Can I get a freakin race report?

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I really am having a hard time figuring out when to take risks in the faster fields.

From your write-up, I think DCCX will be something I'd like to look into next year. As for the above, once you move into the real meat-and-potatoes masters classes, it matters less. @Delish has talked about this before. The masters are sort of this hard hat-wearing, do-the-needful collection of racers. For the most part, you don't take risks and get ahead. What generally happens is that one racer makes a mistake and the remainder of the class capitalizes on that. It becomes more an issue of making the fewest mistakes possible.

I speak from previous race experience/observations. Not so much 2018.
 

MadisonDan

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
From your write-up, I think DCCX will be something I'd like to look into next year. As for the above, once you move into the real meat-and-potatoes masters classes, it matters less. @Delish has talked about this before. The masters are sort of this hard hat-wearing, do-the-needful collection of racers. For the most part, you don't take risks and get ahead. What generally happens is that one racer makes a mistake and the remainder of the class capitalizes on that. It becomes more an issue of making the fewest mistakes possible.

I speak from previous race experience/observations. Not so much 2018.
This is true.
I make mistakes left and right, and the entire class capitalizes when I make a left or a right.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Quick recap of bubble. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it. This weekend I was staying in the Poconos, at some VRBO with my wife, kids, and her friends and their kids. We basically drank while the kids were downstairs unsupervised OD'ing on Halloween candy. Friday night wasn't exactly a good lead in for a race.
I did convince my wife that west Milford is really close to the Poconos, which it isn't.

Anyway, I rolled up just as the 1-2-3's went off. So I reg'd, chatted with the remaining MTBNJ crew and @mbruno who flatted 5 minutes into his race. It seemed like there was a fair amount of carnage just looking at the activity in the pits. Lots of exchanges, repairs, and people looking generally dejected. There wasn't mud like hippo or hpcx, but there were some spots that you had to run because they were shin deep of muck. The conditions were taking their tolls.
So, I line up, 3rd row (my stock is falling,). They line us up with collegiate C's (not sure there was any) and the 40 masters. Not staggered, just all in one group which I'm fine with.
Off we go. I have a decent start, and end up in the top 10 by the time we get to the grass. My lack of a warm up and poor prep altogether has my top end seriously lacking. Any max effort has my hr pinned and my lungs burning. Races are lost by not being aggressive on the first lap so I did my best to put out a few big efforts and start making up spots. It worked a little but I still saw the leader riding away. I didn't have aspirations of winning, but I did win last year so I hoped to have a decent race even if I'm not in the same shape.
I think I was running 5th ish and the 2nd and 3rd laps were spent leading a pack of 7. We weren't right in a pack but we were close enough that I knew that a mistake would cost me spots.
As the race progressed I exchanged a few spots and lost one but I think I'm in 3rd. I also think I'm finding my legs. I know where I can make up time, and I'm riding a fairly smooth no-mistake race.
All I have to do is maintain and I should end up with a top 5 and maybe a podium.
I'm not exactly sure where I was and that kept me putting out an honest effort.
After I go through the finish line going into the last lap, the pack behind has thinned, but still some stragglers. I do my things on the run ups and as I remount my chain drops.
Smart thing to do would be the pull the SRAM der out, push the button to lock it open, put the chain on, and be on my way. Instead I got greedy and tried to put the chain on without locking the derailleur and messed up. Twice. It was caked in mud and my hands were slipping. Finally I did what I should have done and locked it out. Got the chain on and was out.
I watched 4 or 5 guys go past while I was on the side.
The rest of the lap was non eventful and I pulled through in 7th. Not terrible, but could have been much better.

Live and learn. And order a chain keeper.

Thanks for reading. Peace out.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
I heard about the not so great conditions just before my ride up to Bubble so I came prepared with my cx bike, my mtb, and my fattie. Better overprepared then underprepared right? So I got to the venue and road a half lap on my cx bike and wasn't impressed. I then rode the same half lap on my mtb and it was just more confident on the sketchy stuff and the bomb down into the sand. It would have been bit quicker on my cx bike but I went with the mtb anyway. Partly because I didn't want to wreck my cx, partly since I wanted to have the confidence on the sketchy stuff, and partly cause I know my buddy would have done the same. It was one year since Lucky had a heart attack and I don't know if I've really been the same since. So I wanted to be on the mtb even if it was a slight disadvantage.

Anyway I had zero warmup, which matched well with my zero cross prep outside of any cx race so far this season. I'm trying to see how well I can race without actually preparing and so far it's been decent. The gun goes off and the my 40+ race gets grouped with the cat 3's. I don't know why they do that as it doesn't feel like my race matters. It's also much harder to distinguish the racers I actually need to care about. Good thing there were only 5 of us so it wasn't that big of an issue.

