New bike day! Hope to start riding it soon so I’m ready for Madera stage race. (Taken with instagram)
Good luck cutting me off on my new bike. (via Urban Velo)
Race: Lion of Fairfax CX. White Hill Middle School, Fairfax
So that makes two years in a row. Two years in a row that I’ve flatted out at this race. Last year it was with a couple laps to go as I chased a podium spot in the B’s race. This year I flatted on the first lap while I was sitting mid-pack A’s.
I stopped in the pit to borrow a rear wheel but it was too wide, couldn’t adjust my brakes, borrowed some shoes, did a lap on a friends (much too big) bike, got back in the pit, found a wheel that worked with my bike, hopped on and got back in.
This ridiculous mechanical circus costs me an incredible amount of time so I finished last. Oh well, DFL > DNF.
Photo: David.Cheung
HOLY FUCK, IT’S THE CREATURE FROM THE BIG RING LAGOON.
I wish this applied to bike racing but then there’s this quote:
“It doesn’t get easier, you just go faster” - Greg Lemond
(via idkmybffgio)
Race: Sacramento CX #1, College Cyclery Compound
My first Elite A’s race and all I can say is wow. I got absolutely crushed. Don’t let my 8th place result fool you, I was done. I literally had a hard time moving after the race and I was pretty sore for days after.
The course was unlike any other I’ve raced. There was a long and fast grassy section with a couple sharp turns (standard) and a BMX style jump section with high-berm turns (wtf?). It was really fun but I came close to more than a couple catastrophic crashes because of all the weird momentum.
I’m not sure I can race A’s every weekend but I’m certainly going to try. Wish me luck at Fairfax this Saturday. ;)
Details: 8th place (out of 18), 90+ degrees, windy, dry, 9/24/2011
Photo: JN56
I learned to love that crazy bridge/banked turn at Sacramento Cyclocross #1
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Race: Folsom Cyclebration, Folsom City Zoo and Rodeo Grounds.
I actually pre-rode the course about 300 times and I had all my lines down but what did I do on the first turn of the first lap? Yup, I crashed! Slid out on an off-camber turn.
That messed up my rear brake and I rode the single track section with just a front brake. The pits where far so I tried to diagnose what happened on a short pavement section and realized my brake straddle cable was just unhooked. I popped it back on and I started to chase.
That incident knocked me from 2nd place to about 15th place.
Luckily I was able to chase back, pass the leader, and finish with over a minute of a gap. It was this little comeback that convinced me to try my luck against the big boys and upgrade to the “A” category.
Details: 1st place in the B’s, 9/17/2011
Photo: JN56
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