Jshort’s bike thread
- Thread starter jShort
- Start date
Ringwood Reacap
Coming into this race i was not sure where I stood with regards to form, but I knew the forecast called for rain the night before, so slick sketchy rocks were expected, and that's something i pride myself on riding well.
I swapped a meatier enduro-ish front tire on just to give me a little extra advantage and grip, and i threw on a few mud guards to keep some of the running water out of my face. Those were the only things different I did in preparation for a wet one.
When we lined up the group was a little small which is normal when it rains the night before. Lots of people are put off by the rain. And as we started, i questioned if i should have showed up. My legs were like bricks, i had no snap in them. This put me in the mid pack - which is kind of like when you go to great adventure and watch the log flume so you can get splashed. Within 1 minute I was pretty much soaked which was actually a good thing. Just get that over with. I had glasses on and they did a good job keeping my eyes clear. A few wipes with my thumbs and i was able to clear them pretty well.
After the downhill fireroad, we started to climb. 2 riders had a decent lead and were gapping us. within a few minutes on the long climb, it was me and teammate Brian. (@BrianGT3). Me and him were both in the same zone and mentality for all i could see... just keeping our heads down, trying to spin up this hill (which went on forever) and trying to save something for the rocks which the course finished with.
After a few minutes Brian jumped in front and i tried to grab his wheel. There were a few times he got away but i was able to stay close enough. Unfortunately the leaders were further and further and i lost sight.
Once we crested the hill. it was into the single track which was worth the price of admission. Really fun stuff which was in really good shape considering the rain we had gotten.
I was still on Brian's wheel and it was pretty much just him and I. Nobody else was around. After a while it looked like Brian got a little gassed and bobbled on a rock, and put a foot down. I scooted around and kept going. I didn't apply too much of an effort to attack Brian here, but he had clearly lost his feel and was losing ground. He would gain and lose time on me in the next few minutes but eventually i gaped him enough that i did not see him anymore.
At this point of the race it was all rocks. Big ones, little ones, medium ones, but they were all hard and slippery. I heard something pinging around on my wheel and given the play i was feeling, i assumed it was a spoke (which it was).
I went into super conservative mode and tried to me as smooth and graceful as possible. Keeping as much weight off the back wheel as possible. I decided to not even attempt to catch 2nd place and just keep in safe and finish where I was in 3rd.
Great day, lots of team mates there.
And mission accomplished. First podium of the year
Coming into this race i was not sure where I stood with regards to form, but I knew the forecast called for rain the night before, so slick sketchy rocks were expected, and that's something i pride myself on riding well.
I swapped a meatier enduro-ish front tire on just to give me a little extra advantage and grip, and i threw on a few mud guards to keep some of the running water out of my face. Those were the only things different I did in preparation for a wet one.
When we lined up the group was a little small which is normal when it rains the night before. Lots of people are put off by the rain. And as we started, i questioned if i should have showed up. My legs were like bricks, i had no snap in them. This put me in the mid pack - which is kind of like when you go to great adventure and watch the log flume so you can get splashed. Within 1 minute I was pretty much soaked which was actually a good thing. Just get that over with. I had glasses on and they did a good job keeping my eyes clear. A few wipes with my thumbs and i was able to clear them pretty well.
After the downhill fireroad, we started to climb. 2 riders had a decent lead and were gapping us. within a few minutes on the long climb, it was me and teammate Brian. (@BrianGT3). Me and him were both in the same zone and mentality for all i could see... just keeping our heads down, trying to spin up this hill (which went on forever) and trying to save something for the rocks which the course finished with.
After a few minutes Brian jumped in front and i tried to grab his wheel. There were a few times he got away but i was able to stay close enough. Unfortunately the leaders were further and further and i lost sight.
Once we crested the hill. it was into the single track which was worth the price of admission. Really fun stuff which was in really good shape considering the rain we had gotten.
I was still on Brian's wheel and it was pretty much just him and I. Nobody else was around. After a while it looked like Brian got a little gassed and bobbled on a rock, and put a foot down. I scooted around and kept going. I didn't apply too much of an effort to attack Brian here, but he had clearly lost his feel and was losing ground. He would gain and lose time on me in the next few minutes but eventually i gaped him enough that i did not see him anymore.
