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Superprestige Saturday

2012-02-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

On Cyclingfans... Information to be posted on their site later. But most likely 9:00 a.m. - ish on Saturday morning.

Worlds and Sand Dunes

2012-02-06T14:27:00.001-05:00

Check out the article from Chris Jones on CXM HERE. I like the part when he said he prepared for the course by watching video of the November race... Man, is watching videos all it takes to get fast?

In that case, fill up a bottle and get ready to train:

GVA Lille

2012-02-04T20:51:00.002-05:00

World Championships

2012-01-27T08:40:00.000-05:00

Don't forget the world championships are on Sunday morning. You can probably catch the action at www.cyclingfans.com once they post a link. Don't forget to pick the winners and possibly score a free entry to the Ithaca GP!

Man, so close...

WIN AN ENTRY to the 2012 Ithaca GP

2012-01-21T17:49:00.000-05:00

Details are HERE, but basically, pick your top five men and women for next weekend's world championships and be eligible to win! Best of the entries will receive a complimentary ticket to ride in the 2012 Ithaca GP on Saturday, September 8.

But don't worry, online registration will open shortly in case you don't win!

Inside the race - Lievin

2012-01-16T13:53:00.000-05:00

Get your cross fix.

2012-01-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

Cycling Fans, 9:00 EST this morning.

Ithaca GP!

2012-01-12T15:48:00.002-05:00

What does cyclocross race promotion look like in January?

This. 76 rolls of course tape for the Lansing, Saginaw, and Ithaca GP.

USAC National Championships

2012-01-08T11:46:00.001-05:00

Live audio commentary currently streaming.

1:00 EST Elite Women

3:15 EST Elite Men

According to THIS, coverage will begin approximately 10 min before the start of the elite races.

JOE BROWN

2012-01-06T06:52:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Joe on his third place finish in Madison!

http://www.cxmagazine.com/cyclocross-national-championships-2012-masters-men-60-64-65-69-70-madison

CX Nationals

2012-01-04T09:34:00.002-05:00

Cool updates are on cyclocross magazine:

Danny stay on your bike!!

2011-12-20T18:36:00.000-05:00

Big Bad Wolf video from Big Mac

2011-12-12T20:45:00.000-05:00

Photos by Adam Baudoux

2011-12-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

All photos from the Big Bad Wolf by Adam Baudoux:

Matty B keeps it relaxed at the start

First lap in the volleyball pit

My counterparts for most of the race

Big Bad Wolf

2011-12-11T19:46:00.004-05:00

Helmet cam and Pete, photo by Tom

First off thanks to everyone that came out to support Steve and Paul and the Stomach of Anger series races this year. This is the second year now a race has been hosted at Midland's Stratford Woods and it is a pretty neat venue. An odd combination of Stoney Creek and the OLD Lower Huron course, mixed with a bit of Hudson Mills Metropark in a few spots. (If you remember Hudson Mills you're aging yourself...)

We set the poles and flags yesterday in cold, windy weather. A few of the TCC loyal were out and were a huge help in pounding stakes into the frozen tundra. Because it was so windy we decided to bag trying to tape the course until Sunday morning, which turned out to be a very good thing. When we got there at eight it was very cold and windy - any tape we would have put up the previous night wouldn't have stood a chance. Even after going through and taping the entire pit area in the morning (which if you remember had a pretty complicated layout...) it wasn't 20 minutes before tape started shredding and flapping in the wind.

So decision time - continue to tape and hope the rest survives the west wind off the lake, or drop all the tape to the ground and hope everyone can see the course...

I decided just to send out all the TCC helpers to drop the course tape to the ground unless there was a blind turn, where we did our best to keep the tape from tearing. I'm sure the first time riders took to the course it was a bit odd, but it wasn't a terribly complex course for the most part. Even the volley ball pit was frozen solid when we tried to put poles in the sand, and we even had to resort to drilling holes to get flags to stay down.

Anyway, it was a good day for racing - cold temps but bright and sunny. I was surprised to see how much a few sections were torn up because on Saturday everything was frozen solid. The sand seemed to get harder to ride every lap - probably due to the whole "I'm tired" aspect but a lot to do with the deep ruts that were forming everywhere.

As for the race, I took the holeshot and was in the lead until the long beach, where DC and the lil' pony rolled by me. We hopped the barriers up the hill but I could read the writing on the wall that trying to stay with those guys wasn't going to last long. I dropped back the pace and waited for Pete to bridge. We rode for most of the race together and soon Mark Wolowick bridged as well. The three of us had a nice train going, which was pretty helpful in the windy sections.

Soon enough Andy Weir made the bridge to us and the pace wasn't quite so comfortable anymore...Pete and Andy and Mark all took turns on the front pushing the pace up and up out of every corner. With three to go we bottle necked in the first tricky sand section, causing the line to string out. Mark and I chased back on during the long sand straightaway but I was pushing the limit. Sure enough the same thing happened with two to go but this time I lost too much ground to regain. To add insult to injury, in trying to navigate the deep sand ruts exiting the beach I had to dab and then practically fell on top of my bike trying to remount. The gap went from 25 m to 50+ m instantly, and I was cooked. I ended up rolling in for fourth, which I was pretty happy with considering the company I was riding with today.

So that's all for 2012 for me. No plans to race at nationals but good luck to those that go.

And don't forget...PUT THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2012!

Sale

2011-12-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

If you're interested in anything e-mail me racepromoter atatatatatat gmail dotdotdot com...

Saris Bones 2-bike rack
Used a dozen times...

Bontrager Jones XCR cyclocross tires
These maybe have 150 dirt road miles on them from back when Kristie had a 'cross bike.

Time ATAC pedals that need new spindals. Old body style, dark grey faceplates.

Sram Rival 175 130 bcd crankset (no bb or rings)

Race Face Cadence 175 130 bcd crankset (no bb or rings)

Sram 53t chainrings (2)

CycleOps Fluid trainer (this one) - needs a new "L" bolt (here).

New style Selle Italia Flite

These are just taking up room so basically any reasonable offer will fly...I'll bring these to Midland on Sunday!

Big Bad Wolf Cyclocross on Sunday, 12/11!

2011-12-06T08:51:00.001-05:00

First, a history lesson from last year, so you can get a flavor of the park:

Second, after the race there is the officially unofficial after party at the Midland Brewing Company, one of the sponsors of the Tri City Cyclocross races.

Directions from the race course to MBC (zoom out...):

For more information and to register check out the RACE WEBSITE! Pre-registration closes at noon on Saturday.

Springfield Oaks - Davisblurb Photos

2011-12-05T09:49:00.000-05:00

That kit wasn't white anymore after the first lap.

Watch out for this guy. He's coming to get you B's.

Not exactly sure what Mike was doing on the course to pick up so much trash in his wheels.

Drivetrain = crying

Sven, getting crossed up during his dominating ride.

Lil' Pony, the Lil' Mudd'r, rolling for 2nd.

Wiz, third. Bike changes weren't quite as frequent as the 2008 New Jersey USGP.

After good intentions at the start I decided to bag doubling up with both SS and Elites yesterday. Let's face it, I'm not nor have ever been a runner, and that showed badly after the third lap. I was haunted and hunted by the orange gloves all day long. Two good laps weren't enough to slay the SS race. I have to say I was not excited after finishing my second lap (clock reading 20 minutes and something seconds) to see THREE TO GO. Dang. I'm not the greatest at mental math, but two laps in twenty minutes...umm...five laps in...uh...fifty-plus minutes? I thought I signed up for the SS race? Anyway, five was one lap too many because Killer Rich rolled by me on the fourth like it was his job. Congrats to him for sticking it out, and congrats to Jim (TSB) on a hard fought third too.

Doubting the Stratford beach will look this good...

