NCCX 2009 Fall Series #9

Sunday, December 6 was the 9th and final race of the NC Cyclocross 2009 fall series at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons. Watching the UCI race in Hendersonville two weeks before was too much to take, so I scored a Redline Conquest from Carolina Fatz and dipped my toes in the cross pool for the first time. With a typical 6-year-old's affinity for mud, Addy joined me for his first cross event, too.

The course at Tanglewood was fairly flat, although mud from the heavy rain late in the week slowed things down and made for a more technical ride. Temperatures remained cold all day, with the high never getting out of the low 40s and the air feeling much colder. With this being the final race of the fall series, the vibe was considerably laid-back, with cold beer on tap and brats on the grill all day.

Addy hit the track first for the kid's race, which consisted of one lap around the flatter section of the course. The only real snag for him was not being able to lug his bike up and over the obstacles, despite ample cheering by the nearby beer gallery. I was able to team up with him to get his steed over the obstacles, and he was on his way to the finish. He was the second kid to finish the non-competitive event. Word has it that Santa is checking out a new bike that comes in under the 33-lb behemoth he's riding now.

I raced in the men's Category 4 event, a 30-minute race that traversed the circuit three times. This category was by far the largest of the event, so my plan was hang around the back and get used to the unique technical skills required in cross without taking anyone (or myself) out. This appeared to be a good plan as the field experienced a pileup just seconds into the race. I avoided the mayhem and ran into no further difficulties during the race. In fact, my crash-course in cross technique over the previous two weeks seemed to pay off, as I not only negotiated the technical sections of the course with no problems, but typically passed others who struggled in these sections. Overall, I overtook 2-3 people per lap and steadily moved up in the field. As of this date, the results haven't been published. Now that my addiction to cyclocross is complete, I am looking forward to the NC Cyclocross winter series, which starts in January.

As for my bike, I converted my Redline Conquest to a 1x9 drivetrain. I tossed the cranks that came on the bike in favor a set of SRAM Rival cranks in my preferred 175mm arm length. I used a 39t chainring in combination with a 12-26t cassette. The gearing seemed fine for the Tanglewood course, although I would maybe go with a 38 or even a 36 for a hiller track. The stock Shimano Tiagra shifter and rear derailleur shifted fine initially but became unpredictable as the drivetrain became muddy. I used Challenge Grifo XC clincher tires, which have a fine diamond tread designed for drier, faster conditions. However, they are considerably lighter and more supple than the Continentals that I picked up for mud, and I didn't seem to give up anything to anyone else due to traction. I used the Alex wheels that came with the bike, and although heavy, I'm going to go ahead and wear them out before stepping up to a more performance-minded wheelset.

INJURY UPDATE: Amy is recovering slowly but steadily and is in her 4th week post-crash. Most bumps, bruises and road rash have healed up, but she still has a lot of soreness. Her 3-week follow-up with her orthopaedist revealed two additional breaks in the clavicle, which have already calcified and appear mostly healed. She is looking at 12-16 weeks for complete recovery, although she is hoping to get back on the bike in time for her new team's training camp in Chapel Hill at the end of January.

NC Cyclocross Grand Prix

We headed to Hendersonville yesterday to watch The North Carolina Cyclocross Grand Prix. For family and friends who don't know what cyclocross is, it is a form of bike racing that is part road biking and part mountain biking. Popularized in Europe, a cross bike looks very similar to a road bike, with with a frame designed to shed mud that is common during the fall and winter cross racing season. In addition, cross bikes use wider tires than road bikes, often with knobby tread patterns to tackle off-road conditions. Cross races are typically 30-60 minutes in length and are run on a mostly off-road circuit course of around a mile. Cross racing is unique in that courses are designed to force racers to dismount their bikes and jump over obstacles at different points over the course. Short, steep climbs, often requiring riders to carry their bikes, are typical as well.

