P-burg 'cross recap- Biffs all around!

So 'cross nationals are next week. It's my first season of cyclocross, and somehow we've decided that it's be a good idea to race at nationals in the B Race.

The B race.

I'm dying at the C races already, so this should be interesting. It'll also be more interesting considering it was snowing last year. Oh, yeah, and there's also 179 people pre-registered FOR THE B RACE ALONE. definitely stay tuned for next week's race report. it should be a Doozie.

Being that this was the last weekend before nationals, Chad and I decided to get a tune-up race in just to check our form and have some fun. We ended up driving out to Phillipsburg, NJ. I had no idea what to expect from the course.

What we found was (with the exception of Granogue), one of the most technically challenging courses yet. a super steep run up (about 45 degrees) and an equally steep run-down. I tried riding down the run down and pulled off a full on endo, much to the pleasure of the nearby onlookers. no more of that for Christophe. It was actually quicker to bound down the rundown, so i did that instead.



the field was pretty small (32 C racers), and filled with some familiar faces. the whistle was blown, and off we went. Hoo-rah.

I have to admit, my bike has been a pretty tough cookie during this cross season. This race, however, it really got pounded on, and I had a few mechanicals to deal with.

First of all, i think my headset was a bit loose, so my front end was all over the place.

The ground was frozen, which made for an interesting road feel. it was hard and jarring. The run ups were challenging, and there were two sets of two barriers in different parts of the race. lots of turning, and a bunch of steep but rideable parts.

There was one run up that was rideable, but barely. halfway into the race, i rode up it, but my front end slipped out over the top. I crashed on my side, and bent my derailleur hanger. I had to yank the derailleur pulley out of the spokes and keep going. as i rode on, I quickly realized that I could no longer use my three easiest gears.

my three favorite gears.

the gears i use most.

oh sweet easy gears, how i missed you for the rest of the race.

I had to Jan Ullrich it for the rest of the race, and I was dying. I was able to hold off some people that I had wanted to stay ahead of for the race, but one almost got me at the end. I had to sprint and fight to keep from getting caught at the last minute. My body thanked me for the stupid effort by almost giving me a heart attack.

It was a fun race nonetheless!

the bike's in the shop getting a once over at the shop, so hopefully it'll be good to go for nats.

Chad was able to monster ahead of me and came in 14th out of 32. I came in 21st out of 32. not bad considering the mechanicals. and I've got goofy pics of me jumping over the barriers!



Looking ahead, I'm just going to do my best to not come in last at nationals. I figure if i can avoid any pileups, focus on keeping a rhythm and attack the technical sections well, I should be ok.

'cross is such a badass sport.
However, It's not nearly as badass as Cippo is in this photo:



Remember, kids, Mario Cippolini is the only guy badassed enough to get away with smoking on a bike.

and don't do drugs!

Trainer season is upon us

I woke up yesterday at 5 am and made my way to my computer. The obligatory early-morning weather check. Would it be too cold to ride? We had been really lucky here in NYC, enjoying a nice, long, pleasant fall.

27 degrees.

No thanks! 32 is my cutoff for bike training. It's not that I can't go out in colder weather (I have, and I probably will again), but it's not comfortable. As much as I love frozen booger icicles hanging on my nose, I'll usually pass.

Which brings us to indoor training.

I think we all have a love/hate relationship with our trainers. They keep us busy when we can't play outside, and they allow for us to train effectively in the winter.

But they're SO boring.

I decided to bite a big one and buy a Cycle-ops Fluid2 TT edition trainer on eBay for about $200. It was a good deal on a good trainer. The resistance curve is one that increases exponentially with wheel speed, so all you have to do to go harder is click into a harder gear.

The trainer came with the entire Chris Carmichael CTS training video line. Whoopee.

While I trust Chris and his training programs, (each video is tailored for a certain aspect of cycling- TT's, climbing, Criteriums, etc...) There is nothing, and I mean nothing more boring than riding a trainer indoors while watching other people ride on a trainer indoors.

Couldn't he at least put some decent bike racing clips in the videos? Holy hell! I'm not going to sit there watching some cyclists decked out in CTS gear sweat indoors. (Although I know a few women that might not mind...)

So what do I do to save myself from ITBD (indoor trainer boredom disorder)? Two things:

1) Action movies. Action movies are great for trainers because you can incorporate intervals into it. Here's how: Every time there's a fight scene/chase/ action sequence, Ramp it up. Presto! intervals in an action movie! Much more fun than having Chris Carmichael ask you politely to accelerate your cadence and raise your heartrate to zone 3.

2) MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000! - There’s no show that makes the time fly faster than a good MST3K episode. What’s better than watching horrible B movies with hilarious commentary? If you haven’t seen any episodes, do yourself a favor and Check some out on Youtube.

What's your trainer distraction?

Whatever it is, keep doing it. As boring as they are, the more hours you put in on that trainer in the winter are going to pay off in the spring. You can laugh at all of your other friends who use the off season as an excuse to go into Jan Ullrich style guilt eating while you're gapping them up hills. (Sorry Jan, you know I love you). Stay strong, and keep spinning!

Hall of Fame 'Cross race (and more cowbell!)

Took part in the Hall of Fame cyclocross race in Augusta, NJ yesterday. All the proceeds from the race went towards the cycling hall of fame. the race was also #7 of the NJCC (New Jersey Cross cup).

Well, the Indian summer had finally broken then night before due to a large cold front whipping across the country. magically, it was sunny the next morning, but cold. Chad and I drove out to Augusta (made the trip in 1 hr thanks to my nutso driving skilllzz).

The course was held at the Skylands ball park. The course was pretty interesting, although not my all-time favorite. Having the course wind through the ballpark itself was a pretty good idea, though...

There was a long paved section, but the wind was so strong that you couldn't really do anything with it. There were also more incline sections than a normal cross race, which I knew I wouldn't enjoy (but that's just the 'cross course telling my fat ass to lose more weight)

When the race started, there was a pretty long starting sprint. being stronger in that area, i was able to position myself well. after the first lap, the rest of the race was me doing damage control (trying to let as few people pass me as possible). The uphill sections, as i predicted, where not fun. i was able to hunker down and make up time on the asphalt whenever i could, but it was super windy. I was doing well on the technical stuff, but again, uphill sections are no fun when you're at threshold the entire time. Ah well, such it the nature and beauty of our sport.

I ended up coming in 23rd our of 35. Happy with the results. as long as I don't come in last, the cross race is a success!


The A Race was good to Watch. Todd of NYC Velo got a nice gap and won by about 20 seconds. Andrew (the owner of the shop) also raced. He's probably one of the nicest bike shop owners I know. He's great to talk to and loves shooting the breeze. Always a good time.





For the record, I think NYC Velo's Team kits are the snazziest ones out there. I'd love to ride in those colors...



to see all the pics from the race, click HERE

I've got one more race next week before nationals. it'll be a good tune up race. make sure everythings going well, work on some technical stuff, and most of all, enjoy the course.

I'm excited about nationals, but nervous. Nationals is being held in Providence. I'll be driving up to Boston that Friday and staying the weekend. I'll be meeting up with Jay. Should be a great time. I'm itchin' for some chowdah. I'm going to be racing in the B race since they aren't organizing a C race (which i find a little stupid...). consequently, there's over 170 people signed up for the B race. should be a fantastic mess. As long as I don't get mixed up in any pile ups, I'm just going to keep my head down, stay on rhythm, and do my best. (and hopefully not come in last.) After the race, I'm going to get drunk and watch the other races. you can be damn sure I'm bringing my cowbell.


I bet Christopher Walken would love a good cross race. Right up his alley.


The equipment award of the week goes out to Greyhound Juice. That stuff kept my legs nice and warm and my lower back (relatively) loose. Watch out for their super strength stuff, it's pretty hot. It comes in a deodorant stick form, but whatever you do , do NOT put this stuff on your pits. you'll cry like a little Nancy.

extra important tip- do yourself a favor and put the greyhound juice on AFTER you've applied your chamois cream. that is, unless you're into feeling like you got a nasty VD...

Out with the old, in with the new (bike stuff!)

Well, kids, It's that time of the year again...

Time to reflect on the past year and how you did compared to what you originally intended,

Time to write down all of your goals for the new year and align your training in order to achieve it,

but most importantly, time to sell all your old bike junk to make way for new bike junk!

Call it fall cleaning.

I think one of the coolest parts about this grand sport of ours is that there's so much cool shit to buy!

Conversely, one of the worse parts about our sport is that it's so damn expensive!

In order to mitigate the latter and facilitate the former, we sell our old stuff!

what wares am I peddling, you ask?