For those of you that didn't absolutely destroy your drivetrains yesterday, there is still ONE MORE race in Michigan for 2011... Steve and Paul will be once again promoting the Big Bad Wolf cyclocross race in Midland. I'll be designing the course so don't complain if it's too hard or too easy. Weather right now is looking dry-ish and cold, but Midland got blasted over the past week with rain and snow so I'm not sure what that'll mean for ground conditions.

In addition to the beach, there is also a volley ball sand court that should be a nice playground for 'cross bikes. If you have file treads you may bring those along...

Mini barriers will be BACK at Midland!

Here's a nice read on how to ride sand, just in case you need a refresher. The Stomach of Anger points series is on the line, and there are a few close races. They're also giving away a KHS cyclocross bike.

As seen at SVSU in their debut, Steve and Paul will once again pack the mini barriers for Midland. When used properly, these provide an interesting element to the race...do I ride or run? Almost anyone can bunnyhop them, but is it faster to just get off and hoof it? We'll see where they end up on the course in Midland!

Vintage JB

On that note, what happened to the good old days of the six-pack of barriers?

Vintage Pony

BRX

2011-12-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

Registration opens at NOON today...

This or That?

2011-12-02T10:05:00.001-05:00

Is your fitness doing this:

Or this?

Will the fields be like this:

Or like this...?

Will we be racing on this:

Or on this?

Don't forget to ring this...

Will you make it up this?

Will your drivetrain freeze up because of this:

Or because of that?

How far will you go?

Holland, etc.

2011-11-28T08:57:00.002-05:00

This is how these guys roll - tents and trainers and power washers. They even bring their own fake lawns out for the show.

Mike and I drove out to Holland yesterday to see what the Kiss Cross crew has been up to since my first 'cross race of the season at Plaster Creek Park. For those of you that haven't been to race at the municipal stadium in Holland you're missing it. Hands down one of the most enjoyable events both times I've made it out there. Two years ago saw mud, and this year didn't disappoint:

Post-race goodness. Note the lack of front straddle cable on my bike and the unique rear derailleur placement on Mike's bike.

But the real joy started before the Rick Plite countdown... As I was standing at the start line fiddling with my brake levers I felt an odd snap from my front brake cable. Sure enough (look closely at the above photo) I managed to pull the straddle cable completely out of the nut that secures it on my TRP's. Oh well, it was slow and muddy so who needs brakes anyway. Two years ago FARMER blew by me on a bike that didn't even have brakes. I took the straddle cable off, handed it and the extra nut to Rick, and rode without a front brake.

I don't even remember how many laps we did, which is a change for Kiss Cross because usually we get to count our own laps. I've been working hard for the past three months studying classical mechanics at CMU in order to get my counting abilities up to par. Fortunately, in a drastic turn of events, Rick used an electronic timing system for the A's at Holland. WHEW.

Consequently I have no idea how many laps we did. I followed a Founders guy for 50 min + 1 lap thinking about how much fun it is racing in mud like that. For the first time this year I got to roll on my Specialized Terra's in the mud. They ride like the old Michelin Green's that are so coveted.

Holland Photos.

Next up is the Michigan State Championships held at Davisblurb (thanks for that one, Marc). Don't forget to practice your shoulder presses and stair climbing before going over the flying rhinover. You don't want to pull a muscle. With all luck we'll have some interesting weather by Sunday...

Look at that orange wall sitting all smug just staring at you, daring you to try to actually run up it.

In other Tailwind news, check out Ten Mile Media's video from Bloomer Park. Not only do you see a few of the Michigan greats, but you will also see a certain someone in a certain Specialized kit NOT GETTING LAPPED immediately after the scene with Tom and Sven sprinting it out at the line. Oh yes.

Then the last race of the Michigan season is held at Midland on Sunday, 12/11. Be there or don't plan on racing your 'cross bike in Michigan in 2011 EVER AGAIN.

The Great Tubular Sell-Off

2011-11-26T13:59:00.003-05:00

34c Challenge Fango (from Richard Sachs team), aquasealed $50

34c Challenge Fango (from Richard Sachs team) fresh tube and basetape from TIREALERT with 60mm valve stem, aquasealed $55

Cole T-25 wheelset (tubular) from Richard Sachs team WHEELS ONLY $450, Dura Ace 12-27 cassette + $55, no skewers. Sorry...the front was up in the garage and I was too lazy to go get it for a photo op.

Kenda team double wheelbag, new straps sewn on because the originals were worthless. Internal pocket for skewers. $SOLD

Ambrosio F-20 tubular rims laced with double butted spokes to Ultegra 6700 hubs. Rear needs to be retensioned, probably better for someone lighter than me. Wheels only $325, Ultegra 12-25 cassette + $40

I'll be at Kiss Cross on Sunday, Tailwind on 12/4, and Midland on 12/11. Not interested in shipping wheels...so come race your bike. racepromoter at gmail dot com if you want more info!

Bloomer Park 'cx

2011-11-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

Sunday's race at Bloomer was fun. Last place indeed can be fun, especially when you take home a $40 gift certificate AND a t-shirt from Cycletherapy for winning the holeshot prime. Unfortunately, doing so burned pretty much almost every match I had (that's sad...), so the rest of the race was rough. I was hoping to stay on the wheel of fast TWTango Andy but just didn't have it.

In other news, Snuffleupagus was pretty upset after we rode over him every lap... You just never know what you'll see at a bike race. And you'll also never know the thoughts that run through my head while trying not to get lapped by the speedy duo of Sven and Burke. I guess the above picture is a clue.

Have you been practicing leaping tall buildings in preparation for the Orange Crush at Springfield Oaks?

My back is already screaming at me and we haven't even raced there yet.

It is amazing how long it takes for the 'cross season to get here and how fast it goes once it is here. Only three major races left in Michigan. First up is the Thanksgiving spectacular that is Kiss Cross in Holland. Last time I raced there it was a mud bath and it took me three days to get clean.

I bet you didn't know you could ride this slow on a 'cross bike...

Turn right then left, basically.

Then Tailwind hosts the state championships at Springfield Oaks. Last time I raced there:

And then to cap off the 2011 Michigan Cyclocross season, the Tri City Cyclists are once again hosting a race at Stratford Woods in Midland (The Big Bad Wolf). Last year the race was in October and Tom Burke won. This year the course will be a bit different but still feature a lot of the trademark beach:

Stoney Creek

2011-11-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

Umm...yeah ok I'll take it. Sven lapped me and he was flying. Too bad there were only five of us that finished the race. I'm guessing Tailwind won't be holding a race next year on the Louisville weekend, but that's just a hunch.

Iceman

2011-11-04T07:51:00.003-04:00

Yesterday turned out to be a rough day. Immediately after Vet's Park on Saturday I picked up whatever Kristie had the previous week. For those of you that have managed to hold off the sore throat of all sore throats this fall, congrats. But having that absolutely killed me for the week. It was all I could do to sleep through the night let along ride my bike. I did manage to get in a whopping 75 minutes over two rides on Monday and Wednesday though. And each of those made me feel worse than I did before, so that was helpful.

Anyway, I decided to head up to the Iceman on Saturday morning instead of staying up there on Friday night like was planned.

The last time I did the long drive in the morning was for my first Slush Cup experience back in 1997. The drive is "only" two hours to Kalksaka from here, which aside from the 5:00 a.m. departure isn't too terrible. I managed to fall onto the packet pick up area by accident while trying to find the high school. I was a bit surprised to see such a major operation operate on the floor of a small room like that. In years past having the pick up area inside at the middle school was a pretty good set up. However, the new start format is significantly better.

I rolled to the start expecting to be able to drop my jacket off, but I was running very late and couldn't find anyone before the whistle blew and everyone started riding. Oh well, I rode the whole thing with waaay too many clothes, but I figured it is better to be a bit overdressed than underdressed for a 30 mile point to point race, just in case something happens.

So aside from my relatively hectic start the first hour of the race went pretty well for me. I felt good, not great, and kept up a good pace heading into Williamsburg road. I don't remember if it was before or after Williamsburg, but right around 1:10 into the race I started to feel it...

