Well, here we are. The 2014 CX season has begun and I am again racing the best of the NW in the Elite category. Unlike the usual MFG starter at Big Finn Hill park in Juanita, we instead begin the season along the beautiful Lake Sammamish in Issaquah. A wonderful Summer spilled into the weekend with bright sunny skies and temperatures rising into the mid-high 80s - definitely feels like Summer-cross to me!
With some construction in the park, the MFG crew chose to mix things up with an entirely new course with the added twist of running the opposite direction of the past editions. This lead to an entirely new course feel, although the running along the beaches retained the leg-sapping efficiency of earlier years. Utilizing the sporadic trees, rutted and bumpy grass fields, and three stretches of sand, the course was an ideal mix of technical maneuvering, power, and running finesse.
Our Elite race began at the end of the day, ensuring that the sand was hardly ride-able and the looser off-camber sections were torn-up and rut-filled. Under the Summer heat, we lined up for the next hour of pain. I was lucky to receive a random call-up to start in the front row - a great way to start the season since it would mean less traffic in the early corners. As the whistle blew I clipped in and started to sprint down the stretch, only to have my starting foot pop loose (looks like it is time to tighten those pedal-releases)! I managed to clip in and get charging again, however I was now mixing it up at the back of the pack - so much for that call-up...
Diving into the first corners, I worked my way past some racers and tried to move to the front of the race. As we hit the first section of sand I was able to quickly navigate the winding riders and move up further. This happened again shortly after during the second sand stretch which occurred almost immediately afterward. I then powered through the winding course as it negotiated the trees and off-camber hills on the way toward the beach. Running along the 3rd section of sand was guaranteed for all racers due to the sharp hairpin entry and churned, loose sand. This section of beach was also the longest and left you drained by the end. I made up a few more spots here before we turned back into the trees and shot back toward the main part of the park. Flying out of the trees into a bumpy section of grass, we passed the pits and make a 180 to enter the double barriers before another 180. I was making up ground and could see the leaders just ahead! A few more bumpy stretches and corners lead to the pavement for a drag-race through the start/finish and begin the next lap.
Our laps were taking ~6 minutes, so we would end up completing 9 laps of the course. I managed to move up a little more over the next two laps before getting caught in complete no-man's-land and then getting caught by two racers behind me. We worked together for the next few laps, taking turns of ripping each others legs off as we raced along. This continued until lap 7 when I became unglued and began to yo-yo off the back. I managed to catch back on before lap 8 and then fall off again during the start of that lap. However, one of the riders messed up a corner and I then flew passed him. I was now chasing after the other rider (Mike Dicenso) and trying to catch his tail.
As we entered the final lap, I was feeling drained from the heat and exertion, however there were only a few minutes of pain left - leave it all on the course! I powered along the course toward the fleeting figure up the road. I managed to pass another rider who was completely burned-out along the final sand section and felt like I was making great progress. Back out into the main field and I flew into the barriers a final time. I had a mounting hiccup and ran wider than I usually did, figuring it wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, another rider had caught up to me and used the bumble as a perfect opportunity to pass. I immediately noticed the blunder and powered along to hold his wheel. With only a minute of racing left I was struggling to hold on and once we hit the pavement and he was still leading I knew I wasn't going to catch him for this race. We screamed down the pavement and finished the first CX race of the season. My official finishing placing - 9th (3 minutes behind the 2 leaders of the race) of the 22 starters. Not a terrible way to start the season since that was my overall best placement in a race last season and here I was starting there.
After some water (boy that was a hot race!) and cooling down, it was nice to chat with some of my competitors and look forward to a great season of racing. I was very happy with how my new On-One Pickenflick handled the course. The titanium frame was light for the long portaging across the sand, stiff under the continual accelerations, and comfortable over the rough and bumpy course. I guess the awesome Shimano Di2 and hydraulics couldn't have hurt the performance either!
Next weekend is the big Starcrossed race, with the Elite race beginning at 8pm! That should be fun as the night race is always a crazy affair. See you then.
Bike Racing, Fit Science, and Physical Therapy
September 9, 2014
June 24, 2014
On-One Pickenflick
Alright, now that I have had time to adjust position and put in some miles, I am ready to lift the curtain and reveal my new cyclocross bike, my primary race rig for the 2014 season. After spending much of last season adjusting to the BARON, I finally decided it just wasn't the right fit for my racing needs. It was a beautiful and lightweight steel racing machine, but something about the geometry and position compared to my Independent Fabrication Planet X made for never really feeling quite right. At the end of the season I knew I would be looking for a new race machine to pilot for 2014 (and hopefully to an even better season).
