Scott Genius

This is what I'm riding this year. Actually, I'm riding the 2009 model, but they are mostly the same. The 2010 has the Twinloc feature allowing you to adjust the front and rear suspension on-the-fly from the handlebar, sweet!

Thanks to Rich Anderson I am in the Ouachita Challenge again this year. Unfortunately, I had assumed I wasn't racing it so I'm a little behind on the training. I'll see what I can do over the next month to get ready!

Mudslinging...

Time to harden up and get some time on the bike. Would like to go on some of the Guru's Gravel Grinders, but its hard to justify driving so much when I can just ride out the door. Maybe when they come back to this side of the metro.

So I got in an epic gravel/mud ride on the MTB this weekend. Saturday was warmer and wet so I went exploring the non-pavement in eastern Jackson and Lafayette counties--71 miles of mud splatter. Should have taken some pictures, I was definitely looking messy at the Higginsville Casey's. Listened to iTunesU the whole time so it was educational too!

Here's the route:

View Gravel Loop - Higginsville in a larger map

Looks like some "e-mudslinging" is going on too, check out http://sandbaggerkc.blogspot.com. On a related note, I got the results sheets from Andrew Coe. So for those who care about such things, I should have the Kansas City CX rankings updated through the whole 2010 season this week.

Now that it has gotten cold again, I would think the trails would be rideable. Maybe I'll try to turn some laps out at Landahl.

2010

Theoretically it is time to start getting ready to race for the 2010 season. However, we're in the middle of a cold snap that has kept snow on the road and temps well below freezing. Compound that with 10 days in Costa Rica with 90+ temps, and I am not so motivated to get out on the bicycle. Of course, I am never motivated to get on the bicycle indoors! Living in San Diego made riding at this time of year pretty easy. I'm missing that climate right about now!

Does this count for cross-training?

My goals for 2010 are under development at this point. I know at least that I'll be racing almost exclusively on the dirt this year. I didn't get into the Ouachita Challenge (but maybe I'll pick up an entry when someone cancels) so my season may kick off a couple weeks later than last year. The race calendar looks promising with multiple regional MTB race series and several local/regional endurance races. Hopefully the weather cooperates and we don't have any cancellations or postponements.

I'll be riding with support from Scott this year. I'm thankful for the assistance and look forward to riding and racing with their superior products.

One important goal for me is to help Luke Lininger have a successful last road season in the juniors. His goal races for this year are Nationals in Bend, the Tour of Red River Gorge, and the Tour de l'Abitibi in Canada. If the Soto Classic is the Worlds Qualifier in 2010, that'll be an A race too.

Look forward to seeing everyone out on the trails and roads.

CX Nationals 2009 in Bend

Although Bend is kind of a pain to get to, it turned out to be a great trip. Got to see some old friends in Portland and Bend. KCCX was a well-oiled machine thanks to Bill, Tom & Dean.

Saturday I rode the Masters 40-44 race. I had a front row starting position, so I would have no excuses if I didn't get a good start. I rode okay, I was running 7-9th most of the race. With a little more punch and I could have ridden up to probably 5th. On the last lap, the officials let way too many lapped riders continue and I ended up getting taken down and slipped back to 11th at the finish. Without the interference I am pretty sure I would have finished 9th. I just realized this morning that if I had finished 9th I'd have a guaranteed front row next year, arrgh! C'est la vie.

Started, but didn't finish the Elite race. I rode a few laps and got taken down multiple times. I banged up my hand pretty good and could not hold the bar and brake too well. I was really unimpressed with the quality of riding in the bottom half of the field. I don't recall it being so bad in 2007 or 2008.

So I think that pretty much wraps up my cyclocross season for this year. A big thanks to KCCX and all the sponsors: Scott USA, Maxxis, Challenge, Verge, SRAM, Outlaw Earth, Serfas, TRP, Easton. Another big thanks to Tom Price for wrenching this year, and to Dean Parker for helping out with the Nationals trip. And last, but not least, props to Bill Marshall for making everything happen.

Jingle Cross

Last weekend was up in Iowa City for Jingle Cross. This year it was three races with a night race on Friday. I skipped the Friday race, but drove up with Luke so he could ride the 2/3 race.

Conditions were a little different than last year. The ground had more moisture and made for very sticky mud. There was a lot of equipment damage this weekend, luckily I avoided all that. We didn't get any fresh snow or rain so the course stayed sticky throughout the weekend. Rode the Maxxis Mud Wrestlers all weekend and they handled the conditions well.

Friday and Sunday had a new downhill that has not been used in years past. Also, Sunday didn't have the decent down the run-up section, the officials deemed it too unsafe.

I rode okay: Saturday I was 20th in the elite, Sunday I won the Masters 35+. All in all about what expected given the state of my fitness right now. The team did pretty well, Tom Price won all three 45+ races and Alex was 1st, 3rd, and 4th in the Cat 2/3 races. The Sunday 2/3 race was awesome to watch as Andrew Coe, Alex, Troy Krause and others battled it out lap after lap.

This week Boss Cross #4 and MO CX Championships in Hermann.

