The Heckle Report

MixMastaMM said:
@Norm Suggestions on how to get the NJ series back on track?
Click to expand...

IMO the problem with the NJ Series is the "NJ" part. We ended up having to pay $2000 for a venue to race fewer than 200 people. Add in the $2000 you pay for USAC/reg/scoring and we make nothing. If it were to have poured that day we would have lost money. While we don't do it for the money we also don't want to lose team funds for the effort.

Also, both Vic and I tried to get involved as being part of the promoters meeting/gathering and they simply ignored us. I don't know how you can foster promoters wanting to be part of the series if you're not allowed to actually be part of the discussion around the series. Aside from the difficulties in finding a venue, this left a bad taste in my mouth and really didn't make me want to go the extra mile to try to find a venue.
 
Norm said:
IMO the problem with the NJ Series is the "NJ" part. We ended up having to pay $2000 for a venue to race fewer than 200 people. Add in the $2000 you pay for USAC/reg/scoring and we make nothing. If it were to have poured that day we would have lost money. While we don't do it for the money we also don't want to lose team funds for the effort.

Also, both Vic and I tried to get involved as being part of the promoters meeting/gathering and they simply ignored us. I don't know how you can foster promoters wanting to be part of the series if you're not allowed to actually be part of the discussion around the series. Aside from the difficulties in finding a venue, this left a bad taste in my mouth and really didn't make me want to go the extra mile to try to find a venue.
Click to expand...

I thought Vic is on the committee. Lets take this somewhere else and stop clogging up the thread.
 
In the last 4 weeks since my PNW vacation I've put in 52 hours on the bike, built 4 wheels, 95% of a race bike, organized a team kit order on top of working my 40 hours a week and trying not to be a shitty boy friend.

This weekend was one for the books, 6:30 alarm for Saturday morning threshold IN NEW VEST.
IMG_7823.JPG



An afternoon hike with Moe at Breakneck ridge
IMG_7825.JPG


7:30AM alarm for Sunday tempo which I rode my first hour with Moe, home, shower, food, out the door in 45 minutes flat to EWR, fly into CLT, make a detour to the the Pearl's lovely home, meet Jackmeister, Bill and Lisa then 1:15 drive up to my hotel in Winston Salem. And now 2 days at the plant for work.

WOOWEE, WHAT A RUN!
IMG_7826.JPG
 
2017 SEASON PREVIEW

Slash

Whirlybird 2017 Weekend Preview

Holy shit we made it. It seems like only yesterday I was barely riding one gear around the frozen ruts of Hartford CT in 19 degrees.

Somehow I've overcome the trauma that race cause me. Or maybe it's just been long enough that I totally forget the feelings I felt.

WOOP!!

2017-18 CXCXCX!!! I'm back with the Laughing Dog crew and trying to find my place in the sport for another year. I put in some FAT months pre-vacation and have tallied 5040.4 miles in 312 hours thus far this year. I broke 50 hours on 3 months and hit 55 hours this past august, just shy of 1000 miles. WOOWEE! Since vacation I've gone full structure and have been clawing to get back my fitness I lost over a piggy backed 5 day work trip and 2 week vacation. Today I'm still struggling to complete my threshold workout and haven't even thought about anything above Z4. I'm with Jacob Fetty of Cyclesmart again and the plan in to have me moving late October. Despite my thoughts on the subject he assured me my season isn't dead, but it will be a slow start.

THE SEASON PLAN!! Without dates, by weekend, sequentially.

Whirlybird

Nittany
Nittany

Townhall

Charm City UCI
Charm City UCI

Gloucester UCI
Gloucester UCI

DCCX UCI
DCCX UCI

HPCX UCI
HPCX UCI

Fairhill CX?
OFF

Northampton UCI
Northampton UCI

Supercross UCI
Supercross UCI

THANKSGIVING

OFF
OFF

NBX UCI
NBX UCI

NCGP UCI
NCGP UCI

.
.
.

RENO!***

***The only fucking way I'm making a trip to Reno is if I earn my way in. That is in the unlikely circumstance if I make the top 100 on Pro CX, or get close enough to protest in (even international racers can earn ProCX points) I will have to go. otherwise, efffff that noise.

