I've been gone for a long time.
I haven't retired, but I have changed. I rarely log miles on here, but I'm still active.
I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan (from Texas), and I've picked up a new bike and a new hobby.
I am venturing into cyclecross.
Any tips and pointers before I clip in and test the trails this fall?
Help! The mounting and dismounting looks very challenging.
Cheers,Brian
Life Goals:
#1: Do what I can do
#2: Enjoy life
Hey, I sold my tri bike, road bike, and parts from my old cross bike and got a new bike that happens to be a cross bike but I'm not riding cross although I have done one cross race and thought it went well enough. It was intense, similar to running 8-10K XC.
What did you get? I got a Santa Cruz Stigmata and love it. If I ride once a week I call it a win. I'm not training for anything riding related. It's just for fun.
I've seen cross folks do a lot of drills to improve those things. I've even seen clinics. There's probably a lot on youtube.
In my youth I did some mountain bike racing and noted lots of guys really wanted to ride the tough stuff. It was odd because I found it faster to dismount and run past them with the bike. It was a race after all! I found the practice of rapid dismount and remount helpful. Perhaps you throw it in your riding on stuff that you might otherwise ride over. Eventually it becomes second nature.
rectumdamnnearkilledem
I've been gone for a long time. I haven't retired, but I have changed. I rarely log miles on here, but I'm still active. I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan (from Texas), and I've picked up a new bike and a new hobby. I am venturing into cyclecross. Any tips and pointers before I clip in and test the trails this fall? Help! The mounting and dismounting looks very challenging. Cheers,Brian
Um, dude...I live in Grand Haven!! Are you doing Kisscross?! They are fun races. Very low key. I just sprained my ankle last Weds. so I am probably out for the entire season. I missed the first race. DH does them and DS is considering. I will hope to be at a few of them heckling.
So you have to check out our bike shop (3rd Coast Cycles in Hudsonville) and do some shop rides with us. We ride Tues nights, Weds night gravel (DH is generally a ride leader for both), Sat AM.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
And, yeah, really dismounts and remounts are about practice. My dismounts are OK, but my remounts...ugh. I run so slow that I always fear that I won't have enough momentum to keep moving before my feet find the pedals. There are definitely some good YouTube tutorials about different ways to accomplish these.
Zoomy,
I know. I knew.
Yes, KrissCross.
I'll check out your bike shop, but I'm on the east side of GR (by Ada).
I went to the first race last weekend near downtown to spectate and I was hooked. Bought a bike the next day.
I got a 2015 close out Cannondale. Haven't ridden it yet. Busy moving in the new house. I'll ride soon!
Hope to see you some weekend soon!
Cheers,
Um, dude...I live in Grand Haven!! Are you doing Kisscross?! They are fun races. Very low key. I just sprained my ankle last Weds. so I am probably out for the entire season. I missed the first race. DH does them and DS is considering. I will hope to be at a few of them heckling. So you have to check out our bike shop (3rd Coast Cycles in Hudsonville) and do some shop rides with us. We ride Tues nights, Weds night gravel (DH is generally a ride leader for both), Sat AM.
Village people
Wow, that sounds great! I had my eye on a very nice cross bike this spring. Can you post a pic?
Did you get a SuperX? DH LOVES his! We need pics!!
I'm not good at posting pictures.... (I don't know / remember how).
It's kind of a boring bike. People from 2015 didn't buy it, and 8 months of people in 2016 didn't buy it. It was gathering dust in the main US distribution center.
It's basic gray without much color. Got green tape to give it some color until my first mud run race changes it to brown! .I'll try to post pics, though.
It's a Cannondale Super X, but I'm not even sure what model it is.... My brother in law said "buy this one", and I bought it. It's relatively basic (carbon w/ maybe 105 components?), and I may upgrade to a titanium bike next year if I really like this style of racing.
I hope to race it Sunday, but I haven't even put a mile on it yet! Won't be fast. Will try to avoid last place in the beginners class but not confident in my skills. I'll keep you posted!)
Will try to avoid last place in the beginners class but not confident in my skills.
Ha, that's where I'm still at several years after my first CX race!
I have a Ti CX bike...it's awesome, but still probably weighs about the same as my previous low-rent aluminum Redline. The disc brakes add a lot of weight, BUT they actually work, which cannot be said for the crappy cantilevers that were on my previous bike.
I'm hoping to be there heckling. I'll look for ya'!
Made it to the starting line. Race starts in 15 minutes. I'm such a novice at this style of racing!!
Sweet, you're doing the Sport (formerly known as B) race! We bailed. All 3 of us are battling various stages of cold bugs. Now it's a long gap until the next race, IIRC...end of Oct.? We'll miss that one, as we'll be in FL for a JDRF ride event. Bummer, since the Halloween Kisscross race is always huge fun with costumes.
30th out of 33 in the Sport Masters.
Wow! Fun but hard. There were hills and I was getting used to the terrain and the bike. I'll be back in a few weeks for the next race.
Yes, KerCan
That's really pretty awesome! I think the 30 minute "beginner" race is still brutal. You jumped in with both feet!
+1 nice job getting out there.