As many cyclocross racers know, last year was a big revolution in the CX world as the UCI and bike manufacturers finally embraced disc brakes in a big way, and the results on disc-equipped bikes kept rolling in. I have been riding a winter/commuter with cable-driven Avid BB7 brakes for a few years, so I knew about the benefits and downsides of the systems: improved braking performance under all weather conditions, more clearance for fenders (or mud!), as well as issues like increased weight and brake noise due to the pad tolerances. The weight issue was originally a deal-breaker for me, since I (like many racers) didn't see a need for the increased brake strength. After the news of many adventurous disc-adopters having braking issues at the 2012/13 US nationals, I figured it would definitely be a few years before I would try to race on a disc setup. This all started to change right before (and during) race season in 2013. Shimano and SRAM were both launching hydraulic systems for CX use (modifying the successful systems they offer to the mountain bike crowds to work with drop-bars and road shifters). These systems would cut weight from a full-length cable-driven system and offer better modulation and rotor-pad clearance. With these changes, racers were noticing that they could brake later, and as such be faster around the course than a lighter canti-equipped bike.
Back to my bike hunt, I was now thinking that disc brakes might be an option. I began by looking into the common bikes, but after all my experience with steel bikes, I knew that I preferred that ride-quality to the harsher efficiency that I experienced with aluminum frames. Carbon bikes are definitely the best way to get a lightweight machine, and I started looking in this route. After some research and reading of reviews, I became interested in the On-One Dirty-Disco - a no-fuss frame from a company that has been doing the direct-to-customer deal for a number of years. On-One is part of the Planet-X family and distributed in the US out of Portland (something nice to know as it means they are close if I need anything). As I did more research on the bikes, I came across the blog of a Mr Alan Dorrington (CrossJunkie) who races for Planet-X/On-One over in England. Reading the blog, I came across the prototype titanium bike that On-One was developing. Immediately I became intrigued in this bike, the Pickenflick. It seemed to check all the boxes for a bike that would excel in the racing conditions we face out here in the Pacific Northwest (mud!). It features a lightweight titanium frame, massive clearance, and shaped tubing to aid in power-delivery as well as portaging.
Now that I was thoroughly interested, I began searching for more information on this machine. Due to the relatively small production run and recency of its release, there was surprisingly little online about the bike. After pouring over the CrossJunkie blog more, I reached out the the folks at Planet-X USA for more information. Brandon, their head of customer service, was great to deal with and we began discussing a custom Di2 bike they had built up for SeaOtter earlier this year. I met Brandon when they came up for the Evergreen Bike Alliance event at Duthie Hill. We talked more about the company, racing, and their line-up (which also includes Titus Titanium bikes) We hadn't finalized everything on the Pickenflick, so I couldn't ride away with it that day, however it arrived nicely boxed up just a few days later (see my earlier teaser post to see the awesome packing job).
I have now done some sizing adjustments and a few little trail rides around my house to get the bike fitted out and sort out any other quirks. While I haven't had a chance to put it through any all-out racing experience, I have laid out some power to get a feel for how the Pickenflick will handle the racing this Fall/Winter. Needless to say, I am very happy with everything. The massive chainstays transfer the power without any needless flex, though the chainstay/seatstays still absorb some of the bumps just as you expect from a steel or titanium bike. The head-tube is sculpted beautifully to handle the custom full-carbon tapered fork (which has plenty of clearance for any kind of mud I can throw at it). The top-tube is nicely ovalized to reduce pressure on your shoulder during portage (nicely tested with a few series of stairs I run up on my CX training route). The down-tube is also sculpted to enhance front-end stiffness and aid in pick-up, much like Specialized does on their Crux bikes.
The bike offers bottle mounts for 2 bottles (good for longer training rides), however it is aimed at race performance and so it skips add-ons like fender and rack mounts (who wants those on a race bike anyhow!). On-One designed the bike around a mountain bike 2x crankset, however the 36/46 on my bike fits without issue (so there is no reason to be alarmed by that notice). Mr. Dorrington said he uses the lower gearing for some of the longer trail-race events that are held in England, but some users might be interested in that gear spread to give the bike a double-duty use as a light mountain bike. Enough of me rambling on, lets check out the bike:
Now I just need to keep riding this machine and enjoying it. The R785 Di2 Ultegra system is great (I enjoyed Di2 so much in the past that I have both of my road bikes running the 10-speed version, and so far the new 11-speed is equally amazing) and offers precision shifting without the worry about missing the timing or shifting under load. The system is coupled to Shimano's 160mm ice-tech rotors, which have proven to brake smoothly and reliably in the face of all the conditions I have put them through so far (and due to the hydraulic system, no ting-ting of rotor contact on the pads under hard sprinting or climbing). My bike is rolling on a set of DT Swiss 29er wheels, and though they are a tad overbuilt for CX racing, they are very stiff and responsive, allowing quick acceleration and steering response. I plan to put more miles on this machine quickly and should have a nice follow-up before CX season, but right now I see no reason to not grab one of these immediately if you are looking for a new race machine for the years ahead.
