Sunday 28 October 2012

Race Report - Darling's Island 28 Oct 12

All week, no rain - all sun.  Finally a dry course?  Wake up this morning, no sun, all rain.  At least it was in Oromocto.  Go figure.

However, a nice 1 hr drive south to Darling's Island (near St John) revealed the weather I've been waiting for all season.  Dry.

Weather - 10 degrees, mix of sun and cloud.

Course Layout - First half:  Tight and twisty with sections of deep mud with roots.  Second half - wide open grass field with fast, wide corners.

Bike Setup - No real change - Vittoria Tubulars 26psi front, 28psi rear.

Today, my dad was there to watch.  He was visiting from Ontario for the weekend, so the pressure was on to put on a good show.

The start - messed up a bit.  Missed my pedal, but salvaged 10th spot or so going into the first bottleneck.  Not to bad, but could have done better.  I tried to ride thru the mud on the first lap, only to be passed by 3 or 4 riders who ran thru it instead.  Lesson learned.  I would run thru the mud every time thereafter.  Much faster.  The second half of the course was where my tubulars really shined.  The grass was dry, but bumpy.  The tires just sailed over it - allowing me to put power into the pedals instead of soaking up the bumps.  I was also able to carry tons of speed into the corners.  The course was wide - like 3 metres wide - so I could take different lines for different corners.  Lots of fun clipping apexes and carrying momentum - telling myself not to touch the brakes.  There were also some of camber sections that the tires really gripped to with the low pressures.  Overall, the tires shined today.  I was really happy with them.

I battled with another rider for the last 4 laps or so.  We traded positions back and forth.  On the last lap, he took off - I had nothing left, but I knew I had tons of room behind me, so I more or less coasted to the finish line.

I finished 7th.  Very very happy - best result of the season.  The "Belgian" glue job is holding up very very nicely. No signs of rolling or failure yet.  The Boyd rims are also holding up very nicely.  The rear has a slight wobble - 2mm or so - nothing a few turns of the spoke wrench won't solve.  I have taken some big hits to that rim - so given the circumstance, I'd consider them bulletproof thus far.

Overall, great day.  About 60 riders which is great.  Many thanks to Dean and group for organizing a great race.  The cider was yummy.  And I won a door prize :)  Now 2 for 4.......

One a side note, more UCI world cup today.  Apparently JPOW had a horrible day - crashed out at the beginning, then DNF's with a broken rear hangar.  Sucks....

Here's the last lap of that UCI Race
http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_sportnieuws/MG_wielrennen/1.1468470

Sunday 21 October 2012

Race Report - 21 Oct - Woolastook Cross

So all week I've been nursing a sore knee from last weekend.  I even had a slick sample of Spider Tech tape to try, but I f*&^'d it up - Lesson one:  Tape first, then embro.  Tape doesn't stick to embro.

Woolastook was a favorite of mine last year - minimal technical stuff, some wide open sections, and lots of grass.  I was really looking forward to this year.

Weather - 16 degrees and sunny.  Lots and lots of rain the day prior.

Course - Wet grass with muddy sections, 200-300m of double track (no roots thank god). 2 sand pits.

Bike Setup - XG tubulars 26 psi front, and about 26 psi rear (I say about because the battery died in my fancy pressure gauge).  I was contemplating going to my PDX clinchers (more of a mud tire) given the amount of rain we've been having...but I think the tubies were the way to go.

Start again was awesome.  I'm getting much better at these.  Big ring and 2-3 cogs down, take the extra 1/2 second to make sure I'm clipped in, then give'r.  I was very happy and feeling good for the first lap. I was trading positions with a few known fast guys guys.  They'd lead a lap, then I would.  Things were going well - until.......

I dropped a chain, but in a major bad way.  Somehow my chain found its way off the largest cog in the rear and got wedged between the cassette and the spokes.  My drivetrain froze up instantly.  Luckly, I had looked down and seen exactly what had happened.  Had I not and tried to pedal thru it, I would have wrapped my rear derailleur around my cassette and had a DNF.  Hopped off the bike and spent a minute trying to free the chain.  But in that minute, I had lost 4 positions.

The thing about cross is that if you don't have anyone to chase, you don't really know how fast you are going.....how well you were doing.  Before the chain suck incident, I was in a group of 3, and we kept a good pace going among us.  When I had the mechanical, I was all by myself for the rest of the race, so it was very difficult to keep momentum in my lap times.  I was in limbo - racing by myself, against my fitness level, not against anyone else.  I found that very hard to deal with.

