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.