At this point of the race it was all rocks. Big ones, little ones, medium ones, but they were all hard and slippery. I heard something pinging around on my wheel and given the play i was feeling, i assumed it was a spoke (which it was).
I went into super conservative mode and tried to me as smooth and graceful as possible. Keeping as much weight off the back wheel as possible. I decided to not even attempt to catch 2nd place and just keep in safe and finish where I was in 3rd.
Great day, lots of team mates there.
And mission accomplished. First podium of the year
Iron Furnace -
Everything was going great. Really great. Better than expected. I came around for the second lap and Utah (who had flatted out) told me i was in the top 10, which confirmed what I had been thinking.
Rewinding to the start, I knew not to go out too fast. You know that scene in Lord of the Rings, where Gimli is telling the princess how he is more of a sprinter and not built for endurance, that's me. After 2 hours on a bike I get a little bored, (blame my undiagnosed ADHD). So I rarely ride for more than 2 hours. Looking back, signing up for a 3ish hour race should have come with certain expectations.
After a pretty solid first lap, I was surprised to find myself in the position I was in. It was like driving down the highway in traffic and suddenly nobody is in sight behind you. You start to wonder if there was some crazy 100 car accident you narrowly avoided. Where the hell is everybody?
A quarter of the way into the second lap, Mandell comes up and passes me. We ride for a bit but after a few minutes he pulls away.
5 miles or so later I'm starting to feel the fatigue set in, but I had been so on top of my food and water so I thought i would survive. Then the shit went down. About 2:40 into the race I was going over a pretty insignificant rock and felt a twinge in my leg. I try to spin through the first few cramps but it didnt work. Then I turn a corner see a hill.
Fuck
Halfway up the climb, my legs lock. Spinning though this isn't possible so I to stop and stretch for a minute. I got back on and was barely pedaling with a few miles to go. Then I the real real rock gardens. As soon as I encounter the first obstacle, boom...down. My legs were totally locked and I was laying on the ground, still clipped in, charlie horses on muscles I didnt know I had, looking at the sky like what the fuck.
I get up and start moving Slowly. And here comes everybody to pass me. First its Mountain bike Mike and Martin (the SS leader). I try latch on hoping they will drag me to the finish. LOL. Then a few other people pass me including local Endurance Pro Guru Dave Taylor. Then one last guy passed me on the downhill right before the finish line. I tried to catch him, but immediately realized I didnt care enough at this point, I just wanted to lay on the ground.
The finish was sweet. If for no other reason than it was an end to my pain and misery.
The takeaways
1. I need more hours. I was not prepared for that. Strava tells me I am averaging about 6.5 hours a week. That's not going to cut it when some of the above mentioned are putting in north of 15.
2. My bike was on point. I have it pretty dialed which is nice. The rocks and wet rooks were not difficult (on the first lap) and I give credit to the tire/suspension/PSI.
3. No amount of electrolytes will save you if you push harder then you are capable of. I was taking in loads of bike snacks and it didnt matter. I went too hard and blew up.
4. I can build off of this. Motivation is pretty high right now so once the sore legs heal, I'll be back.
Everything was going great. Really great. Better than expected. I came around for the second lap and Utah (who had flatted out) told me i was in the top 10, which confirmed what I had been thinking.
Rewinding to the start, I knew not to go out too fast. You know that scene in Lord of the Rings, where Gimli is telling the princess how he is more of a sprinter and not built for endurance, that's me. After 2 hours on a bike I get a little bored, (blame my undiagnosed ADHD). So I rarely ride for more than 2 hours. Looking back, signing up for a 3ish hour race should have come with certain expectations.
After a pretty solid first lap, I was surprised to find myself in the position I was in. It was like driving down the highway in traffic and suddenly nobody is in sight behind you. You start to wonder if there was some crazy 100 car accident you narrowly avoided. Where the hell is everybody?
A quarter of the way into the second lap, Mandell comes up and passes me. We ride for a bit but after a few minutes he pulls away.
5 miles or so later I'm starting to feel the fatigue set in, but I had been so on top of my food and water so I thought i would survive. Then the shit went down. About 2:40 into the race I was going over a pretty insignificant rock and felt a twinge in my leg. I try to spin through the first few cramps but it didnt work. Then I turn a corner see a hill.