NEW BIKE DAY!
Sweet baby jesus this thing came out wonderfully in my biased opinion. I was debating dropping less coin on a Macho Man then had some unexpected money fall into my lap which I decided to spend irresponsibly on another Wraith so I'd have a @mbruno level of pro matching made in America bikes.

As the story goes my Wraith Paycheck was the first disc one sold. Adam had done a run of 5 in that size with Easton EC90XD forks. AND I found out after I placed my order he was running a deal that weekend (labor day) that he would paint any color for no extra charge. Sick. MATTE BLUE!

FAST FORWARD! 2017!!

Adam moved to a different fork spec, I asked about me sourcing an Easton to make a full match and again about paint and one thing led to another and now I own a Standridge.
IMG_7905.JPG

IMG_7904.JPG


Bassboat Gold flake with a rainbow reflection. I really tried to figure out how to capture the color pop and I just can't. It REALLY comes alive in person. I have it set up to match teh Wraith and I already feel right at home. She's a total ripper!!

The Pink King x Stans Grails pictured with PDX's are mounted up tubeless and are actually the wheels for the Wraith. I pulled those hubs off of my china carbon tubulars and built them in. I have a pair of I9 roads x Stans Iron CX which are currently on slick duty that will take a set of Clement BOS tubeless for the muddy days and rebuilt my china carbons into Black Kings which will be glued up with some Clement MXPs.

I'm taking a step away from Challenge this year and back to Clement. My original tire was the MXP with tubes. I was impressed with the grip once upon a time. Challenge discontinued my favorite Fango, and while I have a few, two almost new, I want to try racing something else. and the new bike really calls for black sidewalls. This weekend I'll be on the PDXs and probably will hold off on putting the BOS onto the I9s until i can secure a rear disc training wheel, hopefully this week which means I'm racing one bike on Sunday!

Side Bar
Stanridge Vs. Wraith & who is Adam?
Adam Eldridge is the owner and builder for the custom frame brand Stanridge and the stock geo made in america batch production company Wraith. He sponsored a couple different UCI CX racers over a couple seasons and is possibly most well known for his track bike the Highstreet Pursuit along with some pretty successful racers piloting the rad Stanridge X Deathspray Custom Magnet track machines.
hgfs21qqw4py.jpg


Pretty slick machines. They caught my attention at the 2013 edition of redhook. I've been a inst follower ever since which is where I heard about the launch of Wraith. I've met Adam in person twice at KMC while still held in Providence and once last year at the Philly Bike Expo. He's really nice, approachable and hard working dude and pursues some pretty exotic designs. Give his stuff a look via the usual media outlets.

Lots of words and a few pictures. On to the weekend preview.

Weather looks primo for a nice day outside. Maybe not a mud fest like last year but W/E I dont really need that right now. Nittany might be wet.

I'm headed down to visit Ty in philly saturday night and will be leaving from there for the race Sunday morning. Race predictor has me a bit puckered. I would really really love to do well but am fighting some serious butterflies and doubts about my strength on the bike at the moment. Best case is I make back a few bucks from that $45 reg fee. Worse case is I die.

lol

Hope to see some familiar faces out there!

I can't believe cross is here already!

OH!

BONUS PROJECT!!

I'm building Moe a new bike. We've been dating the better part of 3 years now I've never attempted to pressure or even encourage her into riding bikes. Last yearon her own she scooped a 54 Kona Jake which is a bit on the big side and has been riding a couple times a week on her own.

We've talked about what she likes and hates about that bike I i hatched a plan to build her something new and something I think is cool as well. I set out looking for a $400 steel frame. Maybe a Soma or something. Despite my best efforts the canti brakes are meh at best on the Kona. I have 10speed disc wheels and BB7 brakes in the bin so Disc CX was a no brainer decision. We decided to start with flat bars and have the option to move to drop bars and brifters in the future.

It's hard to find a "cool frame" in the size you need. I lucked out. and found a wraith. Used, with Whiskey carbon fork, CX1 cranks + Froce 1 rear D, headset, Thomson post $650 shipped. I'm donating half of the build parts and buying the remaining items. All in all we'll be in about $850 for something that is already shaping up to be a really cool build. I think we should be able to unload the Kona for $150-200 which takes us to $650-700 total.

not tooooo shabby. More on this project later. Expected completion before next weekend!
 