As many cyclocross racers know, last year was a big revolution in the CX world as the UCI and bike manufacturers finally embraced disc brakes in a big way, and the results on disc-equipped bikes kept rolling in. I have been riding a winter/commuter with cable-driven Avid BB7 brakes for a few years, so I knew about the benefits and downsides of the systems: improved braking performance under all weather conditions, more clearance for fenders (or mud!), as well as issues like increased weight and brake noise due to the pad tolerances. The weight issue was originally a deal-breaker for me, since I (like many racers) didn't see a need for the increased brake strength. After the news of many adventurous disc-adopters having braking issues at the 2012/13 US nationals, I figured it would definitely be a few years before I would try to race on a disc setup. This all started to change right before (and during) race season in 2013. Shimano and SRAM were both launching hydraulic systems for CX use (modifying the successful systems they offer to the mountain bike crowds to work with drop-bars and road shifters). These systems would cut weight from a full-length cable-driven system and offer better modulation and rotor-pad clearance. With these changes, racers were noticing that they could brake later, and as such be faster around the course than a lighter canti-equipped bike.
Back to my bike hunt, I was now thinking that disc brakes might be an option. I began by looking into the common bikes, but after all my experience with steel bikes, I knew that I preferred that ride-quality to the harsher efficiency that I experienced with aluminum frames. Carbon bikes are definitely the best way to get a lightweight machine, and I started looking in this route. After some research and reading of reviews, I became interested in the On-One Dirty-Disco - a no-fuss frame from a company that has been doing the direct-to-customer deal for a number of years. On-One is part of the Planet-X family and distributed in the US out of Portland (something nice to know as it means they are close if I need anything). As I did more research on the bikes, I came across the blog of a Mr Alan Dorrington (CrossJunkie) who races for Planet-X/On-One over in England. Reading the blog, I came across the prototype titanium bike that On-One was developing. Immediately I became intrigued in this bike, the Pickenflick. It seemed to check all the boxes for a bike that would excel in the racing conditions we face out here in the Pacific Northwest (mud!). It features a lightweight titanium frame, massive clearance, and shaped tubing to aid in power-delivery as well as portaging.
Now that I was thoroughly interested, I began searching for more information on this machine. Due to the relatively small production run and recency of its release, there was surprisingly little online about the bike. After pouring over the CrossJunkie blog more, I reached out the the folks at Planet-X USA for more information. Brandon, their head of customer service, was great to deal with and we began discussing a custom Di2 bike they had built up for SeaOtter earlier this year. I met Brandon when they came up for the Evergreen Bike Alliance event at Duthie Hill. We talked more about the company, racing, and their line-up (which also includes Titus Titanium bikes) We hadn't finalized everything on the Pickenflick, so I couldn't ride away with it that day, however it arrived nicely boxed up just a few days later (see my earlier teaser post to see the awesome packing job).
The bike offers bottle mounts for 2 bottles (good for longer training rides), however it is aimed at race performance and so it skips add-ons like fender and rack mounts (who wants those on a race bike anyhow!). On-One designed the bike around a mountain bike 2x crankset, however the 36/46 on my bike fits without issue (so there is no reason to be alarmed by that notice). Mr. Dorrington said he uses the lower gearing for some of the longer trail-race events that are held in England, but some users might be interested in that gear spread to give the bike a double-duty use as a light mountain bike. Enough of me rambling on, lets check out the bike:
Close-up of the welds (all done by hand) and the sculpted head-tube and down-tube junction.
Clearance to spare in the rear and clean routing for the hydraulic lines.
Sculpted head-tube and the massive clearance on the full-carbon fork.
Good clearance around the chainstays and stiffening bridge.
Rear brake mount and support truss to aid in braking performance of the rear end.
Slick cable routing on the front fork keeps the lines out of harm's way.
The Shimano R785 brake/shifter features a taller body, roughly the same size as the Dura-Ace 7800 shifters (although with better ergonomics).
Now I just need to keep riding this machine and enjoying it. The R785 Di2 Ultegra system is great (I enjoyed Di2 so much in the past that I have both of my road bikes running the 10-speed version, and so far the new 11-speed is equally amazing) and offers precision shifting without the worry about missing the timing or shifting under load. The system is coupled to Shimano's 160mm ice-tech rotors, which have proven to brake smoothly and reliably in the face of all the conditions I have put them through so far (and due to the hydraulic system, no ting-ting of rotor contact on the pads under hard sprinting or climbing). My bike is rolling on a set of DT Swiss 29er wheels, and though they are a tad overbuilt for CX racing, they are very stiff and responsive, allowing quick acceleration and steering response. I plan to put more miles on this machine quickly and should have a nice follow-up before CX season, but right now I see no reason to not grab one of these immediately if you are looking for a new race machine for the years ahead.
June 21, 2014
More Spy+ Optics
Last year we were fortunate to have SPY optics as a team sponsor (I may have been responsible for setting up the deal) and I continue to love and wear their products even though I am now buying them retail. Like many cyclists, my intro to performance sunglasses came from Oakley. While I enjoyed my Oakley glasses, I always thought they were very expensive - something that becomes apparent when you end up with scratched lenses from road debris and need to order replacements. So, when SPY launched their performance line, I was intrigued. The initial models (the Alpha and Quanta) offered lightweight models with a respectable price and great color options. With lenses that are easy to replace (both in ease of install and the dent in your wallet), they were an excellent addition to the market. SPY then released the Screw, offering the same great qualities of the earlier models with the full shield lens that many racers prefer. Working with some of the SPY team, we outfit my team with great glasses for the 2013 season.