The sand pits were murder on bike components.  First, my front derailleur stopped working.  I was stuck on the small chainring.  I also lost 10th gear on the rear cog.  My shifter was indexing properly, but the derailleur just didn't move.  My bike also felt 5 lbs heavier, especially out of the slow corners.  I also had to "ride" the brakes on the long downhill after the pits.  The first time thru the sand, i didn't.  I screamed down the hill and approached a slow, muddy technical section.  I hit the brakes - nothing happened.  Wet + Sand + Carbon = No braking!!  It made for an interesting section for sure.  For the rest of the race, I made a point of riding the brakes to clean them off, ensuring I had power back when I needed it.  It worked.

The worst section of the race - a double run up followed by the double track.  The run up was forced by barriers - had to dismount.  Then back down the same hill.  I chose to stay off the bike on the way down.  People next to me remounted, rode down, then jump off again for the next climb.  It wasn't any faster.  I heard the leaders were remounting the first decent then climbing the second hill into the double track.

Rock stars...that's all I have to say about that.

But that double run up definitely led to some screaming legs, where then were hesitant to not only clip back in, but then power thru the undulations.  Toughest part of the course for sure.

All in all, it was a very fun race.  The course was relentless and challenging.  I'm a bit miffed about the mechanical I had - I would have liked to have stuck with that group for the race.  Results to follow....top 10 maybe.

So far the Boyd Tubular setup is holding up very nicely.  Rims are still holding true and the Belgian glue job is bulletproof so far.  Very happy with the combo so far.

And the greatest note of all - finally won a door prize.  A small T-shirt for my wife.  She comes out to all my races - with the kids.  God bless her.  Its cold, the kids are hyper, and she gets to see me once every 8 minutes.  Love her to death.  Thanks for the support MJ - xoxox.


Wednesday 17 October 2012

My thoughts on Lance.....

The cycling world is crashing down.  Am I upset?  Not really.  Am I disappointed? Yes.  Am I surprised?  Not at all.

I've read Tyler's book.  I've read USADA's report.  Its a lot to take in.  The biggest thing for me is how deep and complex this system of trafficking, smuggling, and usage was.  It was also hard to believe that these "so-called" doctors were behind it all.

That said - the biggest bomb - Lance's influence and control.  It wasn't the team director, the trainer, the team owner - it was him.  I was surprised how early he had such control.  Its not like he turned into this "Godfather" after the 6th or 7th tour win - it was from the very start.

No doubt he has done some great things.  He has changed the way North America looks at cycling.  He got a lot of people on bikes (not me by the way, I thank my good friend Rich for that....).  He also started an empire benefiting the fight against cancer.  No fault there either.

But in my opinion,  the biggest problem with the whole thing is this:  It was all built on false pretences.  Livestrong isn't what is is today because Lance beat cancer.  Its because he beat cancer and then won 7 tours.  All that money from fundraising, sponsors etc didn't come because he was a survivor - its because he was winning races.

Remember the Floyd Fairness Fund?  False pretence.  What happened when the truth came out?  Ordered to pay the money back.  What's going to happen with Lance?

I was never really a fan of his.  I discovered this sport (as a passion) after his post-retirement comeback in 2010.  I remember sitting in an airport in June 2009.  My friends refused to get on the plane because a TdF stage was in the final kilometre and they wanted to watch.  I didn't care.  But as I became a fanatic the following year, I started to get a feel for what he was like.  Reading Tyler's book and the report pretty much confirmed what I had come to know.  Manipulative.  A bully.  Its a shame really - because I remember some very inspirational Nike/Livestrong commercials - made my hair stand on end.     But in retrospect - duped.

I totally get that the problem is much bigger than Lance.  So many other riders, team owners/directors, trainers, doctors, wives, girlfriends.....but ultimately who benefited the most?  Who's the one that influenced millions, made millions?  That's why the news is making mainstream media.  He has fooled too many.

I'm not affected by this on an emotional level.  I actually find the drama quite riveting.  I enjoy reading all the stories and hearing about the new revelations.  Nike has just pulled the plug.  Is Trek and Oakley next?

Oh well, rant complete.  Can't wait for my next race.  Woolastook is a great course put on by a great group.  Knee is feeling better after a spin on the rollers last night.   Stay tuned.....

Monday 15 October 2012

Race Report - Moncton Double Header 13/14 October

First race(s) of the season, and I'm very happy with the results.

It was a double header in Moncton, NB with the first race taking place at a cycling park at dusk, with the next happening the next day across town at noon.

Muddy Wheels - Saturday 13 October

Course:  Mix of grass with short wet sections and sections of gravel hiking trail.  Fast rolling sections with swooping turns, uphill barriers, and tight twisty sections.

