Wasn't that clear from what I wrote?
Chronicles of a Cat 3 Schlub
- Thread starter MadisonDan
- Start date
xc62701
Well-Known Member
You may have left those details out 🙂
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Jeffreywoliver
Well-Known Member
Good work @MadisonDan , you looked great when I saw you. KVSP was a fun course. I was a little unsure how the rain would effect the course after having pre-ridden the course when it was dry. I was happy with the conditions for the most part and they seemed to improve in second lap.
H2H #6
Point Peter Pounder, Port Jervis, NY
Men's Cat 2, 19+
Final MTB race of the season, which means the final time this year @pearl will give me shit for mounting the number plate so low....
Zero fucks given.
With all the rain the past few weeks, a stomach bug a week ago, and not really doing anything since the last race, I kinda mailed in the prep for this one. With an 11:00am start, I was able to get a little extra sleep, roll out of the house a little after 8am and get to Port Jervis about 9:45 or so. Parked, got stuff on and rolled up to the registration area. The usual cast of characters was there, which is always good to see.
I grabbed my number, and @jimvreeland told me something profound, like don't slash your tire, or go fast.
@Kaleidopete
I had a little time before my start, so I hit the Port-o-John, then scoped a good spot forsome pics of the 10:30am Cat 1/2 race.
I rode around aimlessly for another 10-15 minutes of so before making my way to the staging area. Got a front row slot!!!! (Only two rows though).
@moose35
Dudeman gives us our instructions, I make some lame jokes, and then we get a countdown 5 - 4 - 3- 2- 1 and we're off!!! I'm in 3rd heading up the paved hill, and we blow past @Kaleidopete and bear right towards the ST. That lefthander over the gravel is sketch AF, and two dudes take aggressive lines on the inside, and I ease off a little so they don't take me out. My HR is immediately in the low 180s and we're like a quarter mile into the race. HOLY SHIT. I held my spot in 5th or 6th for the first two miles or so, with 2 guys still within sight, and one guy right behind me, and another a bit behind him. By this point my HR is creeping into the low 190s and I am starting to fade in a big way. The guys in front of me gradually pull away, leaving me kinda solo, but still knowing there are lurkers behind me. It felt like the whole course was uphill at this point. Even the flats felt like there was an incline. Eventually another guy passed me, Brian, from Long Island I think it was, and he was gone. I was in a dark place. I couldn't generate any punch up the hills, and was heavy on the brakes going down.
By mile 4 or 5, the leaders of the classes behind starting to come by. The trails here were so open, I could hear/see them with enough time to be prepared to let them by. This was all cool with one exception, so, good enough. I gotta say, when @BrianGT3 passed me as he was leading the Cat 1/2 15+ race on his second lap, HE WAS FLYING up the hill. Dudeman was determined and ON FIRE. Smooth, like riding on a track. And then he was gone.
With one mile to go, I could see another guy from my class not too far behind, and I was not gonna give up another spot this far into the race. As I came up the climb to the flag pole, @jimvreeland stood in front of me and snapped a few pics.
#Painface
@jimvreeland
I rolled down past the feedzone back into the ST for the final half mile, and the chaser was now right on my tail. FML. I was shot at this point. Like 98% spent. Thankfully this section was mostly a little too tight for him to make a pass, and I wasn't giving him any room. I hoped if I could ease off a little and keep him behind me until we hit the pavement, I'd have enough to out sprint him up the hill. He was already on my wheel, so this was really my only play. As we got closer and closer to the pavement, it felt like he was gonna try to pass, but he never really had the opportunity........
We hit the pavement and I immediately shifted 2-3 gears and stood to sprint. He was 100% NOT expecting that. He tried to catch up, and I think got close around the turn, when I hit another gear and accelerated again he couldn't keep pace. I heard the announcer on the mic "WE GOT A SPRINT COMING UP THE HILL!!!!" Shit!! I shifted one more gear and gave absolutely everything I had to move those pedals and crossed the line about 2 seconds ahead for an 8th place finish. Strava Estimated Power says I hit ~860 watts up that hill. I have no idea, but I collapsed on the ground completely empty.
#CrossIsComing
#HandupsAreNotACrime
#BeerMe
Point Peter Pounder, Port Jervis, NY
Men's Cat 2, 19+
Final MTB race of the season, which means the final time this year @pearl will give me shit for mounting the number plate so low....
Zero fucks given.
With all the rain the past few weeks, a stomach bug a week ago, and not really doing anything since the last race, I kinda mailed in the prep for this one. With an 11:00am start, I was able to get a little extra sleep, roll out of the house a little after 8am and get to Port Jervis about 9:45 or so. Parked, got stuff on and rolled up to the registration area. The usual cast of characters was there, which is always good to see.
I grabbed my number, and @jimvreeland told me something profound, like don't slash your tire, or go fast.
I had a little time before my start, so I hit the Port-o-John, then scoped a good spot forsome pics of the 10:30am Cat 1/2 race.