The race in Hendersonville was part of the NC Cyclocross 2009 fall race series. The weekend's racing featured internationally-sanctioned divisions for elite men and women, meaning that the respective fields, which were comprised of some of the top national cross racers, would also earn points toward their international ranking.

Below are pictures of the "wall" at Jackson Park during the elite women's race. Despite the steep grade of the climb, most racers sprinted hard before the climb and grunted their way up without dismounting.


Our buddy Paul with Amy and her broken collarbone/conversation piece, watching the action at the wall.

Below, the elite women are hitting one of the other steep climbs on the course. This climb required riders to dismount, jump over two obstacles, and run with their bikes to the top of the climb.

Here are a couple of videos of the wall, which was situated just before the start-finish line.

One Tough Broad

"Snap back to reality, up, there goes gravity.."

While Eminem wasn't rapping about cycling, the reality of riding a bike is that, at some point, every cyclist will confirm the laws of gravity and hit the deck. This past Sunday, approximately 2.5 hours into a training ride south Black Mountain, Amy crashed while descending a mountain at 30+ mph. After hitting a disguised rut in the road, she lost control of her bike and flipped over the handlebars, landing on her head and left shoulder. Although unconscious when myself and teammate Frank got to her, she quickly came to as Frank called 911. Despite being in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, the first responders were in church right at the top of the hill, so help arrived almost instantly after the call was placed, with EMTs from the local VFD around the corner arrived soon after. The first-response care was excellent and we are forever indebted. Amy experienced amnesia for the day's events, but even by the time the ambulance arrived, her memory was steadily returning. Evaluation in the ER at Memorial Mission hospital in Asheville revealed a broken left collarbone but no concussion, her crushed helmet having done its job. Follow-up evaluations on Tuesday confirmed no hidden head trauma. Additionally, a follow-up x-ray of her collarbone revealed that it broke in a manner in which a child's more elastic bones would, stymieing her orthopaedist and making for a very clean, non-displaced break that will heal well with a much lower chance of calcification.

In a testament to her character, Amy has taken this painful rite of passage in stride, still claiming that it pales in comparison to pushing out a 9-pound baby boy after 26 hours of labor. We of the male gender are having to take her word on that one. In fact, her first question to her coach was, "How long before I can start training again?" Tough indeed. So, Amy has come out of the experience with more resolve as she looks toward racing in 2010, and we had a bonding experience with teammates that was unwished for but nonetheless positive. Erica, Frank, Joey, Andy, we are glad you were there with us.

And to all you kids out there - stay in school, say no to drugs, say your prayers, and ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!

Bank of NC Short Track Mountain Bike Race

Saturday was the third race in the Bank of NC Short Track mountain bike race series in Harrisburg, benefitting the Cabarrus Rotary Club. The 4-race series takes place at Harrisburg Town Park, which features a NORBA-style 3/4-mile short track. The local mountain bike club put together a great track including a downhill singletrack section with berms, a grassy cyclocross-esque grassy section coming into the start-finish stretch, and a short, nasty climb.

Conditions were near-perfect, as we enjoyed weekend temps in the mid-70s. Ahhh, the summer we never had, right smack in the middle of November. The rain from two days ago left the trail in excellent shape.

Amy's teammate Erica Chard hit the loop first for the day, competing in the women's Cat 3 division. With some snap still left in the legs after a season of road racing, she paced the eventual race-winner and finished a strong second. Above, Erica is coming off the upper half of the singletrack downhill section and cresting a short hill before finishing the downhill.

Since my last race, I was invited to join the Asheville-based Velosports Racing Team for 2010. Above, new teammate (and Erica's boyfriend) Frank Obusek begins the grind up the steepest section of the climb during the Cat 2 40+ race. Frank also rode strongly to finish 3rd.

Rounding out the day, I entered the singlespeed division for my first mountain bike race of any kind. Above, I'm coming out of the grass track and heading into the gravel start-finish double track.
Grinding through the steepest section of the climb in my crisp, new Velosport kit. Pushing a 32x18 gear, in hindsight I probably would have given up a little on the downhill sections in favor of being able to spin a little bit more on the climbs.