If you don't know what "it" is, read THIS from 2008 or THIS from 2007 and you'll start to get a picture.

And speaking of pictures, I am literally so desperate trying to figure out how to NOT cramp during longer races that, per suggestions from the inter-web, this was my pre-race preparation:

So what is desperate? Desperate is saving pickle juice for the past five weeks, buying a travel size shampoo bottle, packing this delicately in my race bag, carrying it upside down in my jersey pocket, and hoping that I wouldn't need it.

But of course, like every MTB race I've done for the past three years, shortly after an hour into the event it starts. On Saturday it started in feeling just a bit sluggish going into Williamsburg road. Although it's a bit of a drag up there, it isn't like I should be rolling as slowly as I was at that point. Ok, settle in a bit and don't push it...

(Which is basically code for you might as well pack it in, because it isn't going to get any better.)

So over the next 13 miles or so, I flirted with pushing on the pedals and backing off enough not to start to seize. And when I did feel a flare up, as soon as I could get them under control I took a shot of pickle juice. So back to being desperate, you have no idea what that's like until you slam pickle juice in a race...

I knew after Williamsburg that my chances for doing well were out the door and it was just a mtb ride, not a race, at that point. So I rolled it in, basically soft pedaling for the last 10 miles. Anita's hill hurt like a beast as I walked up. But amazingly with about 5k to go my legs started to feel a bit better. So I started to roll it a bit, and I was passing people left and right. That is until the trail turned up for just 50 m too long, and my left hamstring cramped so badly it forced me off my bike, hunched over in pain. More than 24 hours later that hamstring still is not right.

I crossed the line in 2:01.10. I haven't gone slower than 2 hours since I was 16 years old in my first Iceman. Granted, the courses back then were much shorter than yesterday's edition, but still... And to make matters even worse, 13th place was the same time as mine, so I couldn't even break that tie. 14th place in the 28-29'ers.

One cool thing was riding my Stumpjumper 29'er for the first time in an Iceman. The past four times I had raced Mr. Ice I was on my 26" F3000. Riding on 29" wheels was a lot of fun for a course like that.

I wish I could actually race the Iceman someday and not just ride the thing. Yeah that would be nice.

Congrats to those that did.

Mad Anthony, Vet's, and an attempted Ithaca GP copier...

2011-10-29T22:16:00.002-04:00

Disturbing news from Cyclocross Magazine's report of Beacon 'cross where their amphitheater steps have been mis-labeled as the "Amphitheater of Pain."

Nothing beats the original. Nothing.

Start of the A's

For those of you that know, you already know...

Full article HERE.

I guess copying from the original is the best form of flattery anyway.

Hanging on...about to pop.

Vet's park on Saturday was overall pretty good. 14th out of 22 starters. I've raced very well and very poorly at Vet's. One thing is for sure, that park is probably the hilliest of all the 'cross races we do in Michigan. Consequently if you pop, it'll be a long day.

I started in the back of the pack with the usual suspects. No sense in getting too crazy too fast for a 60-minute race. But by the end of the second lap I managed to track onto Pete's wheel and we rode a two-man time trial for most of the race. However, with two and a half laps to go, Pete decided it was time to kick it up a notch and I wasn't able to follow. I figured I'd be able to hang in and grab 13th by keeping Cory Stange at a distance, but a rolled tubular on top of the runup on the last lap dropped me one place to 14th. Who rolls a tubular while remounting? Apparently this guy...

Hopefully I won't be limping across the line like last time...

Next up is Iceman. Weather is looking nice, as it always seems to be when I sign up. I'll be spending most of the race trying not to cramp, unlike the past two times I've raced it...

Mad Anthony

2011-10-21T07:44:00.000-04:00

Saturday's race is MAD ANTHONY at Fort Wayne in Detroit!

I'm not sure about racing in ruins, but I wonder how much this will be like racing nat's back in 2000 at the Presidio in San Francisco?

Nat's

2011-10-19T13:33:00.003-04:00

For those of you that this pertains to, looks like the folks at Badger 'Cross have posted the course that will be used for both the regional championships AND 2012 nationals:

Linden 'CX

2011-10-16T20:30:00.001-04:00

Kona, my copilot today, slept most of the way to and from Linden.

And if you didn't know, SKYNRD LIVES (outside of Ashley, Michigan)

Hard race today at Linden. Although the course was changed from last year, the same flavor of eight thousand 180 degree turns in the woods was on par again. I didn't even check to see where I finished in the results, but it was behind a few that I'd like to be in front of and in front of people I'd love to stay in front of. But week to week it is about the same. So if that put me 10th or 20th I don't really know, and to be honest when you're at the back of the field the motivation doesn't come from what number finisher I am week to week.

Next up is Mad Anthony, a race I have never done but have heard a LOT about over the past few years. If I'm not mistaken the first year of Mad Anthony was also the first year of the Ithaca Grand Prix. It's part of the Stomach of Anger series, and there are a few battles going on for the overall points.

I wonder if or when we'll have a 'cross race that isn't bone dry this year?

SVSU

2011-10-09T20:32:00.001-04:00

On Saturday a small handful of us went out to SVSU to get the course set up. The area of campus that we race on is basically a blank slate with a few nice features, which includes a running track and a pretty steep hill. For those of you that raced last year there were a few changes made but the overall flavor was the same. One thing is for sure - setting up 'cross courses is tiring, hard work! Most of the time I spend the day before a race doing my usual ride and heading to the farmers market with the family. Setting up a course is pretty much the opposite of relaxing - you're constantly hauling stakes everywhere and doing countless lunges to put flags in the ground. I've said it before and I'll say it again, get out and find a way to help your local race promoter!

So the A-race started off pretty well. The 35+, 45+, and A's all started together, which was cool. It has been a while since I've toed the line with more than 12 other racers in a Michigan 'cross race. Starting with double that just offers new challenges and things to pay attention to.

Things quickly sorted out into the usual groups. Adding the masters into the mix was really neat because the speeds aren't that far off of the back of the A's. On Sunday I managed to get in a group with teammate Pete Thompson and west-sider Jeff Haney. Both of those guys have been out of my league so far this year, so I was happy to be riding up to their level on Sunday.

After the first two laps we settled down into the group but it was a constant challenge just to hang on. Between the heat and the previous day's efforts I was pretty much exhausted. But one thing that was really nice was seeing my family every lap by the mini barriers.

Next up is the wooded, twisty trails of Linden tomorrow. But I'm looking forward to racing MAD ANTHONY for the first time on the 22nd!

And for those that didn't get out to SVSU, check out BIG MAC's video:

SVSU on Sunday

2011-10-08T22:13:00.002-04:00

SVSU (Sunday) and one more thing...

2011-10-07T16:16:00.000-04:00

We'll be setting things up on Saturday at SVSU for Sunday's race. Weather looks like it'll be warm on both days so bring your camelbak. That should feel good when you're trying to remount after a barrier set.

REGISTRATION PAGE

And in other news, the first batch of these came in:

Upcoming Race - SVSU RED ZONE (October 9)

2011-09-29T08:19:00.000-04:00

Don't forget about the 2nd race in the Michigan independent cyclocross series... On Sunday, October 9 'cross racing will return to SVSU! The Midland Brewing Company is a sponsor so you can bet there will be proper post-ride refreshments available.

Word is you can win a bike by racing...

The course is set for marking and it should be a great time. Register HERE!

Stomach of Anger - Lansing

2011-09-25T18:59:00.000-04:00

Took 4th in the first Stomach of Anger race for 2011. 7 starters separated into two groups pretty quickly. Wiz took a commanding win today on the grass criterium course. Only one set of barriers (a double) within 200m of the finish. Lap times were pretty long and parts of the old golf course were pretty bumpy. Not shaken - baby - syndrome bumpy like Waterford, but bumpy.