Last edited:
Holy crap dude, multiple posts next time. Good luck this weekend and season. Those bikes are siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick.
 
The Heckler said:
2017 SEASON PREVIEW

Slash

Whirlybird 2017 Weekend Preview

Holy shit we made it. It seems like only yesterday I was barely riding one gear around the frozen ruts of Hartford CT in 19 degrees.

Somehow I've overcome the trauma that race cause me. Or maybe it's just been long enough that I totally forget the feelings I felt.

WOOP!!

2017-18 CXCXCX!!! I'm back with the Laughing Dog crew and trying to find my place in the sport for another year. I put in some FAT months pre-vacation and have tallied 5040.4 miles in 312 hours thus far this year. I broke 50 hours on 3 months and hit 55 hours this past august, just shy of 1000 miles. WOOWEE! Since vacation I've gone full structure and have been clawing to get back my fitness I lost over a piggy backed 5 day work trip and 2 week vacation. Today I'm still struggling to complete my threshold workout and haven't even thought about anything above Z4. I'm with Jacob Fetty of Cyclesmart again and the plan in to have me moving late October. Despite my thoughts on the subject he assured me my season isn't dead, but it will be a slow start.

THE SEASON PLAN!! Without dates, by weekend, sequentially.

Whirlybird

Nittany
Nittany

Townhall

Charm City UCI
Charm City UCI

Gloucester UCI
Gloucester UCI

DCCX UCI
DCCX UCI

HPCX UCI
HPCX UCI

Fairhill CX?
OFF

Northampton UCI
Northampton UCI

Supercross UCI
Supercross UCI

THANKSGIVING

OFF
OFF

NBX UCI
NBX UCI

NCGP UCI
NCGP UCI

.
.
.

RENO!***

***The only fucking way I'm making a trip to Reno is if I earn my way in. That is in the unlikely circumstance if I make the top 100 on Pro CX, or get close enough to protest in (even international racers can earn ProCX points) I will have to go. otherwise, efffff that noise.

NEW BIKE DAY!
Sweet baby jesus this thing came out wonderfully in my biased opinion. I was debating dropping less coin on a Macho Man then had some unexpected money fall into my lap which I decided to spend irresponsibly on another Wraith so I'd have a @mbruno level of pro matching made in America bikes.

As the story goes my Wraith Paycheck was the first disc one sold. Adam had done a run of 5 in that size with Easton EC90XD forks. AND I found out after I placed my order he was running a deal that weekend (labor day) that he would paint any color for no extra charge. Sick. MATTE BLUE!

FAST FORWARD! 2017!!

Adam moved to a different fork spec, I asked about me sourcing an Easton to make a full match and again about paint and one thing led to another and now I own a Standridge.
View attachment 56992
View attachment 56993

Bassboat Gold flake with a rainbow reflection. I really tried to figure out how to capture the color pop and I just can't. It REALLY comes alive in person. I have it set up to match teh Wraith and I already feel right at home. She's a total ripper!!

The Pink King x Stans Grails pictured with PDX's are mounted up tubeless and are actually the wheels for the Wraith. I pulled those hubs off of my china carbon tubulars and built them in. I have a pair of I9 roads x Stans Iron CX which are currently on slick duty that will take a set of Clement BOS tubeless for the muddy days and rebuilt my china carbons into Black Kings which will be glued up with some Clement MXPs.

I'm taking a step away from Challenge this year and back to Clement. My original tire was the MXP with tubes. I was impressed with the grip once upon a time. Challenge discontinued my favorite Fango, and while I have a few, two almost new, I want to try racing something else. and the new bike really calls for black sidewalls. This weekend I'll be on the PDXs and probably will hold off on putting the BOS onto the I9s until i can secure a rear disc training wheel, hopefully this week which means I'm racing one bike on Sunday!

Side Bar
Stanridge Vs. Wraith & who is Adam?
Adam Eldridge is the owner and builder for the custom frame brand Stanridge and the stock geo made in america batch production company Wraith. He sponsored a couple different UCI CX racers over a couple seasons and is possibly most well known for his track bike the Highstreet Pursuit along with some pretty successful racers piloting the rad Stanridge X Deathspray Custom Magnet track machines.
hgfs21qqw4py.jpg


Pretty slick machines. They caught my attention at the 2013 edition of redhook. I've been a inst follower ever since which is where I heard about the launch of Wraith. I've met Adam in person twice at KMC while still held in Providence and once last year at the Philly Bike Expo. He's really nice, approachable and hard working dude and pursues some pretty exotic designs. Give his stuff a look via the usual media outlets.