I start off totally cold like usual and shortly up the hill I realize like hippo, I'm in last place. Crap. Do I have to try harder now? I guess so. So I kept on pedaling hoping people would start to fall apart. I got to the back part of the course and used the mtb to my advantage. I had fun on the back dirt section and into the beach. Then after that it sucked. Those big tires just didn't move on the grass. I know my cx bike would have been a bit faster there but whatever. I do eventually catch one guy that was fading. Yes! 4th place.

Later I see JP and I think I can get to him. I steadily clawed my way back to him and got past him in the woods and railed the descent into the beach and ripped the beach. Yes 3rd place!!! I had a gap but it wasn't as much as I was hoping. The ENTIRE grass hill I was watching JP and he was flying and making up ground with every pedal stroke. I had to just prolong the inevitable. I put down all I had to stay away through the mud by the pit and then around the corner to the line. I crossed in 3rd with JP 2 seconds back. Whew....that was close but it made for some seriously fun racing!

I also did the fatbike/whatever race at the end of the day. It ended up being me, Dan L., and Dave S. It was a LeMans start but that didn't really matter as we got to the first turn of the course and there was no where to enter the course. We had to stop and then go under the tape and then start riding hard again. This was ok as I was totally cooked from the last race. We had to do 3 laps and I was hurting. I didn't want to run those stupid hills any more. The second of the two hills past the start finish was actually rideable on the fatty. That surprised me. The next surprise was hitting the mud pit in the back before going up the switch back climb. Evidently doing 20+ mph into mud on a fatty is not a good idea. I hydroplaned so bad I barely held on. This happened each lap. The second lap I think I almost killed Dave. It was close.

The last lap Dave runs past me in the mud after the hydroplaning section and I just don't have crap to stay with him. Mr. Xterra dropped me like a bad habit. I tried to make up some time on the down to the beach and I ripped the beach to get back on his wheel. I take the inside line on the mud by the pit and try to pinch him out going into the sand and I don't make it. I would have had to have more speed - or take him out to make it work - so he got the edge. I soft pedaled to the finish for my podium spot. Dan, Dave, then myself. That race was fun but it was so much more fun to get warm and go out to eat.
 
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00kevin

New Member
Bubblecross – Cat 5

Before I decided to get into cyclocross I decided that my first year would be about learning as much as I can. I’ve raced many different facets of cycling, and I know that any respectable sport should take time before you’re competitive. Much of the learning has been centered around racing (40+ psi is really dumb) but a lot has been centered around the practicality of racing (always research a good breakfast place prior to the event). Without exception each event has contained massive lessons (and new friends!). The last race (Hippo) I really regretting not being prepared for the adverse weather. I only had my sneakers and the socks I raced in. Driving home with wet and cold feet was miserable; and looking at weather forecast for Bubblecross I decided to be extremely prepared. Waterproof hiking boots, poncho, down coat, long johns, waterproof pants, etc. I was prepared for anything to hangout after the race, and be comfortable during the drive home.
I arrive at 7:15. Say “good morning” to my parking neighbor, stretch my back after a 2+ hours drive, and pop the trunk. The fog is still hanging, and the sun hasn’t arrived yet. There’s a nervous energy in the parking lot as I slip off pants and put on my cycling shorts. I reach into the gear bag, and it hits me instantly. I say the words before I even think about them. “I forgot my clipless shoes.” My girlfriend stands next to me with her jaw dropped at my stupidity. I try to formulate a way to blame her, nothing comes to mind. I rode my bike Thursday; my shoes are still by the back door. I have a few options here: 1. Cry 2. Drive home. 3. Race in the shoes on my feet. If she wasn’t there I surely would have gone with options 1 and 2. But there I was at the starting line, in the rain, with basketball shoes and eggbeater pedals.
I could only stand while squeezing the seat with my knees. I could only pedal while sitting, and I had to spin or my feet would blow off the pedals. Any hill that required standing to pedal required me to get off and run. Imagine running up a muddy hill in worn out basketball sneakers while carrying a bicycle. After the first lap my toes started to go numb, and my feet were cramping from the pedals digging into the middle of my arch. Sounds miserable, right? Now that I’m in the office ignoring emails to type this report, I can acknowledge it; I had fun. Getting lost in the wood to play with my bike is what makes me happy. And the afterglow effect of the event makes those snippy emails from Friday a lot less snippy by Monday. I pushed the line of control on the descents harder than if I was clipped in. There was one particularly long semi-straight descent that ended on a beach. The sooner I let go of the brakes and converted to death grip the more momentum I had into the sand. Brought me back to my days of racing downhill mtb. During the 3rd lap some of us had quite the “race within the race.” I’d get them on the descent and they’d reel me back in on the uphill. If you happened to be standing in the rain watching a Cat 5 guy attempt to ice skate up a muddy hill, he probably had a smile on his face.
Deep in the recesses of thoughts about snippy emails from my boss, I hear a soft voice call out; like an angel. “On your right.” I couldn’t even respond, or react. “One more.” They both go by so smooth, so beautiful. I hang onto their rear wheel and have a spasm of motivation. I was probably 250ft behind them when we pass the finish line. Didn’t even check the results; just heckled the ladies and then the Cat 4 guys in my dry socks, and later left for our prearranged pancakes.
Lesson learned: have a bag of racing essentials (helmet, shorts, SHOES) and have a separate bag of weather accessories. Check the essentials bag before starting the car.
I’ll be back out there this weekend NJCX #7 fighting off getting lapped like I’m running from the cops, thinking about snippy emails, and hopefully wearing clipless shoes.
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SSmtbr