As a follow-up from my review of the great Screw sunglasses, I was excited to finally get my hands on the newer, super-light Daft sunglasses. Going from a standard full-frame shield glass like on the Screw, the Daft moves to the ultra-light setup of just attaching arms to the shield itself, removing the frame from the lens to reduce weight. The Daft model also features a larger shield (similar to what is now offered on the Screw-Over model) to improve sight lines, and looks amazing.
I have now been wearing the Daft sunglasses for about 4 months and through a variety of races (from rainy and long road races to fast and hot criteriums). I can definitely say that the weight reduction is nice (not that the other SPY glasses were heavy, these are just SUPER light) and the ventilation is great (no fog up yet!). Unlike what I have heard about some lens-only shield glasses, I have been able to wear these in humid, wet races while wearing a cap and have no fogging or glasses-cap contact.
The Daft come in either a white or black frame (for now) and both models come with 2 lenses (the white model comes with a very slick green/blue mirror lens as well as a yellow lens for those wet or dark races). I am sure that SPY will continue to add colors to the lineup as they have done with the other models as well, so if you are looking for something a bit brighter, just wait. I absolutely love these glasses and look forward to racing cyclocross with them as well (I am sure the coverage will be great for keeping mud out of my eyes too). If you are in the market for some performance shades for cycling (or other sports), definitely check out the Daft.
As a cyclist, I often find myself wearing my racing glasses off the bike as well. My girlfriend finally had enough of me looking silly (race glasses don't go well with nicer clothes), so I picked up a set of the SPY Helm glasses last summer. These glasses offer a classic wayfarer-style look and fit, have SPY's high-quality lenses, and let me enjoy clear vision on any outing.
As a follow-up from my review of the great Screw sunglasses, I was excited to finally get my hands on the newer, super-light Daft sunglasses. Going from a standard full-frame shield glass like on the Screw, the Daft moves to the ultra-light setup of just attaching arms to the shield itself, removing the frame from the lens to reduce weight. The Daft model also features a larger shield (similar to what is now offered on the Screw-Over model) to improve sight lines, and looks amazing.
So, in continuing my review of products I enjoy, I highly recommend SPY Optic glasses, and hopefully will have an opportunity to work with them again in the future.
June 17, 2014
Getting there - WA state Road championships 2014
This past weekend was the 2014 WA State Road championships, this year held up in Bellingham on the Northshore RR course. The course, which I have only raced once before, is only about 8 miles long, so for the Road Championship minimum distance we had to ride 10 laps. The field wasn't huge (results say 34 starters) but as it was a state championship race, the strong riders were in attendance and it wouldn't be an easy race. We started with three racers: Matt, Alec, and myself. This was Alec's first race since he crashed in March, so while he was excited to race, he wasn't sure how it would go. Matt and I both were feeling ok and decided to see how the race played out without locking into roles. We figured there would be a break at some point, so we would both watch and see if we could make the jump.
The course is rolling and generally defined by the two climbs each lap. Starting from a local restaurant (the Fork), you immediately start a stair-step climb that takes you out toward the "official" lap point. At the top of this climb, the road flattens out (maybe even a small downhill) before an off-camber right angle turn into a small uphill. Here you then accelerate down a short hill to the lap point and make a 90-degree turn to the left. A longer flat section offers a time to sit in temporarily, although this also seems to be an area for kicking the pace up as well. At the end of this straight, the road kicks up for a short climb before the field flies into a downhill section at full speed. A sharp right turn at the bottom of the hill before another small downhill section to keep the ride at speed. Then begins the soul-draining section of the course - a long, open stretch of gradual uphill. The road looks like it is flat but actually averages around 2-3%, so you begin to feel quite drained by the later laps. At the end of this section you get a moment of rest before the 2nd climb - a longer section that kicks up toward the end (and is the site where most riders fall off the back). Once you force yourself over the crest, you are rewarded with a long winding descent back to the Fork to begin the lap again. This continues until the final lap, where instead of making the left turn at the "lap" point, you instead go straight into a short but brutally steep little hill before a flat roll over the line.
As I mentioned earlier, the fact that the race was a championship meant that the main players were in attendance and ready to rip each others legs off. From the gun we were racing at a brisk pace, with small attacks literally going from the beginning of the race. The field stayed roughly together for the first lap, but eventually the strongest of the field managed to break away in a group that contained a large selection of HSP riders. Matt ended up in a small group in-between the fields that slowly drifted back and rejoined the main peloton. Our field got into a rhythm of rotation and were slowly closing in on the lead group after a lap or so, but couldn't close it down completely. At this point, our field was starting to lose riders - casualties of the high chasing pace. It was on lap 4 that Alec pulled the plug and rode with a few other riders on a cool-down lap before heading back to the cars.
The reduced peloton (still containing Matt and myself) continued to work together, but the leaders had a significant gap and we wouldn't see them for the rest of the race. At this point, the race was turning into a game of attrition; it seemed that every lap would result in riders disappearing off the back. On lap 6, a strong Apex racer attacked off the front of the group and pulled away from us. The field continued to rotate, but it was disheartening that the Apex rider stayed away (I would later learn that he quit at the end of that lap, but I assumed he had caught the leaders and finished with them).