Lots of words and a few pictures. On to the weekend preview.

Weather looks primo for a nice day outside. Maybe not a mud fest like last year but W/E I dont really need that right now. Nittany might be wet.

I'm headed down to visit Ty in philly saturday night and will be leaving from there for the race Sunday morning. Race predictor has me a bit puckered. I would really really love to do well but am fighting some serious butterflies and doubts about my strength on the bike at the moment. Best case is I make back a few bucks from that $45 reg fee. Worse case is I die.

lol

Hope to see some familiar faces out there!

I can't believe cross is here already!

OH!

BONUS PROJECT!!

I'm building Moe a new bike. We've been dating the better part of 3 years now I've never attempted to pressure or even encourage her into riding bikes. Last yearon her own she scooped a 54 Kona Jake which is a bit on the big side and has been riding a couple times a week on her own.

We've talked about what she likes and hates about that bike I i hatched a plan to build her something new and something I think is cool as well. I set out looking for a $400 steel frame. Maybe a Soma or something. Despite my best efforts the canti brakes are meh at best on the Kona. I have 10speed disc wheels and BB7 brakes in the bin so Disc CX was a no brainer decision. We decided to start with flat bars and have the option to move to drop bars and brifters in the future.

It's hard to find a "cool frame" in the size you need. I lucked out. and found a wraith. Used, with Whiskey carbon fork, CX1 cranks + Froce 1 rear D, headset, Thomson post $650 shipped. I'm donating half of the build parts and buying the remaining items. All in all we'll be in about $850 for something that is already shaping up to be a really cool build. I think we should be able to unload the Kona for $150-200 which takes us to $650-700 total.

not tooooo shabby. More on this project later. Expected completion before next weekend!
Click to expand...
Awesome!!! That's one hella schedule! See you Sunday.
 
2017 Whirlybird 1/2/3 & Weekend

SATURDAY!
I woke up and finished building up Moe’s sick new Flatbar CX whip, AKA Kool Hybrid. I told her part of the deal would be she would assist me building and learn something about my dumb hobby. I showed her pretty much the whole process and had her putting on pieces, rotors, tires and cables the whole way through. I feel like the best way to learn something is to take it apart, and/or put it together. Moe had some family stuff so we only had time for a 20 minute parking lot rip but she looked 1000% more confident and comfortable. Later in the day I got a couple snaps from her 26 mile afternoon rip. Pretty stoked about adding bicycle adventures!

I did my warm up ride and headed down to Philly to see Ty’s new place and shill for the night. I asked about dinner and he asked “how do you feel about Indian?”

You silly? Of course I want Indian!

ENTER INDIAN SIZZLER

Yeah that’s the name. I was so excited Saturday night I didn’t scoop a picture, but the windows had the light up LED tracks with blue lights running circles and for $9 you could have ALL YOU CAN EAT indian buffet. Dudes, I had two massive entrée places and ricepudding/sugar balls for dessert. I left in pain. The following two hours of my evening was spent melting into a couch in total agony. Not “bad indian” pains. Just “maybe could have toned down seconds” pains.

Ty and Candice has all of the bathroom accessories. An add on bidet and a squatty potty. I can’t describe to you how my brain works but I decided to stand on the squatty potty for my pre-bed wiz and instantly went into an uncontrollable laugh. No, I didd’t pee from the second floor, the act of standing with a changed perspective was enough.

Then of course I decide to be polite and put the seat down. NO PROBLEM! Right?

WRONG!

Along with the toilet accessories is a small collection of plants which make some rainforest vibes. One plant has long vines and hangs just over the toilet. I don’t notice but one of these vines is caught between the seat and the lid. As I’m bent over closing said lid the plant jumps from it’s perch and knocks me in the back of the head.

So there I am, drunk on Indian Sizzler, laughing hysterically again, covered in potting soil assessing the damage left in hurricane Matt’s wake. I hear laughter and questions of concern from outside and I open the door holding the plant apologizing to Candice.