Well-Known Member
It's been a couple of weeks since my last recap on my road to Cat 5 glory (or something like that)...

HPCX Days 1 and 2 - "If you're a bowler, you'll know the significance of the number 111" which happened to be my race number for the weekend. "We call it the shit house and after seeing you this weekend, that couldn't be more accurate". A 2-day-long heckle from the master MC for HPCX. You've seen the carnage photos and heard the race recaps so I'll leave it there. It wasn't dry, there was mud and a lot of running. Day 1 - 33/50 which I will gladly take considering I felt like I was all alone out there after the first lap. Day 2 - DNF due to a jammed derailleur. All in all, riding bikes is still a good time, although I'd kill for a dry day at least once this season to race.

Bubblecross - I had most of the week off as I was traveling for a conference so I went into bubble with low expectations and hoping to redeem myself from HPCX last weekend. A light rain softened the course a bit but did not blow apart near as badly as HPCX or Hippo so most of the grassy parts of the course were ride-able. The wooded sections were hit and miss on whether to run or ride. The beach was firm and rideable each lap as well. The first off-camber hill leading into the uphill right hander I was able to clear each lap with the other hills requiring a dismount. Coming from a MTB background, I absolutely loved the descents in the woods, taking them fast. I gained nothing position-wise for riding the descents more quickly, but built up confidence and increased the fun factor by a ton. What's been funny the past few races is being placed in the front row starting grid. I have absolutely no business being in the front as on my best day I'm mid-pack, never in contention for a podium spot. At the whistle we take off and I find myself out front at the Tim Johnson cutout into the first off-camber hump to an uphill right hander where I begin to slip positions as I just can't put down enough power from hauling my heavy ass through the spongy ground to keep up with the lighter guys. I'm feeling strong, however, through the grassy field, making better line choices to get traction and setting myself up for the next turn keeping as much momentum as possible.

IMG_0016.JPG


Back in the woods were a blast for me. The first climb or two was fun to claw my way up and the descents were even more fun. Up by the pond things got interesting as each lap the mulch pile kept getting deeper and started swallowing front wheels. I made it my personal goal to hop the log clean just before the descent into the beach and nailed it each lap; accomplished! The final descent into the beach was a blast being able to pick my line through the rocks and blasting through the beach, although a couple of times I overcooked it at the left bend and got into the soft sand at the edge of the tape.

Finished 8th of 17

All in all, it was a fun race with a great course layout; probably one of my favorites this year. Good vibes all around and I finally ran into @vanseggern1 before heading to work - perks of racing Cat 5 dawn patrol; can race and work in the same day. As I get more involved in training and working up to next season, I NEED to get my weight down to my goal by next season and start working on getting consistent lap times where I'm currently losing around 15-25 seconds per lap, each lap. I wanted to race Bubble this year so held back on my voluntary upgrade until after this race. Submitted the request this evening and approved, so I'll be rocking with the 4s the rest of the year!

Upcoming - Sussex, Supercross double weekend, and AppleCross to finish out the year
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Sly Fox -


I came down with a mild head cold last Wednesday and spent Thursday and Friday on the couch. I took it super easy because i wanted to race. I'm getting my racing legs, but the bad taste in my mouth from bubblecross remained. I know may be meaningless (or is it?) but my cross results number is way too high. (I was predicted to come in NINETEENTH in this race).



The dropped chain and ensuing lost spots definitely cost me some, but let me take a step back.