Fuck
Halfway up the climb, my legs lock. Spinning though this isn't possible so I to stop and stretch for a minute. I got back on and was barely pedaling with a few miles to go. Then I the real real rock gardens. As soon as I encounter the first obstacle, boom...down. My legs were totally locked and I was laying on the ground, still clipped in, charlie horses on muscles I didnt know I had, looking at the sky like what the fuck.
I get up and start moving Slowly. And here comes everybody to pass me. First its Mountain bike Mike and Martin (the SS leader). I try latch on hoping they will drag me to the finish. LOL. Then a few other people pass me including local Endurance Pro Guru Dave Taylor. Then one last guy passed me on the downhill right before the finish line. I tried to catch him, but immediately realized I didnt care enough at this point, I just wanted to lay on the ground.
The finish was sweet. If for no other reason than it was an end to my pain and misery.
The takeaways
1. I need more hours. I was not prepared for that. Strava tells me I am averaging about 6.5 hours a week. That's not going to cut it when some of the above mentioned are putting in north of 15.
2. My bike was on point. I have it pretty dialed which is nice. The rocks and wet rooks were not difficult (on the first lap) and I give credit to the tire/suspension/PSI.
3. No amount of electrolytes will save you if you push harder then you are capable of. I was taking in loads of bike snacks and it didnt matter. I went too hard and blew up.
4. I can build off of this. Motivation is pretty high right now so once the sore legs heal, I'll be back.
rick81721
Lothar
Been a long time.
I decided to do a cross race, just because i haven't done one at all this year. Why that is, is another story but at a high level I had a rough end of summer with work and training. I hate racing at less than full potential so I bailed.
But as the months passed, things calmed down, and I find myself in the midst of a decent training block. So, did someone say Solstice? Sure.
I rolled in around 1:30 before the race started. Reg'd, PRD'd, pinned my number (out of practice...) and went out for warmup.
To bring up my gear and set up, I was running WTB Riddlers which are not quite a file tread, but very small knobs. Somewhat wide (37c), I looked at the weather and thought the ground would be completely frozen, so I thought this would be a very good tire choice. And because I was just "winging it", i didnt bring a secondary wheelset. I also have my cross bike in "Trainer mode". Meaning the seat was forward and up high, long stem, hoods down low, had to swap road to MTB pedals, etc. In short, this is not how I would have my bike setup for a cross race if I was mid season.
I had my MTBNJ sprinkle long sleeve skin suit on with a wool LS base under, (The Skinsuit is not Thermal) and gore leg warmers. On my feet were my Giro VR90, with some defeet sock covers.
I went for the pre-ride and things were indeed frozen solid. Ruts and all. It was not the velcro frozen trail I thought it would be. Remember, Solstice is where the 5th street cross weekly race is, same course, so it’s pretty much worn in from 15 races. The dirt was very slick, and my bike would slide out really easily. I don’t think tires would make a difference. If anything, my wider, higher volume tires were the right choice.
After 2 laps I was satisfied with the recon and headed back to the car.
I got the starting line and realized this would be a very packed course. There were 3 or 4 categories going at once (going in 1 minute intervals). I think it was 50+, 3/4, then 3,4,5 40+. So all larger groups.
I raced the 3/4 and was lined up in the last of 3 rows.
Once we started and got into the course, I found out the ground had really softened up since my warm up and it was now an inch of mud on top of frozen tundra. Nice. My tires suddenly looked like a really bad decision. I was among many completely caught off guard and bodies were sliding out all over the place. It was comical how many were going down. Considering there were probably 120ish people on the course, this was a shit show. But in a really fun "cross" way. Now that I think about it, there was a cool vibe and nobody was getting pissy. People on the course were really considerate and moving over when I passed.
After a lap I was really happy with how my legs were feeling. My fitness was not the limiting factor at this race. Most of the turns were slick as you would imagine, and the rest was frozen and only semi slick. So when I could push, the pedal was all the way down. There were a few straights and I would sprint hard AF and pass as many people as I could, then try to keep it upright into the next turn.
I settled into a pretty fast group of 4 and traded spots with them for a few laps. The issue was lapped traffic though. With one to go.... sidebar... they shouldn’t ever say 1 to go. They should say last lap or ring a bell. 1 to go can be misconstrued Is it 1 to go after this? or is this it?