Laughs are had, I clean up the mess and it’s off to slumber land on a couch just a little too short for me, but boy was it still comfy.

SUNDAY MORNING

I woke up twice in the AM. Once was a lucid dream filled with an entire morning of mundane apartment hangs that were totally all plausible Sunday hangs. The second time I actually awake and immediate am relieved by my lack of any stomach pains. INDIAN SIZZLER FOR THE WIN?!?!

We grab coffee and a cookie, pack up and hit the road. Dunks for coffee #2 and bacon & egg on a bagel + French cruller. Yumm.

11:00 venue, numbers, familiar faces, change and pre lap. Similar to the last 2 years but they shorten the climb on the lower field and removed the low grade out and back after the woods. OH! AND AFTER SO MANY YEARS THEY REMOVED THE PINWHEEL! WHAT GIVES?!?! Is it even Whirlybird without the pinwheel?

I’m generally impressed with the amount of people and tents I see kicking around. They re-worked some layout and moved Reg by staging, added parking near the garden had a taco truck by the S/F, the grilled cheese place by the hockey rink (maybe they should have been near staging too) and what appeared to be the owners of the property adjacent to the start chute selling coffee and baked goods (on their property side of the staging which was kinda funny.)

I remember how skeptical I was of the new course 3 years ago but it’s really a total blast at race speed. The 3 changes really took a lot of physical and mental suffering out of the course and made for a relatively painless 8 lap first race.

I line up with #2 on the front row. 1 minute. Time passes, I make a joke and the whistle blows. Did we get a 30 seconds? Probably. So I miss the jump and go out midpack. I move into the inside lane for the first corner which is really pretty tight for holeshot speed. Momentum carries everyone ahead of me to the outside, people panic brake and I slip up the inside totally free. I move up a few spots and slot in around 5th on the downhill and ride with the front train for half of the first lap.

My wheel loses touch with the front 5 on the straight away and I come around, dig and almost reconnect. I string off a little by the end of the lap but the front is near. Lap 2 and 3 is some drafting and jogging positions. A Guy’s guy comes around and I follow a wheel for a few until I lose touch coming out of the lower field. Again my meager sprint lends to me losing wheels out of corners which is devastating before the straightaways. I’m sitting exactly where I predicted I’d be, first person chasing the lead group, gapped. I’m pulling away from Scott a little each lap and start really losing ground on the lead group starting the 4th lap.

Jeremy B and Mike Y fall of the front group and a couple efforts has me thinking maybe I can catch them. We yoyo a bit but they have each other to race /draft/pull and lil ol me is stuck alone. Like usual, doing a CX TT. I close 8 seconds on lap 7, but split with even times on lap 8 which is enough for 6th for the second year in a row.

@mbruno and Symon gap 3rd and finish a minute ahead of me, and Matt secures the MAC leaders jersey WHICH IS LIT!! Congrats bud!

I really wasn’t expecting much from this race other than pain. I was hoping to make payout and was expecting a crippling agony for an hour and was stokedwhen I didn’t totally pop and die. I never really found the dark place where I wanted to get off my bike and throw it into the high grass, AND I was pleasantly surprised by a ~10% increase in power numbers over last year on a similar course. It was dryer this year, but it’s also a month earlier AND I’m yet to even touch intensity training over threshold. Considering my 3 weeks off in July, no races or top end since LewMo I’m pretty damn happy with how yesterday went.

Lap Times
6:58
7:01
7:00
7:11
7:15
7:19
7:16
7:12

https://www.strava.com/activities/1178110737

Right now I’m in much better headspace than last year. Non-bike life is more fulfilling, work has been challenging but rewarding. Things with Moe are really good.

In other news Jim gets married end of this month and we had the talk. I’m being evicted but have until January to get out. I have a lead on an apartment in Madison, and an additional possibility in Summit. Hoping to find a place in the Madison/Morristown area because bikes, work, shop, etc.

OH one final race thing. My teammate Tyler won the Cat 3 race by 30 seconds on a singlespeed. 38-16. Homie has an upgrade coming his way soon!
 
Good job yesterday. Your food intake still scares me. Negative splits on the last three laps... solid. Madison? Nice.... Damn, Tyler ripped the legs off the B's on a SS???
 
You are what you eat.

My Halloween Oreo intake has been through the roof the last 3 days and I've been sleeping like a rock.