KC Cross Rankings updated through KS Champs

Peruse, obsess, enjoy: http://sites.google.com/site/kccrossrankings/home

St. Mary's in the Mud

Great day for cyclocross! It was raining for most of the night and morning before the race, setting the stage for slippery and muddy conditions. It was probably about 40 degrees for the 1pm start. The race preceding ours, combined with the continuing rain, tore up the grass and churned up the mud for the Open race.

We rode up the bricks for the start with Shadd and Brian leading on to the grass, while I sat in third. The first grassy section was a left then a right on a slight uphill to the pit. Right away Shadd started to pull away so I moved by Brian after the second turn at the wheel pit. The next section was cool with a slow-speed, muddy, slippery, left-then-right turn combination. This was followed by a gradual fast-but-straight downhill section. I was within a few seconds of Shadd here and it looked like a gap was developing behind me.

After the downhill there was a tricky high-speed right-hander. I had tested this turn during the pre-ride and it could be ridden without brakes if you got the line right. This turn was followed by a slimy mild uphill and a few sharp 180+ degree turns. The next section was defined by downhill right-hand turn followed by a sweeping left. This was tricky, but again could be ridden without brakes and pretty fast if the line was right.

Following this was a tricky little muddy kick-up and then a tractionless short gradual uphill section. This ended up being my trouble spot for the day. I bobbled the kick-up half the time and just couldn't get much traction on the following uphill. Probably needed to run a couple PSI lower in the rear tire.

As for tires, I ran the Maxxis Mudwrestlers, which were great. I was railing the corners fast and smooth. I ran 30/35 and this seemed to work for the most part. Only my lack of confidence and skill kept me from finding the limit of their capabilities.

By the time Shadd and I hit the run up on the first lap it looked like we had a big gap, 30+ seconds. We were both more than a little surprised at how big it was so quick. The rest of the course was fairly straightforward, with the exception of the thicker muddy section along the pond on the low side of the course. I rode the left tape every time and didn't have any major problems getting through each lap.

Shadd had more horsepower than me today and was able to pull away from me, but the technical portions of the course allowed me to keep him close. I would yo-yo, from right on his wheel to 5-10 seconds back, throughout the race. Late in the last lap, Shadd fell and I came back up to his wheel and passed him briefly. But, I had no intention of taking advantage of his fall after he had led most of the race and had the stronger legs. So, Shadd took the win and I was second. Brian managed to move up through the field to take 3rd and Scott Dunsmuir got 4th (not 12th?!).

Thanks to everyone who made this race happen, especially whoever cleaned up the men's shower room afterwards. I am pretty sure we didn't "leave it in the condition we found it" like the sign directed.

The end of a full week of bike-related activities: Thursday - KCCX/VERGE Fundraiser, Saturday AM - 3hr MTB Ride; Saturday PM - KC Sprints; Sunday - Cyclocross.

KC Cross Rankings Updated through Veterans CX

Have at 'em!

http://sites.google.com/site/kccrossrankings/home

Tweaking the KC Cross Rankings

I have been working on developing a new algorithm for calculating the KC Cross Rankings. I am doing this because:

1. Crossresults's points are generated at the end of the week (rather than Mon or Tue)
2. Crossresults.com is more susceptible to errors than a local system will be
3. I have some different ideas about how to calculate the points

I need your help. On this site you'll see the output of a couple different algorithms I am working on. I'd appreciate any comments you could offer about which ranking list better reflects reality. I am sure there will be different opinions, but I'd like to see some opinions from people who race in the categories I am less familiar with.

Please leave your comments on this post.

The URL: http://sites.google.com/site/kcrankingsdev/home

Weekend Off

This weekend I opted to not race and hit the trails on the Scott Genius 20 instead. The weather was outstanding for some low-key hours out at Landahl. Many others had the same idea as there was a ton of cars in the parking lot. Strangely, I didn't see too many people out on the trail. The trails were in great shape, but there was a healthy covering leaves. In a few places the leaves were pretty slick.

Saturday I ran into Chris Johnson and a friend of his, and we tooled around for a couple of hours.

On Sunday I did some adventuring. I looked for and found the "ISH" trail. There really isn't much trail at this point, but it looks like it could be cool when its finished. I'm probably not much of a freerider, but it would be still be fun to have another trail to hit. On a related note, apparently folks have approval to start building a freeride trail at SMP too.

I also found a good hill climb that could be added to a race course sometime. It is an old jeep trail that pretty much heads right up the northwest bluff from the Truman access road all the way up to Family Trail (just east of where the new connector trail joins the existing trail). While it might not be a favored trail for all-the-time-use (because of erosion issues), it would definitely be a good addition for race days.

I also eyeballed how The Boulevard could be brought back into play with a climb up to Family Trail. I didn't spend to much time looking at the details, but I think it could be done from the fence up to the top of the bluff with a few switchbacks. I guess it would probably connect up with the technical offshoot of Family Trail.

I'd also like to cut in a CX course up in the fields by the Argo trailhead. It would be nice to have a practice course that wouldn't require competing with other park users or getting flak for tearing up the grass. I don't see why we couldn't have a semi-permanent course setup for MTB short track racing and CX practice/racing.