Toward the end of lap 7 Matt and I had a short chat about how tired we were. The relentless climbing and chasing was wearing down all the riders and I could tell we had slowed down compared to previous laps. Matt asked if I intended to finish or not since he was feeling spent. Since we were soon to start lap 8 of 10, I figured that as long as I stayed with the group I could finish. At this point we had 8 riders left in the peloton. As we started lap 8, I noticed we had lost more riders and were down to 6. We started charging along the flat section and suddenly Matt was not in the rotation - I realized he had pulled the plug. Shortly afterward, the 10-Speed Hero rider (another strong engine in our little group) also disappeared. It was now just 4 of us: Starbucks, Olympic Ortho, Therapeutic Associates, and myself.
For the rest of lap 8 and lap 9, we all rotated evenly sharing the workload of hauling toward the finish. I didn't know how many riders were up the road, but figured we were well out of the placings (and we hadn't seen anyone fall back from the lead group, so I assumed they were all together as well) so I was happy to work to get to the finish. Once we finally began lap 10 however, things definitely changed. During the flat sections the work was relatively even, but suddenly I was leading up all the hills. Going up the last hill, I could tell that the others were attempting to save something for the finish. I had been having small cramps for most of the lap, so I figured I would let them play and just ride my race. We flew by the Fork for the last time and into the stair-step climb together. As we approached the top, Starbucks took his chance and jumped ahead. The other riders looked at me to chase and then continued to sit in as I worked ahead at my own pace. We rounded the final corner and down into the finish stretch watching Starbucks stay roughly 500m ahead. Finally, as we hit the short hill, the other riders jumped past me. I stood to climb and immediately was back to seating as my legs refused to work any harder. I rolled across the line to end up 16th for the day.
Our group ended up finishing roughly 13 minutes behind the leader. It turned out the lead group had splintered on the last laps as well, with 2nd place finishing a minute back, and 3-9 finishing another minute back from #2. #10 was about 45 seconds off that group and 11&12 finished only a minute ahead of our group. 2 more riders finished about 7 minutes behind us, and were the last people to finish (16 DNFs).
Definitely a hard race, but I was happy to have finished, even if I did not contest my group. Now it is time for a little break before we hit the peak Criterium season.
Full Results here - Northshore RR - 2014
The course is rolling and generally defined by the two climbs each lap. Starting from a local restaurant (the Fork), you immediately start a stair-step climb that takes you out toward the "official" lap point. At the top of this climb, the road flattens out (maybe even a small downhill) before an off-camber right angle turn into a small uphill. Here you then accelerate down a short hill to the lap point and make a 90-degree turn to the left. A longer flat section offers a time to sit in temporarily, although this also seems to be an area for kicking the pace up as well. At the end of this straight, the road kicks up for a short climb before the field flies into a downhill section at full speed. A sharp right turn at the bottom of the hill before another small downhill section to keep the ride at speed. Then begins the soul-draining section of the course - a long, open stretch of gradual uphill. The road looks like it is flat but actually averages around 2-3%, so you begin to feel quite drained by the later laps. At the end of this section you get a moment of rest before the 2nd climb - a longer section that kicks up toward the end (and is the site where most riders fall off the back). Once you force yourself over the crest, you are rewarded with a long winding descent back to the Fork to begin the lap again. This continues until the final lap, where instead of making the left turn at the "lap" point, you instead go straight into a short but brutally steep little hill before a flat roll over the line.
As I mentioned earlier, the fact that the race was a championship meant that the main players were in attendance and ready to rip each others legs off. From the gun we were racing at a brisk pace, with small attacks literally going from the beginning of the race. The field stayed roughly together for the first lap, but eventually the strongest of the field managed to break away in a group that contained a large selection of HSP riders. Matt ended up in a small group in-between the fields that slowly drifted back and rejoined the main peloton. Our field got into a rhythm of rotation and were slowly closing in on the lead group after a lap or so, but couldn't close it down completely. At this point, our field was starting to lose riders - casualties of the high chasing pace. It was on lap 4 that Alec pulled the plug and rode with a few other riders on a cool-down lap before heading back to the cars.
The reduced peloton (still containing Matt and myself) continued to work together, but the leaders had a significant gap and we wouldn't see them for the rest of the race. At this point, the race was turning into a game of attrition; it seemed that every lap would result in riders disappearing off the back. On lap 6, a strong Apex racer attacked off the front of the group and pulled away from us. The field continued to rotate, but it was disheartening that the Apex rider stayed away (I would later learn that he quit at the end of that lap, but I assumed he had caught the leaders and finished with them).