The race split early into the front group and the back group. There were three of us in the back group. With five to go the Stomach of Anger rider put in an attack that took us about two laps to fully bring back. Then crossing the barriers the Bissell rider had a small mishap, leaving two of us driving to the finish. A slight mishap in the corner left me off the front with about a lap and a half to go. I rode as hard as I possibly could, knowing both of those guys were back chasing hard. I managed to hold them both off by the finish but only by about 100 m or so. I was gassed. Average HR was 181...

Mike Seaman snagged 2nd in the 45+ race as well. But the best part of the day was seeing Kristie and Grace every lap - it was Grace's first 'cross race!

A-race results

Masters 45+ results - note I initially won this before they realized it'll be 16 years before I can race with those guys.

Stomach of Anger - Lansing

2011-09-22T07:58:00.000-04:00

203 S. Clippert, Lansing, MI

View Larger Map

Waterford and Tommy Tsunami

2011-09-19T09:16:00.001-04:00

Double this weekend at Waterford and MMCC for the new Tommy Tsunami race. Waterford was tough as always. It was the tale of two races - the first 30 minutes were ok but the last 30 minutes were rough. Too bad the 1/2 race isn't 30 minutes long. Scaling the flying rhinover gets old quickly. A new staircase could make all the difference there.

Sunday was the Tommy Tsunami race at MMCC, which was held in conjunction with their fall festival. The atmosphere was pretty neat - there was a car show and a few bands playing throughout the day. The course was mostly what we had planned out with a few changes, including a brief singletrack / rooted section that shook things up a bit. Jeff Adamcik, Mike Seaman, and I pushed the first lap pretty hard. Going into lap two Mike and I were feeling the effects of Saturday's race and Jeff got a gap. Soon I was chasing alone and it would remain that way for the rest of the 9 or 10 laps. I slotted in 2nd and was pretty happy with that considering the difficulties from Saturday.

New file treads from Specialized were pretty sweet both Saturday and Sunday. I've never used a set of file treads before but they hooked up great on the dry grass of Waterford and MMCC. Even better is how fast they'll roll when it straightens out. Now if that engine would just kick out a few more HP...

The team race took a new format this year - instead of us finding a team we all signed up and were placed randomly on a team. This helped to level things out a bit and still made for a good time. There were four teams of three and we each hit one lap as hard as we could. I was on a team with Nate and Ben and we managed to narrowly beat the team of Mike / Tom / and Steve.

Bicycle HQ once again provided a few gift certificates for the racers which is always nice.

Don't forget - the RED ZONE race at SVSU is coming on October 9. This is a great venue and an awesome place to race.

Have you helped your local promoter lately?

Sunday - Tommy Tsunami

2011-09-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

For those of you not planning to hit up both days of the double header at Waterford this weekend, remember on Sunday there is a new race in Harrison by the same guys that brought you the Big Bad Wolf (Midland) and Red Zone (SVSU) races last year.

Online registration closes on Friday.

Race website

Kiss Cross - Plaster Creek

2011-09-11T18:13:00.001-04:00

A-race was busy at Plaster Creek on Sunday. Temps were pretty warm and the laps were pretty short. After 4 laps I could tell my rear tire was going flat (clincher...) so a quick trip to the car to change wheels left me out of the top 10 to chase. I picked up a few stragglers and wound up 17th out of 40+ starters. Lots of DNF's...

These are waiting for glue:

2012 Ithaca Grand Prix of Cyclocross

2011-09-08T16:18:00.000-04:00

September 8, 2012

Ithaca Grand Prix of Cyclocross

Goodies

2011-09-03T13:23:00.003-04:00

New tires...

Grand Cycling Classic

2011-08-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

5:30 a.m. on the rail trail in order to make it back home for the bus ride to G.R.

Jake Rytlewski

PRO is when you have a seatpost-mounted number hanger AND your name in cursive on the top tube.

Rollin' through the streets of G.R.

And then this happened. Note the VIP tent across the street is overturned.

It is the PRO thing to do to wait out the storm in your car.

Tucker Olander made the trip for the 1/2/3 race, finishing 4th from a breakaway.

Sweat Shaker

2011-08-12T19:33:00.000-04:00

Saturday was a rough Sweat Shaker for me. MMCC hosts a pretty cool race overall, and the weather held out for the most part. The Pro/Expert category quickly separated into the fast and the not quite so fast groups. John and Chad from NCCS split off the front with Jeff in tow, leaving Andy Brown, myself, and one other rolling through the first few miles together. After a short while it was just Andy and me, and we put in a relatively fast first lap in 48 minutes. Things were rolling right along and it looked like Andy and I would fight out 4th and 5th place for the day.

And then I felt the ever-so-frequent race day cramps again (?)... Since this seems to happen in almost every race I've done in the past two years that isn't a 'cross race I know enough to back things off as soon as that happens. So I let Andy roll away, hoping my legs would quickly fall in line and I'd be able to resume the chase.

Well that never happened and I ended up getting caught by the eventual 5th place rider a few miles from the finish. And then to add insult to injury, with about 500m to go I briefly lost my balance after taking a shortcut against a tree, and when I unclipped my leg seized up like a rock. There goes 6th place...

So with less than a month until the first 'cross race I'm pretty much looking forward to that! Good thing 'cross races are short enough that cramping hasn't ever really been an issue. Waiting on tires from Specialized (see CXMagazine's review) and the season to start...

2011 Michigan Cyclocross Races

2011-07-24T23:12:00.005-04:00

**Edit: RESULTS through 9/19 and RunUp cyclocross races added (SW Michigan, Indiana).**

Michigan cyclocross has sure expanded since I raced my first 'cx at Pontiac Lake in 1998. If you're looking for information on 'cross in the U.P., check THIS website. For those of us trolls in the lower peninsula, we now have FOUR 'cross series to enjoy. Back again for 2011 are the two big guns, Tailwind and Kiss Cross. With changes in formatting for the national championships, Tailwind's USAC-based events may shake things up with the over 30 crowd, assuming the points get reported. And on the other side of the state, Rick Plite always gets BIG crowds racing for beer. But it appears his night race that started off Michigan 'cross for the past two years is scrapped for 2011.

In the minor leagues this year are two new series, one centered on the I-75 / I-69 corridor and the other in Traverse City. Steve and Paul from the TCC have joined forces with Joe Lekovich, the godfather of Michigan road cycling, and Mike Babcock to make a series out of the SVSU, Midland, Mad Anthony, and Lansing races.

Lower Michigan 'cross schedule:

9/11 Kiss Cross Plaster Creek Park, Grand Rapids RESULTS

9/17 Tailwind Double Cross #1, Waterford
9/18 Tommy Tsunami Mid Michigan Community College, Harrison RESULTS
9/18 Tailwind Double Cross #2, Waterford
9/18 Kiss Cross Highland Park, Grand Rapids

9/25 Stomach of Anger, Lansing

10/2 Einstein 'CX Timber Ridge Resort, Traverse City
10/2 Kiss Cross Markin Glen Park, Kalamazoo
10/2 Tailwind (NIGHT), Munson
10/2 Twisted 'Cross, Petoskey

10/9 SVSU Red Zone, Saginaw
10/9 RunUp, Vandalia

10/16 Tailwind Linden Park, Linden
10/16 Kiss Cross Richmond Park, Grand Rapids

10/22 Mad Anthony, Detroit
10/23 Kiss Cross Manhattan Park, Grand Rapids
10/23 RunUp, Buchanan

10/29 Tailwind Vet's Park #1, Ann Arbor
10/30 Einstein 'CX Grand Traverse Resort, Traverse City
10/30 Tailwind Vet's Park #2, Ann Arbor
10/30 Kiss Cross Caledonia Lakeside Park, Caledonia

11/13 Tailwind Stoney Creek, Rochester
11/13 Kiss Cross Cascade Park, Grand Rapids
11/13 RunUp, New Carlisle (Indiana)

11/19 Stomach of Anger, Lansing
11/20 Einstein 'CX Grand Traverse Civic Center, Traverse City
11/20 Tailwind Bloomer Park, Rochester

11/26 Detroit Invitational Cyclocross, Dorias Park, Detroit
11/27 Kiss Cross Holland Municipal Stadium, Holland

12/5 Tailwind Springfield Oaks (USAC State Championship)

12/11 Big Bad Wolf 'cx, Midland

Don't overlook the OVCX and CHICAGO races as well. Both of those series start on 9/18.

