Great pics you shared w/us! :thumb

DFL baybee!

Yup :nod did the next 'cross race in the season Sunday. Man, what a(nother) display of my fatness. :cry DFL but I only got lapped once.

I DID finish tho! :ricky There were guys on course with taco'd front wheels. :umph Guess the two dropoffs got a few guys. :nod

Plan B was there taking pics of his kids' races, but I haven't seen him posting recently, so I don't know if he'll post pics here. :dunno

In short: I don't have any top end. :nah I can maintain a certain level, but it ain't anywhere NEAR enough to be competetive in a cross race. Conditioning ain't there. 'Course, I ain't been training all summer like most of these guys either. :bluduh

Course was fun. Some road, some technical stuff, some flat stuff, and a long-ish runup. Better'n last week. I ran my new 30c Tufos I got from Plan B. :ricky MUCH mo bettah. :nod 'Course, the Schwalbes I ran last week were under inflated... :dunno

I don't remember if I'm working next weekend or not. I hear the Surf City 'cross season is starting next weekend. :clap

M

How long are the cross races? how many miles? how long does it take the winner to finish? how long did it take you to finish? (you don't have to share that if you don't want)

Cross races are timed events. The longest I've seen are the Pro/1/2 (A) category and they race for an hour. The races I usually do go ~45min.

I was a lap down, so if I'd ridden the last lap, I'da been ~10-12min down. I didn't cause I was finished. Stick a fork in my legs. No mas energy left. :nah

M

Cross races are held on a fairly short obstacle course. You go 'round and 'round for 45 mins or an hour depending on the category, he who does the most laps wins. Theres obstacles where you can either ride or jump off and carry/toss the bike over, and sometimes its a tosser which is faster. There's usually a short steep up and down section, some deep mud puddles, some jumps/drops. Almost always done in the winter around here because its all about the mud.

Beginners use lightweight hardtail mountain bikes, intermediate and advance use modified road bikes with relatively fat tires (30c?). Sometimes they have no front deraileur, instead using chain keeper rollers similar to downhill bikes so you can't throw the chain.

Here's a modern purpose built 'cross bike...
http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/...L_Blk_Sand.jpg
(Specialized Tricross Comp)

I have a cross bike I might sell? Never been raced and not a scratch.

Ritchey Swiss Cross. It's such a nice frame, I hate to get rid of it, but I just don't ride it much.

http://gooligan.smugmug.com/photos/81991669-M.jpg

Bumpity...

So no shit, there I was. JRA at the back of the lunch ride pack today 'cause I didn't hafta be at PI till 1330. I went out for a spin before meeting up with los guys 'cause I knew I was gonna hafta hit the first hard section and bail. I moved to the ass end of the pack so as not to screw anyone else up.

Guy behind me gets the wave to go 'round 'cause the pace just hotted up and I don't want him to get dropped when I blow up spectacularly again.

Next thing I hear is the unmistakeable sound of bike and rider sliding along the pavement.

WTF?!! :confused

I have not a clue WTF just happened, but I DO know that there's a rider that just went down at better'n 25 mph. I turned around to see if he was OK. Seemed to be...

Evidently he wrapped/lost/something'd his chain and it locked up the rear wheel. Ugh. NO bueno!

I couldn't really do anything for him and I didn't particularly wanna keep going in the pack even tho I didn't have anything to do with the accident so I motored back home.

I HATE it when guys go down for no apparent reason! 'Course hindsight being 20-20, he shoulda made sure that the gear he was running was workin right too! ESPECIALLY before a fast ride like the Lunch Ride is!

Oh well. Next time I'll get to ride with em a little longer.

Things are going better. More miles = more fitness. Weight's coming off slowly. Yay :rayof Legs are looking better. More importantly, they're FEELING better!

I may be able to make the Surf City 'cross race at the end of the month, but nothing till then. :cry

M

Good for you Gummee, sounds like you're back in action.

Where can you get Z-rated sew-ups?



http://sjl-static6.sjl.youtube.com/vi/sCJCmUPcFIM/2.jpg

Page SIX???!!!

:bluduh

Slackers! I go slaving away at the Pearl Izumi outlet and y'all let this slip to P6?

:umph

I'm fixin to slip on my runnin shoes, grab some $$ and go run to the Super Taqueria and get me a Mexican Gut Bomb (tm) for din-din. Stick Me just left for work so I'm bachin it again tonite. :cry

Oh, and its raining! Whoda thunk it?!

M

yeah, in less than 12 hours. scary, eh?

been raining lightly but steadily here in 'scruz since about 4pm.

Hey I tried baiting w the Canondale's Systm 6 being made in Pennsylvania but no bites?

I've never been a big fan of Cannondales, regardless of where they've been made.

:ear :ear :ear

What kind did you get?

And I'm glad you didn't get hurt worse during your flip.