Anyway, with one to go I was in the back of the pack and we came up on lapped traffic. I made a few mistakes and blew it. A few turns were not taken right and I had to slow way down, a few lapped riders got in my way, and a few other miscellaneous mental errors had me fall off the pack.
When I crossed the start/finish, I actually wasn’t sure if the race was over or not. I was about to sprint down the hill to see if I could catch the group I was trailing but then I saw them all BS'ing. Meh. Race over.
I spoke to Jeff J who finished second! Nice work Jeff! I had hoped to hold his wheel going into the race but lost sight immediately after the start. Probably wishful thinking anyway, but having someone in contention to try and follow would have been nice.
I ended up 8th of 18th. Kind of disappointed but can’t expect much more. I am really pleased with my fitness though. A few equipment adjustments and a few more races under my belt and I think I would be contending. I am almost considering the race this weekend coming up in PA, but the weather may keep my cross bike on the trainer.
No action picks, just the post race bike and tires.
I decided to do a cross race, just because i haven't done one at all this year. Why that is, is another story but at a high level I had a rough end of summer with work and training. I hate racing at less than full potential so I bailed.
But as the months passed, things calmed down, and I find myself in the midst of a decent training block. So, did someone say Solstice? Sure.
I rolled in around 1:30 before the race started. Reg'd, PRD'd, pinned my number (out of practice...) and went out for warmup.
To bring up my gear and set up, I was running WTB Riddlers which are not quite a file tread, but very small knobs. Somewhat wide (37c), I looked at the weather and thought the ground would be completely frozen, so I thought this would be a very good tire choice. And because I was just "winging it", i didnt bring a secondary wheelset. I also have my cross bike in "Trainer mode". Meaning the seat was forward and up high, long stem, hoods down low, had to swap road to MTB pedals, etc. In short, this is not how I would have my bike setup for a cross race if I was mid season.
I had my MTBNJ sprinkle long sleeve skin suit on with a wool LS base under, (The Skinsuit is not Thermal) and gore leg warmers. On my feet were my Giro VR90, with some defeet sock covers.
I went for the pre-ride and things were indeed frozen solid. Ruts and all. It was not the velcro frozen trail I thought it would be. Remember, Solstice is where the 5th street cross weekly race is, same course, so it’s pretty much worn in from 15 races. The dirt was very slick, and my bike would slide out really easily. I don’t think tires would make a difference. If anything, my wider, higher volume tires were the right choice.
After 2 laps I was satisfied with the recon and headed back to the car.
I got the starting line and realized this would be a very packed course. There were 3 or 4 categories going at once (going in 1 minute intervals). I think it was 50+, 3/4, then 3,4,5 40+. So all larger groups.
I raced the 3/4 and was lined up in the last of 3 rows.
Once we started and got into the course, I found out the ground had really softened up since my warm up and it was now an inch of mud on top of frozen tundra. Nice. My tires suddenly looked like a really bad decision. I was among many completely caught off guard and bodies were sliding out all over the place. It was comical how many were going down. Considering there were probably 120ish people on the course, this was a shit show. But in a really fun "cross" way. Now that I think about it, there was a cool vibe and nobody was getting pissy. People on the course were really considerate and moving over when I passed.
After a lap I was really happy with how my legs were feeling. My fitness was not the limiting factor at this race. Most of the turns were slick as you would imagine, and the rest was frozen and only semi slick. So when I could push, the pedal was all the way down. There were a few straights and I would sprint hard AF and pass as many people as I could, then try to keep it upright into the next turn.
I settled into a pretty fast group of 4 and traded spots with them for a few laps. The issue was lapped traffic though. With one to go.... sidebar... they shouldn’t ever say 1 to go. They should say last lap or ring a bell. 1 to go can be misconstrued Is it 1 to go after this? or is this it?
Anyway, with one to go I was in the back of the pack and we came up on lapped traffic. I made a few mistakes and blew it. A few turns were not taken right and I had to slow way down, a few lapped riders got in my way, and a few other miscellaneous mental errors had me fall off the pack.
When I crossed the start/finish, I actually wasn’t sure if the race was over or not. I was about to sprint down the hill to see if I could catch the group I was trailing but then I saw them all BS'ing. Meh. Race over.
