Nittany Cross 2015
- Thread starter audi666
- Start date
You say this like it's a bad thing?
Dutch Frog
Member
So, how did everybody like riding the leech-field mud bog!? has every body got pink eye yet? Staff infections? Was everybody's bike as broken as mine? Please lets here all your gory details from nittany mud bog 2015!
The Heckler
You bring new meaning to the term SUCK
@BiknBen (I believe) got a great video instagram of the start of the Mens 3/4 race through the bog. Looked like I was about 6th or 7th. Matt Bruno came running up the right FAST setting pace to his win. I lost momentum just out of frame and lost contact with the front dudes.
I found running was way faster for me. I made a lot of passes running by guys riding. The "right side wide line" was the best bet riding but it just taxed me way too much. If you ran the inside you could minimize time in the mud, and it transitioned to firmish ground pretty quick on the left.
I found running was way faster for me. I made a lot of passes running by guys riding. The "right side wide line" was the best bet riding but it just taxed me way too much. If you ran the inside you could minimize time in the mud, and it transitioned to firmish ground pretty quick on the left.
@The Heckler, you were smart to run. Your pit-bike is a bag with a post-race sandwich and a chocolate milk in it. Less debris on the A/only bike = more happy. Strategery!
The turns after the mud pit were where the fun was. No brakes and still lots of mud caused some funny whoopsies.
@Chris26er called one in spectacular fashion. We both found the good line through the slop and came out actually carrying some speed. Some guy was trying to prevent us from flying by so he was hard on the gas. Chris said "watch this guy"... And less than 2 seconds later the guy slid out and we almost ran him over.
@Chris26er called one in spectacular fashion. We both found the good line through the slop and came out actually carrying some speed. Some guy was trying to prevent us from flying by so he was hard on the gas. Chris said "watch this guy"... And less than 2 seconds later the guy slid out and we almost ran him over.
I rode the mud bog and in retrospect I should have run it. Not only would it probably have been just as fast/faster - would have definitely kept the bike cleaner and helped on later laps.
I still struggle sometimes with the idea that even though Cross is a "Bike Race" it doesn't mean riding is the fastest/best choice. Maybe I'll figure it out one of these days.
Still had a blast and it was awesome watching the UCI men tear that course up!
OMG between Utah complaining about cross and you complaining about the complainers. I'm gonna run you into a barrier or something. SEE WHAT I DID THERE?!?!?!?!
I loved this race. Just did day 1 and it was good times. I skipped the double because I'm old and fragile, like a Ming Vase but uglier and fatter and slightly less cobalt-colored. Really enjoyed being out there and racing. I'm trying to avoid doubles this year to keep the interest up. Already looking forward to next weekend.
Last I saw him, his legs were burning from embro, and he had a chunk of leg missing right below the knee. But otherwise he was in good spirits?
keithgarrison
Member
Super fun weekend. Did my first pair of UCI races, didn't die, didn't totally embarrass myself, didn't get fined for being ugly or pinning my number on wrong. Almost made the lead lap on Saturday but couldn't catch Oishi's group, so overall a success! Thanks for cheering everyone.
What happened to Lou??
@pearl - How are you feeling today? Super glad you're alright. Hope there's no hard feelings between the MTBNJ crew and KK.
What happened to Lou??
@pearl - How are you feeling today? Super glad you're alright. Hope there's no hard feelings between the MTBNJ crew and KK.
Delish
Well-Known Member
After a full day in the rain with two toddlers we didn't have it in us to go back for round 2.
Sat went as well as I could have hoped for. The UCI random number generator gods hate me. I think I've been about the person called up just about every race and Saturday was no exception. #94 bib of 95. @Dominos raced W's UCI race and finishing on the lead lap (woo hoo!) but it meant a 51 minute race for her leaving about 9 seconds between the end of her race and staging for my race. Thus, my warm-up consisted of walking over to ask @Norm if he could watch the boys then coasting down the hill to staging.