Correlation?

Probably.
 
Nittany 2017 - 1/2/3 NON-UCI
I'll try to keep this one brief.

Nittany was a non UCI event for the first time this year for as long as I've been going. I was wondering how the vibes would be and I'd say on the whole the numbers were still mostly there compared to the last couple years for every class but the Men's and Women's A race.

not tooooo shabby.

I missed pre-reg (BECAUSE IT CLOSED WEDNESDAY AT 3PM) so I showed up and payed my $55 both days. (OUCH) Such is life. Oh, also that meant my 6th place MAC finish at Whirlybird was useless. yayyyy go meeee!!!

Last row call up on a 30 person field is still 3rd/4th row. Both day's really weren't that bad. Saturday I lined up second lane from the left looking to find some inside holes to sneak through.

GO!

I get a good jump and hit my pedal. Full bore sprint into the first left hander. Momentum pulls traffic to the outside and I hear some squealing brakes and unclipping. We come through the start finish and I'm riding back 1/3rd and the left lane is WIDE open. I sprint up it hitting the quick uphill right hander from the outside with SO much speed I air it out. Left lane is still all mine and I dive bomb the inside of the immediate left hander and move myself closer to the top 10 then the bottom 10.

Damn, that was a perfect start for me. I wish I had it on go-pro. Maybe my best (or luckiest) sequence of moves at a start ever.

The top field is super twisty and every corner is a late brake with explosive sprint. Power on the first lap was 15 watts higher than lap 2 and something like 15 seconds slower. Such a waste of energy, but if you want to hold your position you need to gas that first lap. I'm not strong enough to ride through an A-field. I noticed both days I mostly held my spot and watched the guys ahead of me slowly pull away.

nitt1.JPG


Saturday was one of the hottest races I've ever done. Velodrome sign was reading 85 and the sun was blazing. 30 minutes in I noticed for as hot as I was I started getting chills.

Halfway in Bill Elliston rides up and makes a pass. Marcus is just ahead of us and I follow Bill wheel for a while. His lines are smooth but the guy ahead is inching away and I'm getting impatient about how little it feels like I'm working. I make a pass on bill and gap him, never really closing that gap back up. Marcus catches me with a few laps to go and we yoyo a bit. He attacks and pops with one to go and falls off, but recovers and catches back on the last lap. Coming down the off cambers before the stairs he crashes and I attack. BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH, and he catches me wayyy before the finish. Bill is on my heels and Sean Burger is not far behind him the whole race. I hold my ground and roll across in 12th. $$$$ siiiick $60 bones!

Way too hot.

Lap Times
7:45
7:29
7:41
7:43
7:52
7:57
7:58
7:47


Sunday was much more of the same with a tougher start. I didn't move up very fast and only found my way into the teens halfway through the first lap. The sunday course is wayyyyyy faster. It takes the leaders a lot longer to drop the field in that direction. I make some aggressive sprints on the long stretch along the top field and a couple inside corner exit passes in the cornering section. Someone calls out 13th and I curse that I'm in the money.

I connect with a dude named Gregg and we ride the last 4 laps together. GROUP RACING!!! GROUP RACING!!! I FOUND A GROUP!!!

A group of 2, but non the less a group!

butt
nitt2.JPG


We did great work together swapping pulls on every power section, calling passes and dropping encouraging words. I notice I'm getting jammed behind him in the corners ever so slightly. Thats the plan.

Last lap we stop talking and I'm doing all of the work. I start to ramp it up right before the stairs and really turn it on exiting the woods on the last couple corners. I have a small gap and sprint the downhill in the drops to make space before the last couple corner complexes. I grow my gap by a couple bike lengths, hit the barriers at full tilt and keep on it through the last section of twisties.

11th! SIIIICKKKK

I sprinted a lapper at the line. LOL. didnt get him.

Lap Times
7:16
7:09
7:08
7:19
7:13
7:20
7:21
7:16

another 60 bonez! siiiickkkkkk

AND A COUPLE SHOTS OF @rsinger814! Congrats on the top 10 Sunday!
nitt3.JPG

nitt4.JPG


I'm yet to get through my Sunday photos. Ugh.

 
Last edited:
The Heckler said:
Nittany 2017 - 1/2/3 NON-UCI
I'll try to keep this one brief.