I spoke to Jeff J who finished second! Nice work Jeff! I had hoped to hold his wheel going into the race but lost sight immediately after the start. Probably wishful thinking anyway, but having someone in contention to try and follow would have been nice.
I ended up 8th of 18th. Kind of disappointed but can’t expect much more. I am really pleased with my fitness though. A few equipment adjustments and a few more races under my belt and I think I would be contending. I am almost considering the race this weekend coming up in PA, but the weather may keep my cross bike on the trainer.
No action picks, just the post race bike and tires.
1 to go always means finish the lap and you're done, even I learned that after my first CX race.
Jeff J has been really solid this year, it's that Thursday night CR ride.
You wait for now to break the CX bike out? We had a great fall, only HPCX was a mudfest. If you're having a problem with work, I'll straighten out your boss.
8th is a good finish considering you raced guys who have probably been racing all fall. Next year bruh, you and me CX raisin.
Jeff J has been really solid this year, it's that Thursday night CR ride.
You wait for now to break the CX bike out? We had a great fall, only HPCX was a mudfest. If you're having a problem with work, I'll straighten out your boss.
8th is a good finish considering you raced guys who have probably been racing all fall. Next year bruh, you and me CX raisin.
The problem with the whole 1-to-go etc is you're going at 10/10 and trying to do math while sprinting through the start/finish isn't so easy. Even the # card at half the races they screw up and don't flip it, or it's hard to see.
I really enjoy Solstice. It's technical in a certain way. It's VERY hard to pass people through very long sections of the course. There's not a lot of long power-draining sections (Fuck you SCCX).
Both last year and this year the course changes very quick. I also found the riders to be very good technically. This is the first race in awhile where there wasn't a clusterfuck 30 seconds into the race, and I raced 4/5. That chicane on the hill at the start of the race is a recipe for a holdup of the entire field and I don't think a single person got held up on it.
I really enjoy Solstice. It's technical in a certain way. It's VERY hard to pass people through very long sections of the course. There's not a lot of long power-draining sections (Fuck you SCCX).
Both last year and this year the course changes very quick. I also found the riders to be very good technically. This is the first race in awhile where there wasn't a clusterfuck 30 seconds into the race, and I raced 4/5. That chicane on the hill at the start of the race is a recipe for a holdup of the entire field and I don't think a single person got held up on it.
Thank you Walmart
No.
Yup, They jumped the shark
jklett
Well-Known Member
Race report!
After spending most of my winter mornings inside watching Netflix or cross races, i thought it would be a fun idea to sign up for the branchbrook park crits.
I've only done 1 crit before this, that was a 30 minute race that was over before i knew it. For this past weekend's races it was more of a training opportunity and a chance to try something new.
I know the reputation of these races is that they are super sketchy, so combining that with the fact that I have close to zero experience, i was mainly looking to keep the rubber side down, and not end my season before it even starts.
Race1:
The first race starts at 7:17. WTF. Way too early. In order to get there I had to wake up around 4 AM which is a little nutty. Second thoughts already.
Anyway, we start nice and casually which I am appreciative of. Its 24 degrees or so with a slight breeze (Insert "feels like x degrees" here), and yea..spending most of the winter rides in my basement in front of a fan does not really acclimate me to cold weather. So warming up took a few minutes.
The first thing I notice is that there's way too much movement in the pack. I don’t know anyone so i don’t know which wheel is a good one to follow. This usually leaves me unsheltered without a good draft. And that in turn equals me putting out way more watts than I would if I was on someone's wheel. To put it in perspective, we're talking like a ~120-150 watt difference, depending on where on the course we were. I recognize this right away and try to hide as much as possible, but when someone got squirrely, I got out of there.
We got though maybe half the race before the first crash. 15-20 minutes? This race was living up to expectations. I didn’t actually see the crash, but heard it behind me.
The next crash happened maybe 10 minutes later maybe a 1/2 mile before the start/finish line. I was in the back quarter of the pack this time. I still didn’t see what actually happened, but I had to jam on my brakes and swerve to miss the carnage. The front of the race didn't get impacted so I burned a few more watts on bridging back up.