Toward the end of lap 7 Matt and I had a short chat about how tired we were. The relentless climbing and chasing was wearing down all the riders and I could tell we had slowed down compared to previous laps. Matt asked if I intended to finish or not since he was feeling spent. Since we were soon to start lap 8 of 10, I figured that as long as I stayed with the group I could finish. At this point we had 8 riders left in the peloton. As we started lap 8, I noticed we had lost more riders and were down to 6. We started charging along the flat section and suddenly Matt was not in the rotation - I realized he had pulled the plug. Shortly afterward, the 10-Speed Hero rider (another strong engine in our little group) also disappeared. It was now just 4 of us: Starbucks, Olympic Ortho, Therapeutic Associates, and myself.
For the rest of lap 8 and lap 9, we all rotated evenly sharing the workload of hauling toward the finish. I didn't know how many riders were up the road, but figured we were well out of the placings (and we hadn't seen anyone fall back from the lead group, so I assumed they were all together as well) so I was happy to work to get to the finish. Once we finally began lap 10 however, things definitely changed. During the flat sections the work was relatively even, but suddenly I was leading up all the hills. Going up the last hill, I could tell that the others were attempting to save something for the finish. I had been having small cramps for most of the lap, so I figured I would let them play and just ride my race. We flew by the Fork for the last time and into the stair-step climb together. As we approached the top, Starbucks took his chance and jumped ahead. The other riders looked at me to chase and then continued to sit in as I worked ahead at my own pace. We rounded the final corner and down into the finish stretch watching Starbucks stay roughly 500m ahead. Finally, as we hit the short hill, the other riders jumped past me. I stood to climb and immediately was back to seating as my legs refused to work any harder. I rolled across the line to end up 16th for the day.
Our group ended up finishing roughly 13 minutes behind the leader. It turned out the lead group had splintered on the last laps as well, with 2nd place finishing a minute back, and 3-9 finishing another minute back from #2. #10 was about 45 seconds off that group and 11&12 finished only a minute ahead of our group. 2 more riders finished about 7 minutes behind us, and were the last people to finish (16 DNFs).
Definitely a hard race, but I was happy to have finished, even if I did not contest my group. Now it is time for a little break before we hit the peak Criterium season.
Full Results here - Northshore RR - 2014
June 11, 2014
New CX teaser and Spring updates
I know it is not even officially summer yet, but it is never too early to get started preparing for the CX season. After the challenging entry into the 1/2 field last season, I know that I need to step things up for 2014 to get the results I want. In addition, I have been racing the road this season with more vigor as well, racking up some big mileage and definitely feeling stronger and fitter than I have in the past.
I've been doing a lot of racing recently, and in combination with my class-load have fallen a little behind on posting race reports here, but that should be changing shortly. Recently I completed the challenging Capital Stage Race down in Olympia, finishing as the highest placed rider on the Bikesale.com team (however there were only 3 of us). I also just this past weekend raced the always exciting Ballard Criterium. This race was blisteringly fast as usual, but rather than being spit out the back as I was in 2013 (only lasted about 20min of the 70min race), this year I was hard charging until the end. My Garmin reported that we were running 26.6mph average for those 70 minutes - definitely a challenging effort!
While I didn't have any notable finishes in any of these races, I do feel like my form is coming along well, and we do have the whole summer of racing ahead - that just means it is time for some strong finishes!
Well, back to the main purpose of this post - I have just sorted out my 2014 racing machine. After a lot of research and working with a few builders and companies, I have found the perfect bike for what I was after. The next step involved a lot of back-and-forth with their team, making sure things would work out and getting the bike set-up perfectly. While I am not racing officially under their banner this season, I am acting as a representative of their products, and if things go well that could possibly change in the future.
I am going to keep things a little secretive until I have the bike dialed in, so stay tuned, but here are some teasers to get you as excited as I am...
Some nice boxes for me...
Some slick looking new wheels (with disks!)
And the teaser for the frame...
I've been doing a lot of racing recently, and in combination with my class-load have fallen a little behind on posting race reports here, but that should be changing shortly. Recently I completed the challenging Capital Stage Race down in Olympia, finishing as the highest placed rider on the Bikesale.com team (however there were only 3 of us). I also just this past weekend raced the always exciting Ballard Criterium. This race was blisteringly fast as usual, but rather than being spit out the back as I was in 2013 (only lasted about 20min of the 70min race), this year I was hard charging until the end. My Garmin reported that we were running 26.6mph average for those 70 minutes - definitely a challenging effort!
While I didn't have any notable finishes in any of these races, I do feel like my form is coming along well, and we do have the whole summer of racing ahead - that just means it is time for some strong finishes!
Well, back to the main purpose of this post - I have just sorted out my 2014 racing machine. After a lot of research and working with a few builders and companies, I have found the perfect bike for what I was after. The next step involved a lot of back-and-forth with their team, making sure things would work out and getting the bike set-up perfectly. While I am not racing officially under their banner this season, I am acting as a representative of their products, and if things go well that could possibly change in the future.
I am going to keep things a little secretive until I have the bike dialed in, so stay tuned, but here are some teasers to get you as excited as I am...
April 6, 2014
Vance Creek 2014
After last year's DNF, I was excited to see how my form would hold out this year. We had 3 racers in the field of 47 today: Matt, Jason and I. We started at a brisk pace, but the majority of the first lap was just smaller attacks to keep the pace high. The weather report was for some rain during the race, and they were right.