Nittany was a non UCI event for the first time this year for as long as I've been going. I was wondering how the vibes would be and I'd say on the whole the numbers were still mostly there compared to the last couple years for every class but the Men's and Women's A race.

not tooooo shabby.

I missed pre-reg (BECAUSE IT CLOSED WEDNESDAY AT 3PM) so I showed up and payed my $55 both days. (OUCH) Such is life. Oh, also that meant my 6th place MAC finish at Whirlybird was useless. yayyyy go meeee!!!

Last row call up on a 30 person field is still 3rd/4th row. Both day's really weren't that bad. Saturday I lined up second lane from the left looking to find some inside holes to sneak through.

GO!

I get a good jump and hit my pedal. Full bore sprint into the first left hander. Momentum pulls traffic to the outside and I hear some squealing brakes and unclipping. We come through the start finish and I'm riding back 1/3rd and the left lane is WIDE open. I sprint up it hitting the quick uphill right hander from the outside with SO much speed I air it out. Left lane is still all mine and I dive bomb the inside of the immediate left hander and move myself closer to the top 10 then the bottom 10.

Damn, that was a perfect start for me. I wish I had it on go-pro. Maybe my best (or luckiest) sequence of moves at a start ever.

The top field is super twisty and every corner is a late brake with explosive sprint. Power on the first lap was 15 watts higher than lap 2 and something like 15 seconds slower. Such a waste of energy, but if you want to hold your position you need to gas that first lap. I'm not strong enough to ride through an A-field. I noticed both days I mostly held my spot and watched the guys ahead of me slowly pull away.

View attachment 57470

Saturday was one of the hottest races I've ever done. Velodrome sign was reading 85 and the sun was blazing. 30 minutes in I noticed for as hot as I was I started getting chills.

Halfway in Bill Elliston rides up and makes a pass. Marcus is just ahead of us and I follow Bill wheel for a while. His lines are smooth but the guy ahead is inching away and I'm getting impatient about how little it feels like I'm working. I make a pass on bill and gap him, never really closing that gap back up. Marcus catches me with a few laps to go and we yoyo a bit. He attacks and pops with one to go and falls off, but recovers and catches back on the last lap. Coming down the off cambers before the stairs he crashes and I attack. BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH, and he catches me wayyy before the finish. Bill is on my heels and Sean Burger is not far behind him the whole race. I hold my ground and roll across in 12th. $$$$ siiiick $60 bones!

Way too hot.

Lap Times
7:45
7:29
7:41
7:43
7:52
7:57
7:58
7:47


Sunday was much more of the same with a tougher start. I didn't move up very fast and only found my way into the teens halfway through the first lap. The sunday course is wayyyyyy faster. It takes the leaders a lot longer to drop the field in that direction. I make some aggressive sprints on the long stretch along the top field and a couple inside corner exit passes in the cornering section. Someone calls out 13th and I curse that I'm in the money.

I connect with a dude named Gregg and we ride the last 4 laps together. GROUP RACING!!! GROUP RACING!!! I FOUND A GROUP!!!

A group of 2, but non the less a group!

butt
View attachment 57473

We did great work together swapping pulls on every power section, calling passes and dropping encouraging words. I notice I'm getting jammed behind him in the corners ever so slightly. Thats the plan.

Last lap we stop talking and I'm doing all of the work. I start to ramp it up right before the stairs and really turn it on exiting the woods on the last couple corners. I have a small gap and sprint the downhill in the drops to make space before the last couple corner complexes. I grow my gap by a couple bike lengths, hit the barriers at full tilt and keep on it through the last section of twisties.

11th! SIIIICKKKK

I sprinted a lapper at the line. LOL. didnt get him.

Lap Times
7:16
7:09
7:08
7:19
7:13
7:20
7:21
7:16

another 60 bonez! siiiickkkkkk

AND A COUPLE SHOTS OF @rsinger814! Congrats on the top 10 Sunday!
View attachment 57472
View attachment 57473

I'm yet to get through my Sunday photos. Ugh.
Click to expand...

That was hella brief, bro.

Congrats on beating Bill. I don't think I've ever done that. He's never not fast.

The Day 2 endgame is all about hitting the woods first. So hard to pass after that. People who say Nittany is a boring grass crit aren't going fast enough.
 
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