And remember, put the Ithaca Grand Prix of Cyclocross on your calendar for 2012 (September 8)!

Logsplitter

2011-07-16T18:55:00.003-04:00

Raced the Logsplitter on Saturday. Apparently the course was new this year, as it started from the CCC museum on the north side of Higgins Lake and continued to Hanson Hills. Overall length on my computer was right around 27.5 miles, but there was a shorter race option (22 miles) others did as well.

The start was fast and the first fourteen miles of racing were on sandy two tracks and "dirt" roads. Pretty early in the race a group of four separated themselves off the front, and I found myself in the second group of four chasing hard on the dirt roads. Twice we got crossed up in the sandier portions of the sand/dirt roads, which brought me to a complete stop. I was able to chase back on both times but not without big efforts.

Entering the singletrack the group of four were once again all together. I have ridden both the new and old loops of Hanson but was very, very confused as to where I was in the park most of the time. Some of the singletrack is so old I've never even seen it before. And that isn't terribly fun since in some spots you could hardly tell where the trail went. (Either that or I was so in the red I couldn't follow it...). I think it was at about mile 18 or so that I realized I hadn't planned my eating quite so well and started to suffer for it. I lost contact with the group.

So nearing the "normal" last downhill and uphill climb up the backside of Hanson I was chasing back hard to one guy and finally caught him towards the top of the hill. But instead of the normal left turn down to the finish we took yet another hidden piece of singletrack down to the first normal climb (but going in the wrong direction). I was counting the miles down at this point - my legs were exhausted. We dumped onto a new beginner loop that was hardly broken in, which when you're not tired is difficult to ride anyway. I tried my best to recover through the last few miles of singletrack and opened up a small gap on the "normal" two track used on the start of Hanson. But it was too little too late, as with about 50 meters left the guy I was racing with came around me and snagged 10th spot.

Definitely put this race on your calendar for next year!

Full results HERE

Early Launch

2011-07-06T14:59:00.000-04:00

This lineup looks pretty sweet...but I am a bit partial.

Tour D'Amico

2011-07-04T18:30:00.000-04:00

Metric century today at the Tour D'Amico. I haven't done a legitimate "tour" since the copper country cycling tour in 1998. It was a good time but the support was a little less than desirable - running out of water at the aide station is never a good thing. Joined Rob, one of the owners of KidZibits, for the ride today. He made his own carbon bike...

Specialized Allez, comfortable over the long haul

The Dancing Bear

Lake Minnetonka, which will be packed with people watching fireworks later on.

A rest stop complete with lemonade, cookies, water, and bananas

And your neighborhood ski jump...

Start order at nationals?

2011-07-03T15:33:00.002-04:00

Saw this article on Cyclocross Magazine:

Wonder if that is going to shake anything up for the local races?

Buck Hill #2

2011-06-30T22:39:00.001-04:00

*Photo taken 100 degrees ago.

Second attempt at Buck Hill tonight. Heat index of 103 degrees didn't seem to keep anyone away. Ended up 19th out of 62 starters. One untimely chain drop lost at least 10 places at an inopportune moment, but it was a great workout as usual. Course was run differently than the last time I raced there. Instead of climbing the entire hill to start we climbed about half of it by traversing across the front, flowing into the singletrack backwards. Heading in the opposite direction was odd at first but after four laps it is pretty much drilled into your head.

In other news, Grace is growing like a weed...

Nature Valley 6/17 Crit

2011-06-18T08:56:00.000-04:00

Robert Forster won adding more time to his lead.

Kristie's favorite bike.

Mid-Michigan Cyclocross

2011-06-16T11:38:00.000-04:00

Tentative Schedule:

September 17: Mid Michigan Community College
October 9: SVSU Red Zone 'cross
December 10 or 11: Midland Frosty Cross

Midland 'CX team race champs from 2010

More information is available at the race website HERE. Sounds like they're going to have another round of team races again this year! Hope BARTS Brewery is on board again this year.

Open Streets

2011-06-12T15:08:00.001-04:00

Lyndale Avenue was closed to cars for about two miles.

One sweet shop.

Strange things...

...and beer.

The Nature Valley GP started today with track racing North of the cities.

This wooden velodrome sounds like a roller coaster from beneath.

Woolly Race

2011-06-10T23:08:00.003-04:00

Made it to the Woolly Race today with my fan club of three. This was run similar to the Ithaca GP - lots of swag and an overall good time. I raced in the "comp" class, which was the only class that ran 3 laps of the 8-mile course. There was also a "rec" class, which only did one lap.

The race started out with a fast rollout around a few soccer fields - complete with Saturday morning youth games. Then it dumped into a quick section of singletrack, followed by grass doubletrack, more singletrack, doubletrack, more singletrack, and then more doubletrack. The weather was perfect to start, overcast and probably 58 degrees.

Right off the bat a group of five separated themselves off the front. I was in the second group but by the last lap two had jumped clear. I ended up in a sprint for 8th which I lost by half a wheel or so. The last 500 m or so was blazing fast doubletrack, pavement, and then grass. I was happy with 9th (of 40 starters) and even snagged this fancy Park Tool BBQ set in the prize drawing.

FULL RACE RESULTS

Burley ride

2011-06-08T22:49:00.000-04:00

Commute

2011-06-06T19:07:00.002-04:00

I saw a guy commuting on one of THESE today. It's not flat here by any means.

Buck Hill #1

2011-06-04T19:18:00.000-04:00

Thursday night mtb race at Buck Hill saw 89 racers in the "advanced" category. I managed one lap before the 6:30 start. The course was apparently altered due to construction on the ski slope, but we climbed for the first probably five minutes of each twelve minute lap. The rest was a mess of singletrack with a very fast downhill to the finish line. Repeat four times and that's your typical Thursday night race. I lined up towards the back of the pack, figuring I'd just see exactly how things would go. With all of the singletrack passing is done pretty much only on the start climb and a few select spots in between. 40th out of 89 starters was all I had that day, but with a scene that big I'll be back next week to try and improve.

A few...

2011-05-31T23:58:00.000-04:00

And it's been a while

2011-05-18T08:02:00.001-04:00

"Back to racing" has turned into "Back to busy" lately. By busy I mean:

1) Grace Kathryn

and

2) final exams

And did I hear something about a new 'cross series for Michigan? And I'm not talking about Tailwind or Kiss Cross...

9/24
10/9
10/22
11/19

Traverse Race

2011-04-02T15:13:00.000-04:00

All set for May 7. Should be a fun one.

Island Lake Demo Day 2011

2011-03-24T09:22:00.000-04:00

Stop by the Island Lake Recreation Area on Saturday, May 7th for your chance to Test the Best 2011 Specialized mountain and road bikes. The men's and women's demo fleets will be on hand. See you there!

XCHQ

2011-03-10T10:32:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday was the XCHQ relay race. I tried to get on a team but was unsuccessful. That was probably a good thing since it was the first time I've skated all winter. The weather was great and it was good to be on snow again. Kristie stayed in the lodge - not quite sure if XC skiing is too good for the bub, and it's not too long before he or she shows up!

Start of the race calendar

2011-03-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Wow, well for those of you that tried registering for the Iceman this past Tuesday I'm sure most of you experienced the same frustration as I did. However after about two hours of frantic clicking it all seemed to work out. I guess that's the price you have to pay when signing up for one of coolest mtb races in the U.S. That being said, I do wish the registration process could have gone a bit smoother. Especially since I agreed to help get chunky registered as well. However this year if I didn't get in it wouldn't have been a huge loss, as the UCI3 in Ohio are on the same weekend and are a good time as well.