Lap one wasn't too bad, and it wasn't until the hill that the fireworks hit. As we hit the initial pitch, Carson Miller (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and Colin Gibson (Keller Rohrback) flew off the front while the field chased to catch them. By the time we hit the top, those two had developed a solid gap and continued to pull away. During lap two the rain started, and while we continued to push along, the leaders continued to grow their lead. The group continued to launch small attacks but they were continually shut down.
During the entire race riders were dropping out, and not just due to the speed. The road had recently been repaved, but with a rough chipseal (which made for a constant vibration while riding) that had been releasing sharp rocks into the shoulders. This, coupled with the wet surfaces, invariably led to numerous punctures.
Lap three began with a big increase in the rain, which was incredibly noticeable down on the farm road. Here we were basically holding onto wheels and hoping that no one was doing anything stupid while we couldn't see. Matt, Jason and I were all active near the front and staying out of trouble. We passed the ladies field along the farm road and then raced past their leader while going up the hill.
Starting the 4th lap, we had definitely started to whittle down the field. Matt had made the front section of the peloton at the top of the hill, and I worked with a few others in the second group to join back on along the winding section near the power plant. This lap, sensing the dwindled field, attacks began again. HSP continued to start and block attacks, and to stay out of the trouble, Matt and I stayed up near the front to avoid the whipping. I guess that near this point Jason was disqualified for crossing the centerline (I didn't see what happened and only learned this from Matt after the race, so it may have happened earlier). Again we had small groups go up the road, only to be dragged back before long.
Heading up the hill to start the final lap, the race heated up again, and by the top of the hill, there were only a few riders left in the pack. I had lost some time up the hill, and crested behind the group. At this point (only one lap left!) I tucked in and TT'd my way along the top section to catch the pack just before dropping back into the valley. I caught my breath and assessed that I was now part of a group of only 12 racers (Matt unfortunately had not made it, he later told me he pulled off at the top of the hill after having a "body flat" (Wilssens' term). I knew Colin and Carson were up the road, but I thought there were 2 more riders who had escaped as well. This meant that as long as I stayed with the group, I had a good chance of a great finish.
During the farm road, Jeff Reed (Starbucks) went off the front solo. I figured we would chase him back, but the group said we would catch him on the climb, so no worries. At this point, the pace slowed and it seemed like a rider from Oregon, one of the Olympic Ortho guys and myself were the only ones rolling the front. As we approached the first section of the climb, two riders rolled off the front. I watched with surprise as the pack didn't chase after them (in hindsight I really should have jumped with them!). Once we hit the hill, I just set my pace and slowly rolled past others who had blown up from attacking hard at the start of the hill. The big hitters really attacked the last hill and chased after the 2 racers who had escaped earlier, but didn't quite catch them in time. Wilssens (Audi) and Hitchcock (HSP) duked it out for the pack win, with Hitchcock slipping past at the last second. I managed to work past a few more racers and at the 200m was ready to push it for the final run. I missed my shift and unfortunately lost out on a higher finish, however I was very happy finishing in 12th in this very difficult race.
After having my off-day at IVRR last weekend, this finish is really nice and just reinvigorates me to prepare for the next race.
Great work to Matt and Jason for dealing with the weather and working hard in the race!
Lap one wasn't too bad, and it wasn't until the hill that the fireworks hit. As we hit the initial pitch, Carson Miller (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and Colin Gibson (Keller Rohrback) flew off the front while the field chased to catch them. By the time we hit the top, those two had developed a solid gap and continued to pull away. During lap two the rain started, and while we continued to push along, the leaders continued to grow their lead. The group continued to launch small attacks but they were continually shut down.
During the entire race riders were dropping out, and not just due to the speed. The road had recently been repaved, but with a rough chipseal (which made for a constant vibration while riding) that had been releasing sharp rocks into the shoulders. This, coupled with the wet surfaces, invariably led to numerous punctures.
Lap three began with a big increase in the rain, which was incredibly noticeable down on the farm road. Here we were basically holding onto wheels and hoping that no one was doing anything stupid while we couldn't see. Matt, Jason and I were all active near the front and staying out of trouble. We passed the ladies field along the farm road and then raced past their leader while going up the hill.
Starting the 4th lap, we had definitely started to whittle down the field. Matt had made the front section of the peloton at the top of the hill, and I worked with a few others in the second group to join back on along the winding section near the power plant. This lap, sensing the dwindled field, attacks began again. HSP continued to start and block attacks, and to stay out of the trouble, Matt and I stayed up near the front to avoid the whipping. I guess that near this point Jason was disqualified for crossing the centerline (I didn't see what happened and only learned this from Matt after the race, so it may have happened earlier). Again we had small groups go up the road, only to be dragged back before long.
Heading up the hill to start the final lap, the race heated up again, and by the top of the hill, there were only a few riders left in the pack. I had lost some time up the hill, and crested behind the group. At this point (only one lap left!) I tucked in and TT'd my way along the top section to catch the pack just before dropping back into the valley. I caught my breath and assessed that I was now part of a group of only 12 racers (Matt unfortunately had not made it, he later told me he pulled off at the top of the hill after having a "body flat" (Wilssens' term). I knew Colin and Carson were up the road, but I thought there were 2 more riders who had escaped as well. This meant that as long as I stayed with the group, I had a good chance of a great finish.
