

I really am trying to suck less. Photo by Cory Bolen

I love the different parks, the social nature of a cross race, and geeking out over tire pressure. I love those few minutes at the beginning of the race when I am wheel-to-wheel with my fellow 35+ racers and jockeying for position into the first few corners. In those first few minutes hope is still alive. But even after the fast guys have snapped the elastic and are making the race at the front, there are still battles to be won or lost further back in the field.

Last Friday I tweeted that “I am going try very hard to suck a little less at cyclocross tomorrow”. However, I did not miraculously transform into Sven Nys and surprise the field on Saturday at the SICX race in Nampa, ID. I rode smooth, ran the barriers well, thought about each tricky corner, and absolutely rode as hard as I could for an hour. While I don’t think I sucked, I was not fast. My engine feels like a U-Haul rental truck that has an accelerator governor installed. I “want” to go faster. I simply can’t right now. But it is not over. (Insert Dr. Evil laugh here)

The Byrds Team is a force at any Boise cross race. Photo by Reed Cycle

Mark Schafer airs it out over the barriers. Photo by Reed Cycle

The SICX Flyover is a huge hit. Photo by Reed Cycle

Next up is a double-header with Turkey Cross presented by the Idaho Waffle Cross Series! Mmmm, waffles.

Waffle Cross

I was thinking about that delicious Bob’s Red Mill waffle halfway through my first lap. The smell from the waffle tent was pulling me in like a Death Star tractor beam as I picked up my race number and signed my waiver but I had to resist temptation until after my race was over. Idaho Waffle Cross had me at hello.

Fall colors, cyclocross racing, and waffles!

Saturday was my first Waffle Cross race and my first time at the Eagle Bike Park venue so I was looking forward to experiencing yet another new-to-me event in Boise. After one easy practice lap I knew I loved this course. In fact, I would say that Saturday’s Waffle Cross course was one my favorite cross courses that I have raced anywhere. However, my love for the course did not translate into a good result. I got crushed...again. But for the first 25’ of the race, I felt like I was “racing” and not just riding around during a cross race and this is a small improvement over last weekend. Hopefully I can continue to race myself into some semblance of cyclocross shape before cross season is over in early December.

Let’s get back to the course and the event. The two run-ups were awesomely brutal and the low double barriers rewarded those with the skillz to bunny-hop them. The low barriers also punished those who got tired and let their skillz lapse late in the race. There was plenty of grass with hills, swooping corners, and off-camber sections to keep you honest and suck the power out of your legs as well. The Waffle Cross crew did a great job with the event and created a fun and festive scene for racers and spectators. It is nice to spend $20 on a race entry fee and feel like you got a good value for that $20 at the end of the day. I am definitely in for both days of Turkey Cross on November 10-11.

Moose Cross from the racer’s side of the tape

Now that the dust has settled (literally) from the 5th Annual Moose Cross Cyclocross Festival, the crew in Victor, ID deserves huge THANKS for putting on another great event. The core crew at Victor Velo, along with volunteer efforts from the Fitzgerald's Bicycles Team and others in the community, rallied to put on an incredible standalone event headquartered at Victor’s Ice Arena.

Before moving to Boise, I was on the organizer’s side of the course tape for the first four years of this event so it was really fun to experience Moose Cross as a racer for a change. At various times throughout the weekend I tried to pitch in where I could but Victor Velo truly had everything under control. JayP did let me help him setup the “Grassy Knoll” on Friday afternoon so I got my fix of course design this year.

Some might ask, “I can race cross close to home so why would I travel all the way to Victor, ID?” In my opinion, the number one reason is that Victor Velo genuinely cares about putting on a quality event and wants every racer to enjoy their Moose Cross experience.

The fact that 120+ (unofficial number) racers turned out again, despite several competing regional events, made me smile. Moose Cross racers were rewarded with the following:

• Two Days of racing in the shadow of the Tetons
• Custom Moose Cross socks to every paid racer on Saturday
• Kate’s Real Food bar to every paid racer on Saturday
• A HUGE Raffle
• Free Kid’s races
• Free Live Music immediately following Saturday’s Men’s Elite race
• Fat Bike keg-pull competition
• Food Vendors
• Beer
• Great prizes for top-three in each category
• Free waffles Sunday morning sponsored by The Bunnery
• Peeto on the mic calling all of the action
• Fitzgerald’s Bicycles sponsored repair tent
• New computer-based timing system with animated race results playback (so cool!)

All proceeds from Moose Cross benefit Victor Velo, an Idaho Non-Profit.

I know first-hand how much time & energy it takes to pull off organizing Moose Cross weekend. As a traveling racer this year, I want to say thanks again to everyone who made it happen!

The start of Saturday's Masters race

I got eliminated in the first round of the keg-pull. I think there was some secret training going on prior to the event.

PS – As far as my racing is concerned, let’s just say that I am trying to race my way into cyclocross shape and I am getting crushed in the process. Oofta.