Hitting one of the berms on the upper downhill section.

Another shot of the upper downhill section. Amy handled the photography for the day.

Grunting up the short climb separating the upper and lower downhill sections.

Cresting the top of the climb. I rode my Redline Monocog 29er, set up by singlespeed and fixed gear guru Chris Jordan. Steel and fully rigid with Sram 175mm Hussy downhill cranks, Thomson seatpost, Ritchey stem, saddle, and bars, Surly stainless chainring. Wheels are Salsa rims laced to Surly singlespeed hubs, handbuilt by Chris, with Maxxis rubber.

Hitting the finish line after the 45-minute effort. I came across the line in second place or last place place, depending on one's interpretation of the half-filled glass. With only two entrants in the singlespeed division, I was assured of at least second place. As the other singlespeeder sprinted away from me at the start line, my placing was secure. Regardless, the results show second place. It was a fun event, well-organized on a great course, and a fantastic day. Next week is the last in the race series, but it will be at night. Time to break out the lights!

Fuji Track Comp Shakedown

Yesterday we headed to the Mellowdrome in Asheville to put Amy's new Fuji Track Comp through it's paces. This was Amy's first chance to experience the fixed-gear bliss of being completely connected to the bike combined with the occassional terror of having no brakes and no coasting. The Track Comp is stock with basic track goodies: aluminum frame/carbon fork, 165mm house-branded cranks, 32-spoke Alex wheels, 48x17 gear.

Apple Festival 5k

On Saturday, October 17, we ran in the Apple Festival 5k in Taylorsville. Par for the course, it was unseasonably cold and wet. However, the rain managed to stay firmly anchored over Morganton, making conditions for the run simply cold and damp as opposed to cold, damp and raining. This Apple Festival course is a very interesting course through part of the residential area of downtown Taylorsville, consisting of lots of up and down over several streets. It has grown considerably, attracting twice the number of runners as last year. Unfortunately, with growth comes growing pains, and the event's scoring system was ill-equipped to deal with the number of runners. As a result, placings were either completely mixed-up (Amy), or lost altogether (Jim). Despite pledges by the Alexander County YMCA to improve on this for next year, it provided considerable frustration this year. Even after feedback was given, I am still not listed among finishers, nor do I know how I stacked up against my age group. I know I finished the same time as Amy (23 minutes, 55 seconds). At least Amy's time was officially recorded, although awards for her age group were fouled up, and Amy was listed as 4th place when she finished in 1st. Fortunately, her age group consisted of honorable women, and at the insistence of the runners, the appropriate placings were awarded, with Amy recognized as the winner of the Women's 30-34 age group. We believe she finished 4th overall among women, although the final results are invalid. Hopefully things will improve for next, as this is a neat course that provides a break from the flat, often uninteresting courses that can make up 5k races.

Greenville Cycling Extravaganza

We returned to Simpsonville, SC for our final race of the season: the Brookwood Church Criterium, part of the Greenville Cycling Extravaganza weekend. The course consisted of a 1k loop with a technical left turn-right turn section just before the uphill finish. Both of our events were 30 minutes plus two laps.

I set out with the Category 5 35+ field for the earlier of our two events in picture-perfect weather.
Beginning my uphill sprint coming out of the technical turn section. I actually led the field during the first lap, but paid for my insolence by striking my pedal on the pavement and almost taking out the field. Fortunately we all kept the rubber side down and no blood was shed.

Despite my improving fitness, the result was the same: off the back after a few laps. I did catch another casualty of the high pace of the field and we worked together for the remainder of the race, holding the field off from lapping us until the last lap. I have much work to do this winter.

The Women's Cat 4 race was... sparsely attended. Comprising 50% of the entire field, Amy set out from the start line with only one other competitor.

Sprinting out of the technical section, Amy was in her element on the long, sweeping uphill section toward the start-finish area.