During the farm road, Jeff Reed (Starbucks) went off the front solo. I figured we would chase him back, but the group said we would catch him on the climb, so no worries. At this point, the pace slowed and it seemed like a rider from Oregon, one of the Olympic Ortho guys and myself were the only ones rolling the front. As we approached the first section of the climb, two riders rolled off the front. I watched with surprise as the pack didn't chase after them (in hindsight I really should have jumped with them!). Once we hit the hill, I just set my pace and slowly rolled past others who had blown up from attacking hard at the start of the hill. The big hitters really attacked the last hill and chased after the 2 racers who had escaped earlier, but didn't quite catch them in time. Wilssens (Audi) and Hitchcock (HSP) duked it out for the pack win, with Hitchcock slipping past at the last second. I managed to work past a few more racers and at the 200m was ready to push it for the final run. I missed my shift and unfortunately lost out on a higher finish, however I was very happy finishing in 12th in this very difficult race.
After having my off-day at IVRR last weekend, this finish is really nice and just reinvigorates me to prepare for the next race.
Great work to Matt and Jason for dealing with the weather and working hard in the race!
Early season 2014 (Sequim 1, Sequim 2, IVRR)
2014 racing has started and is off to a good start. After the work this winter, it was nice to get out to Sequim and see how it has paid off. The first Tour de Dung race was 72 miles, and while it was a fast and hard race, I felt good and finished with the pack. One of our racers was in the breakaway and managed a good finish - always a great way to start the season.
A week later we returned for the 84 mile 2nd race, which was a faster pace (no breakaways) but I felt great throughout the race and worked to help set up the finish. Unfortunately a rider caused a crash right at the end of the race, causing a big pile-up and locking our sprinter in the middle of the carnage. Luckily, one of our guys (the same racer who did well the previous week) managed to skirt the wreck and hang on to the leaders, finishing 4th! I again finished with the pack (after getting going again from the crash), so I was doing better than last year.
I then had a week to focus on training, with no race during the weekend. I continued my training regimen into the next week (and in hindsight I carried it a little too far into the week) before racing Independence Valley in Rochester. This race has two hills every lap, and can definitely start to wear you down. I started the race feeling good, but within the first lap I started feeling the training had taken a toll. My legs felt a bit heavy, and I was just working to stay in the pack. Heading into the 3rd lap, I just couldn't hold onto the group going up the longer hill. At the top I raced to chase back, but couldn't connect. I joined up with another racer and we worked together for a few minutes before catching onto a strong rider who was trucking along. We sat on his wheel for a few miles before I fell off, the pace being higher than I could hold. As I started up the 2nd hill, I caught my earlier companion, but he was now completely toasted and I rolled away from him without trying. I rolled for another few miles before another group came by. I jumped on their wheels and rolled with them to the finish line, when our group of 4 pulled the plug and called it quits without doing the final lap.
I didn't have any teammates at this race, so unfortunately I didn't have anyone to root for, but it was cool to see an old teammate win the race.
Not the finish I was hoping for after the good start, but it just shows me that I needed to alter my training to make sure I have energy for racing. Next weekend is Vance Creek, and I think I will see how I do there.
A week later we returned for the 84 mile 2nd race, which was a faster pace (no breakaways) but I felt great throughout the race and worked to help set up the finish. Unfortunately a rider caused a crash right at the end of the race, causing a big pile-up and locking our sprinter in the middle of the carnage. Luckily, one of our guys (the same racer who did well the previous week) managed to skirt the wreck and hang on to the leaders, finishing 4th! I again finished with the pack (after getting going again from the crash), so I was doing better than last year.
I then had a week to focus on training, with no race during the weekend. I continued my training regimen into the next week (and in hindsight I carried it a little too far into the week) before racing Independence Valley in Rochester. This race has two hills every lap, and can definitely start to wear you down. I started the race feeling good, but within the first lap I started feeling the training had taken a toll. My legs felt a bit heavy, and I was just working to stay in the pack. Heading into the 3rd lap, I just couldn't hold onto the group going up the longer hill. At the top I raced to chase back, but couldn't connect. I joined up with another racer and we worked together for a few minutes before catching onto a strong rider who was trucking along. We sat on his wheel for a few miles before I fell off, the pace being higher than I could hold. As I started up the 2nd hill, I caught my earlier companion, but he was now completely toasted and I rolled away from him without trying. I rolled for another few miles before another group came by. I jumped on their wheels and rolled with them to the finish line, when our group of 4 pulled the plug and called it quits without doing the final lap.
I didn't have any teammates at this race, so unfortunately I didn't have anyone to root for, but it was cool to see an old teammate win the race.
Not the finish I was hoping for after the good start, but it just shows me that I needed to alter my training to make sure I have energy for racing. Next weekend is Vance Creek, and I think I will see how I do there.
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