This year I'll be skipping BRX in favor of being around for the bub, who will, at that time, probably be deciding whether or not he or she wants to celebrate a birthday. I'm not sure I'm going to miss it much, since last year I was absolutely smoked after riding around with one gear for the day. That means my race season will most likely start with the 2nd annual MMCC Rust Shaker. If you missed the event last year I'd recommend racing this year! Regardless of what they choose for the start loop the course is fantastic. Last year the weather was pretty chilly at the start but warmed up nicely towards the end of the 2-lap expert race. It should be a fun one.

Other news is the arrival of a new road bike, which is in the process of being built in the basement. I'll post up pics when it's all together. XC skiing has been a great way to keep me off of the roads for a while. Deerfield Park was in pretty good condition but now is most likely trashed with all of the rain. Oh well, just in time for the new bike I guess.

Just in case you're interested...

2011-02-14T06:43:00.001-05:00

Cindy from Prarie Vizslas e-mailed and said they'll have three litters ready to go at the end of February! So if you're interested in a bundle of joy...

Prairie Vizslas
www.prairievizslas.com
785-263-8467

CX Magazine Industry News

2011-02-08T14:09:00.001-05:00

Kona is a star.

Stybar takes another...and snow

2011-02-03T11:56:00.000-05:00

What a win by Stybar. But for that matter, what good rides by Page and Powers too. Compton seems not to be able to snag the stripes, but once again maybe next year.

Snow day:

Infighting with the Belgians

2011-01-22T08:46:00.000-05:00

Good article HERE about racing tactics for the upcoming world championships.

Nys

2011-01-06T10:18:00.002-05:00

Neat interview from CX Magazine with Sven Nys HERE.

New Year's Day ride

2011-01-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

Rode on Saturday morning with the TCC crew out of Midland for their annual New Year's Day ride. I didn't quite understand that this was a full-on club ride, so when I saw over 100 people in the parking lot I was a bit surprised. What a better way to start the new year than to ride with some old friends on a pretty fantastic winter day.

John from the Bicycle HQ had a roaring fire going along with hot chocolate at the halfway point. The CruX was happy to be out on the road again after a two-week layover.

The wind kept things cold-ish but it was overall a great day to be on a bike.

For Sale - Vintage 1998 Cannondale Raven

2010-12-23T12:35:00.001-05:00

1998 Cannondale Raven

Measurements: seat tube 18.5" c-t, top tube 21" c-c (actual) 21.5" c-c (virtual)

Drivetrain: Full Shimano M747 XT 8-speed

Brakes: Shimano M747 XT V-brakes

Rims: Mavic 217 26" Sunburst Color

Hubs: Hugi

Pedals: Platform with cages

Saddle: Coda titanium

Rear Shock: Fox

Front Shock: Fatty D (on/off lockout)

SOLD!

New look...

2010-12-22T16:54:00.002-05:00

...for a new year. Maybe I'll keep this more up-to-date.

Ok just one more...

2010-12-17T20:27:00.000-05:00

Mike and I took off this morning early to line it up one more time in 2010. 5:30 is a rough time to start a four and a half hour drive but after a few stops we made it to Chicago in record time. It was 27 degrees when we left, but only 12 degrees with lots of sun in Chicago.

Mike lined up in the 40+ race and fought back from a rough first lap (no pre-ride on a course where a pre-ride is essential...) to finish a strong 3rd on the day. Tire pressures around 24-ish PSI were the order of the day to keep as much traction as possible. There were sections of the course frozen solid under snow drifts about 8-10" deep and a few off-camber ascents and downhills to keep you sharp.

By the time I raced in the 1/2 (plus consolidated 3 category) it had warmed up to a balmy 17 degrees. Double bonus was seeing one of my cousins from Chicago who braved the cold and wind to watch another 'cross race. Tubular tires were again essential since the course had even a few more glazed over spots and rough bumps throughout. Ended up taking 7th out of 38 starters (2nd in the Cat 2's), which was a great way to end the season. Starting in the third (of four) rows didn't help as it took the first 3 laps to pick through the crowds.

Pics HERE and HERE. Youtube video from the first lap of the 1/2/3 race HERE. USAC results HERE.

You have to check this race out next year...it's a perfect way to close out the season.

Jingle Cross Rock Friday Night

2010-11-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

Ended up taking 11th in the Cat 2 field! Course was absolutely a beast - without question Mt. Krumpet was the hardest hill / downhill I've ever raced on. During my pre-ride I wasn't able to ride the switchback downhill completely in all four of my mid-afternoon laps. The frozen tundra of Iowa City was getting more and more torn up with each passing rider. The fall line was scary - if your front tire didn't grip around the turn you were got a great face full of snow fencing followed by a nice roll down the hill. Even swapping to the green Michelin Muds was not much of a help earlier in the day, and I wasn't able to get on the course between the races before the 2/3's due to the early call-up.

So the entire family came out to freeze in the wind - swept county park. I started on the front row due to a super quick trigger finger at 1:00 a.m. back in September. It was great hitting Mt. Krumpet in the top 5 to avoid what was never ending carnage. After never successfully descending Krumpet during my warmup I hit the hill with a full head of steam on the first lap. Fortunately I picked a good line for each of five laps and never faulted. I may not have been the fastest heading down the hill but I stayed on my bike, which was worth a lot. I waited around for results but after an hour they were not in sight and I was hungry for leftovers. Ended out nearly missing out on a top 10 but snagged 11th, which I was very happy with.

Here are a few pics and a video from today.

After dropping down the sketchiest downhill I've ever tackled on a 'cross bike you were treated with a quick double barrier set and a quick trip back up.

A view from Mt. Krumpet looking over the infield

The whole family braved the cold - here is the post-race shot

A view up Mt. Krumpet. We started from the top left and took the switch back down off to the right. Off camber the entire way and slick like ice. Lots of big crashes...

To give you an idea on how insane Mt. Krumpet was - here is a video posted on Cyclocross Magazine's report of Day 1:

Pre-ride

2010-11-26T16:33:00.000-05:00

Racing tonight at 5:30 local time...course is frozen pretty solid and one of the downhills is very, very sketchy. Pre-ride through one of the barns:

Jingle Cross Rock

2010-11-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

From the race promoters:

"The Grinch has awoken! He is staring down from atop Mt. Krumpit at the course construction.

And onto Iowa City, the world on cross bikes decended.
And it upset the Grinch, he was most certainly offended.
And he stood their puzzling and puzzling until his puzzler was sore.
"If these Who's ride my Mountain, I'll settle the score!"
The Grinch winced and frowned.
"who dares to race me, "he exclaimed," who will throw down!"
As the hour drew near, and the time ticked on the clock.
"I'll show YOU the meaning of cyclocross," said the Grinch, "Welcome to the Jingle Cross Rock!"

(sent on behalf of the Grinch)"

Bloomer Park

2010-11-21T19:07:00.000-05:00

Fun race course today - Bloomer always keeps you on your toes! Long debate on whether or not to race today - finally decided it would be worth the trip since there are so few races left in the season. Mike and I threw our stuff in the truck and headed down. It was WAY colder in Alma than it was when we arrived at the park. But Bloomer never disappoints and it was a really fun course today.

My race started alright and I was able to maintain pretty consistent lap times throughout the race, which is definitely an improvement from the early season races. Ended up in a group with Patrick Russell and Pete Thompson, and we rode around the park together for the better part of 45 minutes or so. Andy Weir remained just out of touch and despite pushing it deep into the red zone we weren't ever able to claw back more than a few seconds from him.

