Good write up in the local paper

As long as we’re showing off our rigs, Here’s my Tricross Comp.

I have it set up as a singlespeed using an ENO eccentric hub in the rear and recently swapped out the 44t chainring that you see in the picture for a more reasonable 36t. It sees action in both the geared and singlespeed events, but will be relegated to a pit bike for the geared events as soon as I finish building up my new Kona Jake the Snake:

I was able to snap up one of the few remaining Kelly steel CX forks and am planning on building it up as a 1×10. I can’t wait to get this baby built up and on the course!

Nick

This one’s for Greg: pics from DFL #2

I sat this one out because I’ve been feeling kind of blah the last few days, but it looks like everyone had a great time.

Nick

Racers Encouraged to Sign Up for Better Staging

Kansas City, Kan. – Registration for the 2007 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City‘s Wyandotte County Park opens Saturday, Sept. 15 at 12:01 a.m. CDT.

Only online registrations through the event’s official website, www.kccrossnationals.com, will be accepted. There is no day-of-race registration for the event, which will be held Dec. 13-16.

Athletes will be staged based on their order of registration, with the exception of those who qualify for seeding position (2006 place winners, former national champions, UCI point rankings in elite categories, etc.)

Check out this article from Sheldon Brown

I had big-time stutter problems with my 1st all carbon Alan fork. It stuttered so bad I thought it was going to snap. I lengthened the yoke wire super long and it helped a lot.. I ended up selling it and getting a Ritchey WCS fork and problem was solved.

Cross Training Race Night.
Boom Island, Mpls

2nd of six training nights built for beginners, but an opportunity for others to get in a good workout. I counted maybe 50 people, lots of newbies, lots of faster peeps. Here are some shots.

My fitness seems to be coming around. Lower back hurt about 20 minutes into the final half hour. But lungs and legs felt good. I didn’t push them too much, maybe even took it a little too easy, trying to stick to my plan.

Dismounts and re-mount skills are coming back. Better than last week. I take too many steps after a barrier to remount, but I rarely double-step anymore. In time.

Bike dialed in.

Things are good.
fpa

I think that is how the saying goes.

Last night a friend of mine met me up at the Breck cross course to do a couple laps. He showed up on a full-suspension mountain bike and said that he has never tried cross before. He’s been racing for years, but has never dipped into the dark side. I did a lap with him and watched him struggle on the run-up and the barriers. It was time to show him the basics. I’ve been racing cross for 12 years and I’m by no means the fastest guy out there, but after years of transitions on and off the bike I have that part down pretty well. I showed him the tricks of getting off your bike – unclip the right foot, swing it behind the saddle and put your right hand on the top tube and step through. He, like most learned the shuffle dismount and then grab your bike. After a few times doing it the most efficient way he saw the “light”. We then worked on mounting your bike with the slight thigh-brush to saddle slide and again the “light” came on. He thought that we just hopped right onto the saddle – Ouch! I let him take my bike for a lap and I took his mountain bike. I looked back and saw the permagrin on his face – cross bikes are fast……… We got done with the lap and he said “i’m sold and I’m buying a cross bike”… So, give back to your fellow crossniacs. Show them some tips and you’ll change someone’s life.

I’m teaching another guy Thursday night at the Breck Nordic Center at 5:30 if anyone wants to show up.

Start on a slight uphill double-track (50 yards), then hit a slight downhill fast double-track, to a tight turn to a short gravel road section, turn left back into nordic center, here you will encounter a narrow ditch – stay in the middle of it, back to double-track, to a nasty short steep run-up, to short pavement section, to a short single-track section to double track to a single barrier, mount on the top of the small hill and there will be a hard left corner (pay attention here or you will run off course or hit a tree), back to fast double-track, to a slight climb (make sure that you save a little here), to a fast downhill under a bridge to a steep climb with a double barrier that is in the middle of the climb to a run-up (this is why you need to save yourself on the 1st climb), this section will make or break the race for you. Back to fast double-track to the start finish.

I’ve ran the course on a couple set of tires and anything will be fine. It’s a little bumpy and there are some rocks, so make sure you don’t pinch flat.

My Kona! with my new set of FMB`s compliments of Molly Cameron at Veloshop!!

The race rig is ready for the 07-08 campaign. It's light, fast and I'm not
worthy! The paint was done here in Colorado Springs by Spectrum Powderworks,
lots of ghost flames. The Spooky Carbons are super tedious to install and
required some modifications so if you've ever thought of a set talk to me
first.


Chris