I rode around aimlessly for another 10-15 minutes of so before making my way to the staging area. Got a front row slot!!!! (Only two rows though).
Dudeman gives us our instructions, I make some lame jokes, and then we get a countdown 5 - 4 - 3- 2- 1 and we're off!!! I'm in 3rd heading up the paved hill, and we blow past @Kaleidopete and bear right towards the ST. That lefthander over the gravel is sketch AF, and two dudes take aggressive lines on the inside, and I ease off a little so they don't take me out. My HR is immediately in the low 180s and we're like a quarter mile into the race. HOLY SHIT. I held my spot in 5th or 6th for the first two miles or so, with 2 guys still within sight, and one guy right behind me, and another a bit behind him. By this point my HR is creeping into the low 190s and I am starting to fade in a big way. The guys in front of me gradually pull away, leaving me kinda solo, but still knowing there are lurkers behind me. It felt like the whole course was uphill at this point. Even the flats felt like there was an incline. Eventually another guy passed me, Brian, from Long Island I think it was, and he was gone. I was in a dark place. I couldn't generate any punch up the hills, and was heavy on the brakes going down.
By mile 4 or 5, the leaders of the classes behind starting to come by. The trails here were so open, I could hear/see them with enough time to be prepared to let them by. This was all cool with one exception, so, good enough. I gotta say, when @BrianGT3 passed me as he was leading the Cat 1/2 15+ race on his second lap, HE WAS FLYING up the hill. Dudeman was determined and ON FIRE. Smooth, like riding on a track. And then he was gone.
With one mile to go, I could see another guy from my class not too far behind, and I was not gonna give up another spot this far into the race. As I came up the climb to the flag pole, @jimvreeland stood in front of me and snapped a few pics.
#Painface
I rolled down past the feedzone back into the ST for the final half mile, and the chaser was now right on my tail. FML. I was shot at this point. Like 98% spent. Thankfully this section was mostly a little too tight for him to make a pass, and I wasn't giving him any room. I hoped if I could ease off a little and keep him behind me until we hit the pavement, I'd have enough to out sprint him up the hill. He was already on my wheel, so this was really my only play. As we got closer and closer to the pavement, it felt like he was gonna try to pass, but he never really had the opportunity........
We hit the pavement and I immediately shifted 2-3 gears and stood to sprint. He was 100% NOT expecting that. He tried to catch up, and I think got close around the turn, when I hit another gear and accelerated again he couldn't keep pace. I heard the announcer on the mic "WE GOT A SPRINT COMING UP THE HILL!!!!" Shit!! I shifted one more gear and gave absolutely everything I had to move those pedals and crossed the line about 2 seconds ahead for an 8th place finish. Strava Estimated Power says I hit ~860 watts up that hill. I have no idea, but I collapsed on the ground completely empty.
#CrossIsComing
#HandupsAreNotACrime
#BeerMe
Last edited:
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
i'll paypal someone $5 to properly put @MadisonDan's number on his handlebars rTalk
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Having it look like a cot damn sail, if I can hear it from outside of the tape when you ride by me, its wrong.
Now this is a tough one, because pinning by yourself is tough if you have to do it in the car, and you may have to rely on someone else doing it if you already are dressed, so sometimes a perfectly pinned road/cx race number isn't happening
We went over this on the last page:
It’s simple, Centered on the handlebar. Tie it to the handlebar. Keep it as flat as possible, not curling at all. Sometimes brakes don’t allow this, but straighter is better. It’s that simple.
Here is another photo sample for reference
I used this photo specifically because I'm in front of @UtahJoe
Upset about your number plate....yet posts pics of his dumpster fire of a frankenbike.
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
you just jelly of my fork
Magic
Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
Use 4 pins through the holes.
Hey, that's my photo! I'm famous. Utah is still #1 though. You can tell by his properly secured number.
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
And one pin rips out of your jersey and rattles the whole time
xc62701
Well-Known Member
That’s why you go 8 pins - 4 in the corners and 4 in between. Almost bulletproof number pinning.
Jeffreywoliver
Well-Known Member
The thing I love most about MTBing is not having to pin my number to my jersey.
Spray glue
That work with massive amounts of sweat?
xc62701
Well-Known Member
Yes but it also gums up the jersey after a bit. I never want to bother with the glue just because I'm lazy and that seems like more work. I'd forget the glue or run out or it wouldn't work etc... I know how to use pins. 🙂
Magic
Formerly 1sh0t1b33r
I saw some guys using magnets at some of the crits. Seemed like an awesome idea at first, but there's more banging up against people and hitting the ground in cross. I did like TNR Tape when @seanrunnette let me try some at Rainey last year, and it's still super sticky on race number at home, but I think it comes out to like $4 a race or something. It came off nicely with the number when pulled off, but it was only the one time. I wonder if it would leave any residue after a while, but still likely less than glue.