The race came down to the final lap and Pete put up quite a fight. Every section of the course I hoped to gain a bit of time on Pete wouldn't give an inch. Going into the final set of barriers I figured it would come to a sprint but Bloomer isn't exactly very sprint friendly. Even so, Pete had great positioning going into the final dirt section before the shelter and he was able to hold me off. After the two were relegated for an after-race tiff I ended up 13th out of 23 starters. 23 starters in the second-to-last Tailwind Elite race of the season? WOW.

Next up - Jingle Cross!

Stoney Creek 'cx

2010-11-15T08:25:00.000-05:00

10th in the A's at Stoney Creek - I'm pretty sure that is the first time I've ever cracked into the top ten of an elite Tailwind event. Maybe once when I was a junior, but definitely not since I started racing again. Last week I broke my rear shifter and its replacement has not yet arrived. I showed up to Stoney with my 29'er and the Singlecross, figuring one of those would suffice on the day. Well apparently I'm still having some shifting issues with the 29'er and the SS was not going to be my best option. Thankfully Wayne let me slap my seatpost on his 56cm CruX Carbon and off I went. Surprisingly the 56 didn't fit nearly as bad as I thought it would - I noticed the skinny 42 cm handlebars more than the lack of stretch in the TT. Regardless, it pretty much saved the day because my SS would have made for a long 60 minutes.

The start was pretty clean and I settled into the group of guys that I would usually be around. But this time within two laps I was up with Rich Stark, and I never manage to hang around with him too terribly long. Tim Saari was floating around back with us but after a lap or two Tim started to spring and Rich started to fade. Long story short, the last six laps I spent pretty much alone between two groups of pretty strong racers.

Danny Gerow and Adam York got tangled up in one of the post-road turns, giving me a carrot for the last lap. But at that point I was pretty cooked trying not to let Andy Weir catch me so my chase was not the strongest.

Big hand goes out to Jay, who had an awesome race to snag 2nd on the day!

Next up may or may not be Bloomer - it depends on how much I feel like driving since we'll be heading shortly after to Jingle Cross!

PROTOTYPE Specialized Tubular Cyclocross Tires

2010-11-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

Visit media.usgpcyclocross.com for more Videos

Icecross

2010-11-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

Too bad the attendance for Icecross today was not very good. Weather was fantastic and the course was unique, to say the least. Laps were in the 3:30 range! Technical like no other course I've ridden. The course started with a short straightaway followed by a banked, fast, off camber turn. A bit more fast trail connected to a small section of singletrack before the triple barriers. After winding through a few camp sites the course headed across the covered bridge into the skills park. The sand played havoc all day in that section but was a blast to ride. Too bad I threw myself on the ground on the last lap. During the fall I drilled my shin on my front TRP's so hard that I undid the straddle cable. Also, since I drove the bike into a hilly sand pile, my brake lever snapped off. Stoney might be a day on the 29'er or I might just ride the Singlecross...

Jason Loetz took the win. I slotted in 2nd, followed by Osgood and Seaman.

Mike rolled well today after a solid effort on Saturday

John sweated out last night's party

Front shifter still working at this point exiting the skills section

Ahh...refreshing... Man, I love Icecross.

National SS Championship?

2010-11-02T16:53:00.000-04:00

Singlespeed Championship

For all of you singlespeed racers, there’s some big possible news on the horizon that will have a serious consequence on your National Championship plans... Read the rest HERE!

'Cross Nationals

2010-10-29T21:21:00.000-04:00

Just posted on 'cx magazine...2012 Cyclocross Nationals will be held in January in Madison, Wisconsin! So much for the 2011 national championships. Maybe someone should hold an "unofficial" 2011 US National Championship race in its place!

SVSU Red Zone

2010-10-24T20:38:00.000-04:00

SVSU RED ZONE RESULTS HERE!

Weather prediction for today wasn't good - showers all day with highs in the low 60's. However the day started sunny in the high 50's and only got better. This worked out well for most of my family that came out to see the race today!

Big props to Steve Weckle and Paul Rytlewski giving the 'cross race promotion gig a shot. The venues in Midland and SVSU are excellent and will hopefully be the sites of more races next year. Unfortunately the attendance today was pretty poor, but with Mad Anthony gaining popularity on Saturday it would be tough to fight for the remaining scraps willing to race twice on the weekend. Regardless, the race today was a blast and those that showed had a great day for racing.

The first race of the day for me was the team race. Riding under the title of Vandalay Industries, we cobbled together a group of four to race the other two teams that showed up. Mike and I decided to race the Tricross SS bikes for this one, since it isn't exactly taken too seriously. Paul and Steve are thinking of offering a beer shortcut for next year, which could get fun. Our win was rewarded with half gallons of BARTS beer from Bay City and containers of Heed as well.

Team Vandalay Industries

For the second race of the day, only six racers started, losing one within the first five feet. Adam York made the trip but his pedal had different ideas, as it snapped on the start. Corey Stange, Mike Seaman, Ray Auger (Canada) and I were left to fight things out. The first lap was relatively tame until Corey decided to open things up hard up the hill. He got a small gap and raced alone to the win from there. I managed to hang on for 2nd, with Ray and Mike taking 3rd and 4th on the day.

Put these the Midland and SVSU races on your calendars for next year. You simply can't beat the free food, free beer, great prizes, and awesome venues.

2nd for #2. Won another 1/2 gal of BARTS beer, Heed, a Bontrager jersey courtesy of the Stable, and a sweet team race award - the SVSU Cardinal

SVSU 'Cross TOMORROW!

2010-10-23T17:01:00.000-04:00

Don't forget about the SVSU race tomorrow behind the football stadium off of Davis Rd.! Paul posted a map of the course HERE.

Forecast for tomorrow is in the high 50's for the morning / low 60's in the early afternoon and RAIN!

Course is FAST and will be very technical in parts with the coming precipitation. It should be a blast!

Co-Pilot to Linden

2010-10-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

Today's race in Linden was at a fresh new venue, which is always a fun experience. Unfortunately the land over which the course was routed is smaller than Woodland Park in Ithaca, causing the course to resemble something closer to the Ithaca Jailhouse (mtb) trail than any 'cross race I've done in the state. That being said, the course was fun despite the bone-jarring bumps throughout the wooded section.

My day was probably about average overall. Not sure where I finished as Kona was pretty tired and ready to go home when I was done racing. Not first but not last, and not lapped.

If you're not heading to Louisville for the USGP next weekend you need to get up to the Red Zone Cyclocross race at SVSU on Sunday! Paul Rytlewski and Steve Weckle are planning another fun event. If you missed the Big Bad Wolf race in Midland you won't want to miss this one! Online registration closes on Friday and is available HERE.

BBWCX

2010-10-10T20:06:00.000-04:00

Here are a few from today in Midland. Overall a great day to ride bikes around a park. Course ended up being quite a bit faster than we had intended but was overall a lot of fun. Emphasis was placed at bike handling skills at speed. Congrats to Tom Burke and Anne Grofvert for wins in the A-race today!

Kristie managed to get some awesome photos today...

Start of the elite race

The beach section was pretty compact and proved to be tough on the legs all day

Burke entering the sand

Simon and I rode around all day together

Last 400 m of the final lap...Simon left a small gap to his left which I took

Burying it...

The left turn immediately after this was fast

Team Drake / Argyle Army took top honors in the team race. Andy Klumb, Anne Grofvert, and Andy Brown tore apart laps 2, 3, and 1, respectively.

The Heed and BARTS were the spoils from the team effort, and thanks to the BICYCLE HQ for a gift certificate that netted (with a bit extra) the Gore WS gloves. Since the shop owner, John, was at the race he offered to head over to open the shop on a Sunday so I could go pick something out!

Big Bad Wolf 'cx update

2010-10-09T18:05:00.001-04:00

Course is set and it'll be a lot of fun.