I teetered back and forth on just skipping cross all together. Eventually my wife told me to go all in. So my season started late and I've been playing catch up ever since.

So as i was laying around on Thursday and Friday I was focused on avoiding a possible setback. That was my number 1 priority.

On Saturday afternoon I had a chance to test my legs so i got on the trainer and to my surprise they felt not shitty. I was still coughing up some junk, but I was able to hold a decent amount of power and keep my HR where it would be if i didnt have a cold. This is a benefit of a trainer - having a controlled environment where you can measure yourself by the numbers.

I get to the Sly Fox brewery at the perfect time, change into warm up gear and immediately jump into the course. Holy Shit. 75% of the course is tame. It's situated around the brewery with some parking lot, grass/mud turns, some sketchy off camber mud slick spots which are rideable if you are brave, but the real highlight is the "Fox Den" (or maybe it was the Fox Pit). Its a steep downhill, into a mud puddle, and then a crazy run up. If you are a super hero like Kerry Werner, you can ride it.

Now - Here is something NJ cant do - They had a bartender selling cans which allowed the crowd to stay by the action. They also had the announcer/DJ on a platform overlooking the pit and giving a play by play of the racers attempting to ride up the hill. This was place to be, and where i took most of my pictures.

After you get up and over, you do a little section including barriers, then you make your way back down the pit but on a sketchy off camber with a few options but none are really better than the other.

I get 3 total warm up laps in between the races before mine. I did a decent warmup on the trainer, glued my number on, had to do a double take to make sure it was not upside down, which is surprisingly hard to tell when you're looking at your reflection in your car window.

I get to the start finish 20 minutes before because last PA CX race i missed a first row call up and started in the last row. Well, it didnt matter. I still got a last row "call up" (is it a call up if you're in the last row?). I have points in the series, in the category i was racing, so I'm not sure why I got hosed. Unfortunately there is no protest period for call ups so I prepared myself for an all-out hole-shot effort. Looking at the guys right in front of me, i was more worried about them clogging up the real estate than not being able to pass them.

The whistle blows and i'm looking for holes. I do a pretty damn good job of sneaking and squeezing. There was approx 55 starters so I had about 6 or 7 rows of riders to get by. Unrealistic, but i wanted to get to the top 5 by the time we got in between tape. I think i cracked the top 20. Not enough.

Once in the grass it was tight and twisty and hard to pass. I was aggressive to a fault at times, but i was still making up spots.

As i made my way into the pit, I had no aspirations of trying to ride up the hill. I carried my speed up as far as it would take me while still being able to dismount smoothly then run. I must have ran passed 2 or 3 guys each time on the first 3 laps. All these mud races with run ups gave me some leg conditioning and i was running past people. The crowd was cheering and I was pumped.

3 laps of the same, and I am still making up some spots but they are farther and fewer in between. Kinda like a bag of popcorn popping in the microwave. Got to stop it until it burns.

And that what i needed to do because my legs were feeling it and I felt a twinge of cramps.

I tired to settle into a maintainable flow, but i was past the point of no return. I lost a spot here and there and then I started to ride a little sloppy. It was a constant battle of finding traction in the mush. Every mistake meant losing seconds and energy trying to spin out of mushy grass.

On the last lap I let it all hang out and managed to maintain my position. I felt guys creeping but i was riding stuff that others weren't, and hopping logs that others were dismounting. This gave me a bit of breathing room to start the lap. Lucky because i kept making stupid mental mistakes caused by fatigue. In the last grass field I was able to see behind me and saw I was in the clear. This was a relief because if i was challenged I didn't have shit left.

I cross the finish and go right to my car to recuperate. After a recovery shake and a cool off, I change and make my way back to the results. I really had no idea where I was. I assumed it was top 10ish but I had no idea how many of the leaders snuck away when i was stuck in traffic. I saw I came in 7th. I was kinda eh with that, even though I was picked to come in 19th.

All I thought was that I could have possibly came in 4th if i didn't bleed those spots. I think i needed a top 5 to call this race a success. I'd like to blame the call up or lack thereof, but i'm not using that as an excuse. I got a little over aggressive at the beginning and paid for it at the end. Not that I would do anything differently. I think this strategy gives me a better chance at a good result, then being patient at the beginning and pick off guys as the race progresses. The only change i have to make is to start the season on time, and accumulate some points in these series so i'm not sitting in the last row.