I was able to latch back on and even recover a little. The heard had been thinned and it seemed to be a little more stable at this point in the race. I had been telling myself to be aggressive, attack, and not GAF about results. So when the bell rang on the next lap I felt obligated to make a move. On the back side I attacked and obviously nobody went with me. I'm not sure how much of a gap I had but i think it was pretty big. Unfortunately I am not able to keep up this effort for the next 5 or 6 minutes (or 2), and I am caught before the last 90 degree turn. I got swallowed up in the pack and was pretty spent so I just roll though the finish. The result didn’t matter as much as the workout, staying upright, and gaining a little experience. So I guess mission accomplished?
I know i worked too hard for most of the race, and i obviously attacked at the wrong time. If I had stayed hidden and made that same move later, maybe things would have been different? No idea.
There's also so many other things I did wrong that weren't putting me in a position to be successful, but i wont bore anyone with those details.
Race 2:
I don’t feel like recapping the second race right now. I'll just leave these bullets:
* There were no crashed that I saw
*I got lazy with paying attention and a gap opened.
*I let it get away and never bridged back up
*I kind of mailed it in after that.
*somehow I placed higher in the second race
I can’t make next Saturday’s races because of kids sports stuff. But I did have fun and got a great workout so I’ll probably be back. Maybe just for the second races though, the 7:17 start requires such an early wake up it really kills the rest of the day.
After spending most of my winter mornings inside watching Netflix or cross races, i thought it would be a fun idea to sign up for the branchbrook park crits.
I've only done 1 crit before this, that was a 30 minute race that was over before i knew it. For this past weekend's races it was more of a training opportunity and a chance to try something new.
I know the reputation of these races is that they are super sketchy, so combining that with the fact that I have close to zero experience, i was mainly looking to keep the rubber side down, and not end my season before it even starts.
Race1:
The first race starts at 7:17. WTF. Way too early. In order to get there I had to wake up around 4 AM which is a little nutty. Second thoughts already.
Anyway, we start nice and casually which I am appreciative of. Its 24 degrees or so with a slight breeze (Insert "feels like x degrees" here), and yea..spending most of the winter rides in my basement in front of a fan does not really acclimate me to cold weather. So warming up took a few minutes.
The first thing I notice is that there's way too much movement in the pack. I don’t know anyone so i don’t know which wheel is a good one to follow. This usually leaves me unsheltered without a good draft. And that in turn equals me putting out way more watts than I would if I was on someone's wheel. To put it in perspective, we're talking like a ~120-150 watt difference, depending on where on the course we were. I recognize this right away and try to hide as much as possible, but when someone got squirrely, I got out of there.
We got though maybe half the race before the first crash. 15-20 minutes? This race was living up to expectations. I didn’t actually see the crash, but heard it behind me.
The next crash happened maybe 10 minutes later maybe a 1/2 mile before the start/finish line. I was in the back quarter of the pack this time. I still didn’t see what actually happened, but I had to jam on my brakes and swerve to miss the carnage. The front of the race didn't get impacted so I burned a few more watts on bridging back up.
I was able to latch back on and even recover a little. The heard had been thinned and it seemed to be a little more stable at this point in the race. I had been telling myself to be aggressive, attack, and not GAF about results. So when the bell rang on the next lap I felt obligated to make a move. On the back side I attacked and obviously nobody went with me. I'm not sure how much of a gap I had but i think it was pretty big. Unfortunately I am not able to keep up this effort for the next 5 or 6 minutes (or 2), and I am caught before the last 90 degree turn. I got swallowed up in the pack and was pretty spent so I just roll though the finish. The result didn’t matter as much as the workout, staying upright, and gaining a little experience. So I guess mission accomplished?
I know i worked too hard for most of the race, and i obviously attacked at the wrong time. If I had stayed hidden and made that same move later, maybe things would have been different? No idea.
There's also so many other things I did wrong that weren't putting me in a position to be successful, but i wont bore anyone with those details.
Race 2:
I don’t feel like recapping the second race right now. I'll just leave these bullets:
* There were no crashed that I saw
*I got lazy with paying attention and a gap opened.
*I let it get away and never bridged back up
*I kind of mailed it in after that.
*somehow I placed higher in the second race
I can’t make next Saturday’s races because of kids sports stuff. But I did have fun and got a great workout so I’ll probably be back. Maybe just for the second races though, the 7:17 start requires such an early wake up it really kills the rest of the day.