The two-up race provided a strange experience for both spectators and the two participants. The two chatted early on and even traded prime laps with each other (free socks! 3 pair!) As the race progressed, the paced quickened as the two sized each other up and plotted strategy. Amy took a conservative approach, choosing to work together until the final stretch, when she attacked on the final climb and took the long sprint for the win, pictured above.

Amy's first crit victory capped off a great season. Time to rest up before starting training for 2010.

Lowes TT Series Finale

This past Wednesday was the final event for the Lowes Time Trial Series. After five of six events, Amy was poised to win the women's 30-34 division series, and despite not being a series contender in the top-heavy fixed-gear division, I was looking to continue my trend of improving my time. After a summer of soggy weather, conditions were near-perfect, with temps in the low 70s and almost no wind, a rarity at the speedway.

I finished my last gallop of the year in 25 minutes, 32 seconds (23.49mph), a new PR and good for 5th in the fixed-gear division and equalling my best single-event placing for the year. I finished 7th out of 16 for the over series.

Still fatigued from her half-marathon effort on Saturday, Amy clocked a time of 26 minutes, 2 seconds at an average speed of 23.05 mph. Despite being 30 seconds off of her PR set last month, she still had her second-fastest time to date. More importantly, it was more than enough to secure first place in her division for the overall series, capping off a great year in which she lowered her time by over four minutes.

Starting just 30 seconds apart, we spent much of the race in close proximity. Good bud Will Turk got this cool pic of us on the front stretch.

The 2009 women's 30-34 Lowes Time Trial Series champion.

The medal presentation in the speedway winner's circle.

Speaking of our good friend Will, he posted some additional pictures and very entertaining video at his blog site. Please check it out here!

Carolina Cup

This past Sunday, we headed to Greensboro to race in the Carolina Cup. This was the 37th running of the Cup, which bills itself as the "longest running bicycle race in the South." The Cup is raced in the Greensboro Country Park, which is located in the historic area near the Guilford County Courthouse. The Cup course is a 1.6-mile loop through the park, making it either a long criterium or a short circuit race, your pick.

Hamming for a self-photo by Amy before the racing ensues.

Waiting to take the start line for the men's Category 5 race, my first mass-start race since 1994.
Ready to roll out for the 25-minute Cat 5 event. The field heads through the start-finish area after completing the first lap.

Coming through on the first turn.

Concerned that Amy would not be able to get good photos of me in my first crit in 15 years, I allowed the field to go on ahead of me so that the shots wouldn't be cluttered. As I cross the finish line above, it is clear that my strategy worked. Taking the glass-is-half-full approach to my post-race analysis, I did not finish last and at least managed to finish ahead of the guy wearing a t-shirt and sneakers and using toe clips. Also, I did not get lapped. This is a dramatic improvement considering I got lapped in 100% of the crits I entered in 94.

After the men's Cat 5 race, Amy toed the start line with the Category 4 women for a 25-minute event.
Employing a slightly different strategy than I, Amy chose to stay with the leaders during her race. Above, Amy comes through the first lap and heads into the first left-hand turn in 5th position.

In the first photo above, one has a nice view of the start-finish stretch (the red fencing and tents on the back of the pond), the first left-hand turn, and the start of the first and longest climb on the circuit. Amy's approach to this section of the course was to take the safer outside line through the first turn and then use her climbing skills to move to the front of the field on the climb. The first photo shows Amy beginning to move up the pack, and in the second she moves to the front during the steepest section of the climb as it turns left.

Approaching the last section of the first climb, positioned perfectly near the front. Among many positives, Amy stayed with the front of the field for the entire race. While the course is not technical in a tight, criterium sense, it is challenging in that it has several short hills, the longer first hill with a left-turn in the middle, and a winding layout, making it difficult to get in a rhythm. It is a scenic and beautiful setting for a race.

Coming through the first turn at the start of the final lap. Unable to both cheer loudly and take photos at the same time, I did not take any photos of the finish. Amy finished just behind the lead finishing group, capping an excellent day in her first criterium-esque race.