As far as the race overall, It's no North Hampton, but it was also only 1:15 from my house. It had the best vibe, atmosphere, biggest crowd, beer, food vendors, etc of any race this year. Looking at SCCX, i'm glad i made this race. I'll be back next year.
 

choop

Well-Known Member
SCCX 40+ Masters

I didn't think they could take a power course and make it even less technical, but i seemed like it from the past couple of years since I started racing. 3 or 4 long straights and a couple of climbs. I wasn't sure where my power was, and I feel like my body is really efficient at the moment, but I don't have anything over the top. Even reaching a HR over my threshold is tough to do for multiple minutes. I saw some of the guys that prereg'd and in all honesty, a big goal was to finish on the lead lap.

We do the normal routine. Drive 1.5 hours, saw hello to the folks we know and jump on the coure with the boy. Even at his pace I realized that it was going to be a fast course with 7 minute laps being dropped. We check out the course and go eat pbj's while the next race is off. Take care of pinning up and get ready so we can jump on course again in between. We get another lap in and I set up the trainer for him (He decided he needs it for his race. He's very pro) and then I jump on the rollers. Soon enough its time to hit the grid and I give a couple fake starts to pass by the time. I gab with @xc62701 for a few until the 3's go off.

I don't usually get good starts but I did here. Hit the climb in second position and just held the wheel. But of course the train of dudes that belong in the front smoothly passed on by and it was a chase for a few minutes until I find the effort to settle in at. So lap one I get passed by a few people and don't panic. Until I realized it was a field of 9 and anyone that passes you puts you in jeopardy of DFL. Ugh. So I slowly start bringing 2 spost back in and open the gap. I think the group of 3 ahead of me have 30-40 seconds on me But I can't seem to bring it back. And such ends the race. 6/9 but I finish on the lead lap so I guess I accomplished something. I remember 2 years ago being completely green and thinking the 3's were some serious fast dudes. But now that I am a 3 I am having a hard time comprehending the fitness required to be competitive against the 1's and 2's in the masters field. Things to try try and figure out for next year.

So next up is the juniors race. This is by far my favorite part of every race day. These kids have come so far since last year, and even this year. Its so fun to watch.

So last week at bubble I didn't think my boy was very focused. Always looking behind instead of ahead and not riding stuff confidently like he normally does. So we looked at a bunch of pictures through the week to review line choices etc. and we have lots of pep talks. Since he was off Thursday we did 20 miles in Allaire with his bud JT and I showed them a few new trails and some stuff that is a bit more technical for 24" wheels. I think he got a bit more confidence and I was hoping it would come through for him.

I finish my race and quickly change and head over to the grid before they start. I go over all the stuff we talked about, but mainly when you get in a group, you stick the wheel and do not let it go. He has a tendency to bridge to a wheel and be happy about it, get complacent and then let the gap open back up. I head over to the pit and the pit actually had great views of the course. He gets an ok start but uses the climb to get back into the group. Midway through lap one he is in a group of 3 and hanging right in. On the beginning of lap 2 they hit the climb and group of 3 becomes a group of 2 with the boy hanging tough. They come past the pit and head to the off camber and they are racing. You can see them making attacks and closing them down. This is awesome to watch. They come back to the zig zag before pit 2 and Ian clips the back wheel of the boy ahead of him. He puts a foot down to stay upright but gets a bit flustered and a 5 second gap opens up. He gets back on the gas and by the time they hit the road he has mostly closed it down and they are back together on the climb. At this point the dads in the pit are pretty stoked to see 2 kids racing and not just riding hard on the course solo. They come back to pit 1 and the boy charges to get to the off camber first and he didn't quite get there as the door was shut. But somewhere between there and the other side of the lake he attacked and made it stick to the finish line. He finished 5th in the 9-14 group. A really great result for him and hopefully a confidence booster he can build upon. I went and congratulated the other boy he was racing against cause it was super fun to watch them both.

We pack up and make the ride home. For once I could just put the bikes away and didn't need to clean them or break them down immediately. I almost forgot that it was possibe to have a clean bike after a race.

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Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
North Hampton

Northampton, 1 word. I suggested to Sean they rename it Noframpton, because Peter Frampton wasn't there.

As someone who started way in the back yesterday at NoFrampton, I can say that it's really GD hard to close that gap. I mean literally 90 seconds into the race the guys out front are 45s ahead. I remember coming up on the turn to the barriers on lap 1 yesterday and the lead guys were coming out the exit turn already, and I'm thinking that goddamn, that's a massive lead already.

That's a good job to scratch up to 7th though.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
So lap one I get passed by a few people and don't panic. Until I realized it was a field of 9 and anyone that passes you puts you in jeopardy of DFL.

You didn't have to worry about that. I had that spot well taken care of.
 
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