The nice thing about starting waaaaay in the back is you can see the inevitable 1st lap crashes coming from a mile away and mostly avoid them. The downside about starting waaaay in the back is that the leaders already had 1 minute on me by first pit crossing. I had to put a foot down on the hill near the MTBNJ tent on the first lap after @keithgarrison got pinched there in front of me. Also, tripped on the steps 1st lap and nearly face planted but saved it somehow. Other than that it was a clean race for me. I followed Festa for the first couple laps and we picked off person after person. He checked out on maybe lap 3 then I was stuck in no-mans-land of a lap or two before picking up a couple guys. There was a pack of 7-8 guys about 10 seconds back for laps 3-6 or so until a group of 3 finally broke the elastic. For laps 7-8 I battled the 2 other guys lost a slow motion sprint for 33rd. Lead lap scrub zone status!
Interestingly, I found it much better to ride the down/up u-turn thingy. I rode all but once and though it was a little slower for me through that section, the guys who ran seemed really gassed on the next little power section by the pits. Riding it got tricky by laps 7&8--finding traction was getting tougher on the outside-outside-outside line. Wish I had the mind or the technical chops to try out the The Bosmans Line (outside-outside-inside) as seen HERE (srsly, watch it). I have no idea how he is doing that climb out of the saddle.
I love having the 3/4 race at the end of the day because it means I GET TO WATCH!
Sat went as well as I could have hoped for. The UCI random number generator gods hate me. I think I've been about the person called up just about every race and Saturday was no exception. #94 bib of 95. @Dominos raced W's UCI race and finishing on the lead lap (woo hoo!) but it meant a 51 minute race for her leaving about 9 seconds between the end of her race and staging for my race. Thus, my warm-up consisted of walking over to ask @Norm if he could watch the boys then coasting down the hill to staging.
The nice thing about starting waaaaay in the back is you can see the inevitable 1st lap crashes coming from a mile away and mostly avoid them. The downside about starting waaaay in the back is that the leaders already had 1 minute on me by first pit crossing. I had to put a foot down on the hill near the MTBNJ tent on the first lap after @keithgarrison got pinched there in front of me. Also, tripped on the steps 1st lap and nearly face planted but saved it somehow. Other than that it was a clean race for me. I followed Festa for the first couple laps and we picked off person after person. He checked out on maybe lap 3 then I was stuck in no-mans-land of a lap or two before picking up a couple guys. There was a pack of 7-8 guys about 10 seconds back for laps 3-6 or so until a group of 3 finally broke the elastic. For laps 7-8 I battled the 2 other guys lost a slow motion sprint for 33rd. Lead lap scrub zone status!
Interestingly, I found it much better to ride the down/up u-turn thingy. I rode all but once and though it was a little slower for me through that section, the guys who ran seemed really gassed on the next little power section by the pits. Riding it got tricky by laps 7&8--finding traction was getting tougher on the outside-outside-outside line. Wish I had the mind or the technical chops to try out the The Bosmans Line (outside-outside-inside) as seen HERE (srsly, watch it). I have no idea how he is doing that climb out of the saddle.
I love having the 3/4 race at the end of the day because it means I GET TO WATCH!
soulchild
Well-Known Member
I'm here... and yes... not in jail.............
Day 1
I had 2 guys rode ride into me and bent my hanger which put my RD into the spokes of my freshly built tubs so I had the top 2 high and low gears. Luckily the impact to the spokes was right above the hub flange so they didn't actually break but the wheel is all wobbly.
Day 2
Today was much a little better. I ran the mud pit the first 2 laps and it was way faster especially having started in the back of the field. I rode the rest of the way through the middle to the high side line which seemed to take less energy and I passed guys who started running just ahead of me by the exit. That first turn after the mud pit was really the only tricky turn. Coincidentally, I started going backwards by the end of lap 3. By the end, my drive train was pretty seized up like most of you I'm sure. In retrospect, I think running 'to' the high side and remounting there would have been the way to do it.
I ended up going down at the very end of the race in the 2nd to last turn and clipped my knee on the pedal (I think) which ended up taking a chunk of skin off. 2.99 races and no crashes, it was bound to happen. No big deal, I'm fine.
That's all I have to say (for now) about yesterday.
@Delish I could never figure that turn out. I ended up doing what the guy behind Bosmans was doing (out-out-out), but less fast down, less fast up, and less fast in between I'm sure. It was dry for us so traction wasn't an issue really. The squeaky brakes here were tough as the loud brake phenomenon is a distraction for me and I lose focus, so I go slower.