Weather:  8-10 degrees, moderate winds, clear skies.

Bike Setup:  XG tubulars 26 psi front / 28 psi rear.

The race:  I was a little sore from a fall during the warmup.  I started 3 or 4 rows back.  Very good start.  My downfall last year was trying to clip in while I hammered away at the start.  I could never find the pedal and lose 5-10 positions while my cleat searched for the pedal.  This year, took the extra 1/2 second to confirm clipping in, then took off.  A good start in 'cross is critical.   This course especially, since about 30 second into the race, there was a dismounted bottleneck followed by a technical section.  To be stuck mid-pack in that mess would have been bad.  This was my kind of course.  I really enjoy faster sections where you carry speed into the corners, putting trust in your tires.  This is where the tubulars shine.  I managed 8th place and finishing on the lead lap.  Felt great at the end, which is a bad thing.  I could have given more on the last lap and maybe gained another position.  I didn't win a draw prize.  Boo.  0/1.

Centennial Park - Sunday 14 October

Course:  Wet grass, gravel fire road, single track with lots of roots, dismounted stair climb.

Weather:  2-4 degrees, cloudy, mist and drizzle.

Bike Setup:  XG tubulars 26 psi front / 28 psi rear.

The race:  Still sore from the day before.  Started 3 rows back.  Start was good again with a solid clip in.  However, the first turn was a hard 120 degree hairpin and I chickened out.  I let up early which allowed 5-6 rides so scream up the inside for the turn.  The bottleneck then came at the technical section  about 30 seconds later - single track with roots - lots of roots.  I lost a lot of time here as I suck at technical riding (mental note - buy mountain bike in the spring).  Later in the first lap, I crashed.  There was a sand pile, approx 2-3 feet tall.  During the warmup, I could ride over it....but by the time the race happened, there was a huge groove down the centre.  My crank/bottom bracket got stuck and I went over the handlebars.  I sliced my knee open and twisted it.  I didn't know how bad until the drive home (more on that later).  After the fall, I dismounted and ran over the sand pile - which was also bad, as it gummed up my cleats and I couldn't clip back in quickly enough - sometimes still fumbling as I reached the next section of turns - not good.  By the end of the race I was tired.  I could no longer do the remount I had so happily been doing the night before...back to the mini-skip and jump.  My leg was sore, I was cold - not having much fun by the end.  I still managed 15th, but could have done better had I not lost so much time from crashing and pedal searching.  I didn't win any draw prizes - 0/2.

Some miscellaneous points:

1)  Love the embrocation.  It totally works.  My legs felt great (except for the knee).  The only downfall, it collects dirt and you really need to scrub after a race.  That and my legs were on fire in the hotel room after the 1st race.  I may have used too much :)  I'll never go back to leg warmers - they feel too constrictive.

2)  Tubulars rock.  The Boyd carbons were bulletproof.  I was bouncing off those roots like no tomorrow, but the rims held up.  I love the traction in the corners - although I'm still learning their traction limits, so I was timid to really push it in some sections.  The Vittoria XG's did well in mixed conditions, although I probably would have benefited with a true mud tire on Sunday.

3)  My technical riding sucks.  I really need to learn how to navigate ridable obstacles better.  The more often you get off your bike, the more chance you have of gumming up your cleats, which loses time as you try to clip in.

4)  Use the big ring when you can.  On Saturday, I was in the big ring the whole race.  I could really put the power down, especially in the faster sections.  On Sunday, I stayed in small ring.  I probably would have benefited from going to the big ring in the faster sections.

The knee:  Its pretty slashed up, not sure how I did that.  Maybe caught it on a brake arm, or some rocks on the ground.  I also twisted it a bit - as I went over the bars and the bike came with me - my feet  didn't unclip.  Pretty swollen now with a bit of fluid in there.  Ice on and off for the rest of the week with maybe a spin on the rollers Tues or Wed to loosen it up.

All in all, a very fun weekend.  I'm very happy with my finishes in the top category.  7 more weekends to go.  Next weekend is Woolastook.  Its a fun venue - another fast one - but with some sand pits put in the mix.  Can't wait.

Some photos from Saturday Evening - courtesy of Don Ricker - he does awesome work (and he let me try out his Surley Pugsley- freaking amazing bike - I want one!!)





Thursday 11 October 2012

Why you need to support your LBS

You hear it all the time: "But I can get it for 30 bucks cheaper on Amazon, Wiggle, or Chain Reaction Cycles..."

Sure you can, but what are you REALLY getting?