A note on the construction on E. Ashmen. When you come to the park approach FROM THE EAST!!!! Figure this into your directions otherwise you'll have to take a 2.5 mile detour if you approach from the west (therefore approaching from the east anyway). There are still detour signs if you come from the east but you're "allowed" to go to the park. Check the map for the park HERE and plan accordingly! Ashmen road is closed(ish...) between Waldo and just before the park entrance.

If you're coming from the south, I would take the Bay City Rd. exit and head east to Flajole Rd. Head North on Flajole and take W. Wilder / E. Ashmen to the west. Continue through the detour signs across US 10 to the park.

If you're coming from the north, take the Wheeler/Waldo Rd. exit and head East on Wheeler. Turn south on Rockwell and West on Ashmen. Proceed through the detour signs across US 10 to the park.

Updates from Midland!

2010-10-04T21:47:00.000-04:00

Two new posts from the promoters!

TEAM RACE DETAILS:
Hey guys don’t be afraid of the” BIG BAD WOLF” OCT 10. Ha!
This race course is 2 miles. Each lap takes about 9-10 minutes. You’ll be done in 30-45 minutes, or an hour if your doing the advanced race.

Team race details: 4 person co-ed teams. At least one woman on the team(Or someone has to be dressed like a woman.)
The team race is where each person does only 1 lap. the teamates must "tag" the next rider before the next teammate can take off. SO if you have people, but not enough bikes, it's ok, because you can share one bike.

Theoreticaly, you and your pal/partner can both race, with only one bike.
you would ride seperate individual races, ie, one of you might ride the beginner race, and one of you the intermediate race. Then you could be on a team race. Two people - one bike! make it work.!

CONSTRUCTION ON ASHMAN ROAD:
We are excitedly planning the last details of the BIG BAD WOLF CX Races.

The burgers are on order, beer will be on tap, Barriers have been created and painted. This saturday, we will be doing some pre=liminary course prep. Then sunday morning we will set up the course, get registration in working order ! Also, Gary will be setting up his PA system and bring some tunes for our listening pleasure.

FYI,
There is construction on Ashman rd in Midland. Since our race is on sunday, There wont be construction hapenning on our race day. However, there will still be detour signs on Ashman rd. I expect there will be a way to get through on Ashman rd. SO dont take the detour signs. If I am wrong, I will change this post!

Kiss Cross Caledonia

2010-10-03T21:08:00.000-04:00

Mike and I made the trip out to Caledonia this morning, but unfortunately there are two identical addresses within about 15 miles of each other. So when we arrived at the first venue, it consisted of a dead end in a subdivision by Green Lake. Thanks to a quick phone call we got things straightened out and made it to the park just in time to see 79 B's/Masters racers take to the course.

One great think about heading to Rick's races is that you never know what exactly you're going to get. Last year at Holland the spiral of death made its first appearance - and a smaller, less muddy version surfaced again today. The super prestige-like courses are a fun turn from the norm.

Today only nineteen starters took the line in the A's. Tom Burke, fresh off his great rides at the USGP's in Madison started in the back so he could practice moving through traffic! I took it out pretty hard since the course was so technical and I wanted to stay out of trouble. It only took Tom one lap to pass us in the lead group - and when he went by it was like a freight train steaming past. Tom rode alone off the front and won with a big gap.

So I was left in the second group, which only consisted of Earl H and myself to ride the remaining six laps of the race. Earl was on a mountain bike, and there were a few spots that favored the wider tires on the course. We traded spots back and forth, pushing pretty hard through the rest of the race. On the last lap we were coming into lapped traffic going into the spiral, so I took advantage of the crowd and jumped in front. Earl was right on my wheel though, and after a dizzying ride through the circles I lifted the pace again as to not go into the technical singletrack section in second place. My plan was working just fine until he attacked on the final hill, off in an area my skinny tires couldn't hope to handle. He hit the pavement into the finishing straight first, and I had honestly figured my chances were gone. However apparently the attack on the climb burned his las match, so he was unable to follow when I sprinted to the line, taking 2nd behind Burke.

Mike moved up from the masters class to finish 11th in the A's, which turned out to be a perfect placing for a sixer of Founders.

Next up is the Big Bad Wolf 'Cross in Midland - DON'T MISS IT!

TCC Cyclocross Entry

2010-09-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

Two ways to enter for the TCC cyclocross races coming up fast! Either mail THIS in or register online HERE.

Top step for Wiz on Day 1!

2010-09-26T11:29:00.000-04:00

Wiz managed to snag the first win of the USGP in Madison!

'Cross Vegas coverage

2010-09-22T06:53:00.000-04:00

CX Magazine will be covering 'cross Vegas tonight live HERE. Be sure to check it out.

Looking Ahead...

2010-09-20T08:55:00.000-04:00

Be sure to check these two races out!

October 10 - Midland 'cross (Stratford Woods)

October 24 - SVSU 'cross (SVSU's campus - behind the football field)

http://bikeracingintricities.blogspot.com/

Double 'Cross Day 1

2010-09-18T22:44:00.000-04:00

First four laps were good - last six not so much. Ended 14th of 21 starters. 21 in an elite race? Wow...

Photo from Mike S.

Good luck!

2010-09-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

Wish THIS GUY good luck for this weekend's races!

Kiss Cross #1 - Plaster Creek Park

2010-09-12T10:43:00.000-04:00

So much for the weather - from what I had heard the rain was supposed to stop around 4 in G.R. We arrived around 7:00 and it was still misting. Great for 'cross racing but not the greatest for 'cross spectating.

The course at Plaster Creek Park was short with a long-ish paved oval track about half-way through the lap. Rick used a start loop running into the triple stack of barriers right off the bat. From there it wound into a dirt/sand infield before hitching up and down the ridge that separated the lower park from the upper park. 100 meters later was a single plank up the same hill, forcing a short run-up to the oval track. The course wound back down the ridge into the lower park, followed by a loopy section through the trees before looping back into the triple stack of barriers.

From the gun I took the hole shot, figuring the triple barriers 200 m from the start would be a bit sketchy with a pack of sprinting riders in the first 'cross race of the year. About half a lap later Tom Burke, a guy from Indiana came roaring around me. I maintained contact for a short while when Ben Whitehead jumped as well. About 4 laps into the race I caught Ben but was unable to shake him - every time we hit the pavement he would take some time, but then I'd gain it back over the barriers or through the trees. We juggled 40-50 m between us for the remaining laps but in the end I was unable to close. Pressure from behind from Ron Stack and Patrick Russell helped keep me motivated as well, since both of them were within 10-15 seconds for the entire race. After 12 laps I ended up 4th, which I was very happy with.

Big props to Kristie who braved the rain and mist to watch a bunch of guys ride road bikes around a park!

Elites pushed back to 1:30

2010-09-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

So based on THIS flyer for the double cross on September 18 and 19, it looks like the Elites are once again pushed back to the end of the day...

Remember this off camber?

2010-09-06T09:12:00.001-04:00

SpringField Oaks off camber from jeffweinert on Vimeo.

CX Magazine September Industry News

2010-09-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

Click

Issue 10 is going to feature an article I wrote about running one or two front chainrings - and it will now be in FULL COLOR and sold at major retailers across the country.

If you're already a subscriber, issue 10 will be shipping shortly.

Jonathan Page on CX Magazine

2010-08-28T14:48:00.000-04:00

...

CXM: That means you’re going to skip Nationals? How come?

JP: Basically, it’s like this: I won Nationals, at one point, three years in a row. It did nothing – financially or otherwise – for me, other than that I had a cool-looking jersey and bragging rights.

Interesting point...read the rest HERE!

New build

2010-08-26T21:58:00.001-04:00

Video

2010-08-23T06:47:00.000-04:00

I don't know why I find THIS so funny on Cyclocross Magazine, but I do.

Alcyon

2010-08-21T08:10:00.000-04:00

Since there were only a handful of these even made, these rarely come up for sale. Mine is in need of a paint job, but the one for sale looks to be in amazing condition. Need a great dirt road bike with a 57 top tube? Price is right, in my opinion.