Example:

My last post showcased a fantastic Serfas light that I had bought from the LBS www.radicaledge.ca .  It's a great light - as I wrote - but this morning when I went to go for a ride, I noticed the mount for the light was hanging off the handlebar - broken.  The rubber strap had torn.

So I threw it in my jersey pocket, I was headed to the shop anyway for some chain lube and embro.  I even brought the receipt for good measure.

Facing a 60km/h headwind (really, check weather.ca "Oromocto" for proof), I made it to the shop.  Brian, one of the guys there, replaced the strap without batting an eyelid.  He tore open a new in box light and gave me the strap out of it.

Now, I haven't gone online to check out the prices on the light I bought from them a week ago, and I don't plan to.  What I experienced today makes up for whatever inconsequential savings I may have gained online.  So, about that LBS again?

-  Customer service (how much turnaround would I have faced had I needed to mail that strap back to Chain Reaction in the UK?)
-  Shop events - these guys lay on road/MTB/Cross races, group rides, BBQ's,
-  They keep the downtown core alive (which is a good thing - Picaroons is around the corner)
-  They promote cycling in the community - which leads to better trails and other facilities

So needless to say I'll give my money to Brian, Josh, Mike and boys for a long time - there is a shiny S5 Team with my name on it.....how to convince the wife is a whole other story.

PS - In light of all the nasty doping and Lance traffic (which I find very interesting by the way), here's something a little more refreshing - almost tear jerking.




Saturday 6 October 2012

Gear Review - SERFAS TSL-500 Light

During the the summer, 80% of my riding was done after 7pm - once the kids had gone to bed.  Nice time to ride, when the sun was up.

Now that its autumn, Oromocto tends to get dark around 6:45.  Time to buy a light.  Thanks to Alex at Radical Edge ( www.radicaledge.ca) I bought the Serfas TSL-500.

Suffice to say, I was very impressed.  500 lumens, USB charge, Li-ion battery...$100.

I tend to ride rail to trail type terrain.  No single track, so I don't need the crazy HID setups that tend to run 300-700 bucks (750-1000 lumens).  The Serfas LED was perfect.  Beam battern was wide enough to light the trail.  The reach was about 75ft - meaning that I could clip along at 33km/h and have reaction time to swerve around obstacles, or brake for barriers.

Features - not much, its a light.  One button.  Press to cycle thru the modes.  High-Medium-Low-Flash.  The button also features a cool light that indicates charge/health status.  Blue means good.  Red means you have 30 mins of full power left.  Once the status light turns red, you can power down to lower power modes to conserve battery life.  High power give you about 90 minutes, says the owners manual.  I tend to agree.  I rode for 1 hour, and the red light started to flash - meaning, according to the manual, you have 30 mins of high power left.  Cycle to the lower power settings, and the indicator turns blue again.

So, lets take about the specifics:

The Good:

1)  Bright for the size.  No external batteries that need to be strapped to the bike.
2)  USB charging.  Same USB cord as my Garmin 500.  Which means I only need to bring one cable to the races or when I'm traveling.
3)  The mount - adjustable and easy to use.  Clamps down nicely on my oversided CX bars.

The Bad:
1)  Battery Life.  After 60 mins on high power, it starts complaining that its running out of juice.
2)  The mount - yes, I said it was a "Good".  But its also difficult to release the light from the mount, so you might shift away from the ideal position as you try to get it off your bike to charge it.

So some pics:







Thursday 4 October 2012

Behind the Barriers SIII EpII

Love it...

Especially the end.  CVV running over barriers in jeans - classic

http://vimeo.com/50739278

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Sand Pits....my nemesis

I hate sand.  Hate it with a passion.  I was first introduced to it last year at the Woolastook race.  There are two sandpits - the first being a slight uphill with a 90 turn, with a slight dip at the end - about 40-50 ft in length.  The other was thru a beach volleyball court - straight, but deep with lots of ruts.  The volleyball court I could handle, but for the life of me, the 90 degree bend was my downfall - literally.  I must have went over the bars twice - wrapping the course tape around my bike and driving a wooden stake thru my spokes.  Not to mention it was a prime spectating spot - lots of laughs and pictures.

I hope to do better this year.  Need to let the bike steer itself and not fight it - also less weight on the saddle, let the bike slither underneath me.  We'll see how that goes.

In the mean time, some sand pit carnage from Gloucester Day 2.  Congrats to Brian, Rod, and Ben from the Radical Edge squad for a great race.

http://bigbikesmedia.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/249763-2012-Gran-Prix-of-Gloucester/video/657206-Cat-3-Beach-Sand-Mayhem-Montage-Gloucetser-Day-2