My old, trusty ultegra gruppo from my Fondriest Don Racer:

I spend two hours last night stripping the frame down and cleaning all these greasy bike parts. It was kind of amusing. There's something oddly therapeutic about cleaning and wrenching your bike. It's soothing even though its grimy and a pain in the ass. but oh, look how it shines!

Up next, my Gary Fisher Tassjara Disc MTB:

A trusty steed in deed; this was the first bike I bought when i wanted to start cycling on something other than a 40 lb walmart special. I love this bike, but i quickly realized that there's no mountains to ride around here! i rode it on the road so much that I finally got sick of it and succumbed to a road bike. This bike started it all, and I've got fond memories of riding on this, looking like a complete fred. Ah, the good old days...


and of course, my old Ksyriums:

My first real wheelset. These were fantastic wheels. Always solid, always fast. I'll miss em. I rode 4 centuries on them, and put alot of miles on them.

Funny story, I put these wheels up on craigslist last week. the person that got in touch with me about them and bought them the other day is one of my teammates! Of all lthe people in the city! Friggin small world, i tell ya. I hope you enjoy them Nate!

I also sold a spare Campy Chorus front derailleur i had lying around from when i built my new Fondriest up (wrong clamp size, derrrr), and a pair of oldschool Dura Ace Track pedals I rescued from Ebay


I bought those pedals for $26 bucks on ebay, and sold them for $50. not a bad return...


So what am i gonna buy with all this crap I just sold???

I'll tell you. First of all, I would like to blame the new team discount I'm getting at NYC Velo
I wasn't having any evil thoughts about buying new stuff up until hearing "team discount," I swear!


1) a pair of 2007 Mavic Ksyrium Elites- I wanted a pair of wheels that i could race with in cyclocross and train with on the road. I shouldn't be using my campy eurus's on rainy days- they're too pretty and Italian for that. the new 07's have been redesigned and look pretty swanky. On top of that, I'll be able to sign up for their 2 year crash repair/replacement program, which will come in SUPER handy for cyclocross, if and when i bust my ass and taco a wheel...

2) Campy veloce Gruppo- for the cross bike. my reasoning is this: I want to have the same stuff on my cross bike that I do on my road bike. why? so I'm used to the shifters, and so that I dont have any freehub compatibility headaches. With campy all around, i can throw wheels on any bike I choose, which will come in handy. Also, more Italian stuff=sweet.

3)New Team Kit- just joined the team, and now i need to be decked out in the kit, dammit! The kits are pretty sweet and I'm looking forward to rocking them at the races.

4) Continental Gatorskins- gotta have some winter tires to train on! These things are bulletproof but still roll really well.

One could call me Fred-like for throwing money at this stuff. I know its not going to make me win any races, but that's not why I'm getting it. I'm a bit of a gear junkie. I love how technology is a big part of cycling. I love how form and function meet seamlessly on a bicycle. and I love how that allows me to justify spending all this money on a sport that I'm bonkers about.




So, what're YOU buying for the new year??

I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more COWBELL- Cyclocross race in Augusta, NJ

After taking a break from 'cross racing last weekend in order to take the LT test, I was eager to get back to it.

I was ready for more pain. I was ready for more fun.

I was ready for more cowbell.

The Augusta race was the last of the NJ cross series. I've participated in about 3 others, and thought they were fantastic races with well designed courses and a warm, welcome feel. All of the courses had been very well designed, and each race was a completely different experience because of it.

Upon my arrival, a thick fog had descended over the course. This, of course meant it was much colder than it would be later in the day. the C races always go first, and that normally means they have to race in colder (and sometimes crappier conditions. Isn't it funny how that works?

The temperature was in the 40's while i was on the bike. aside from my feet, which were numb by the end of the race, I felt fine.

I had a chance to spin my legs out and warm up, which is so important on a cold race day. I got to chat it up with a few new and familiar faces. You end up seeing many of the same people for most of these races, which makes for a more friendly and familiar feel.

As we waited for the start, the race organizers thanked us for coming out, and invited us to all come back next year for another great cross experience. I'm looking forward to it.

Once the whistle was blown, the bunch sprint started. I knew this was going to be a faster course than usual, so I decided to put a little more energy into the starting spring in order to vie for a better position.

I stuck with the pack for a good while until it spread out, but was happy with my placement. It's a delicate balance between putting enough energy to be in a good spot and blowing yourself up too early.

The course was indeed fast; there were some nice descents that allowed you to get a good bit of speed. however, with descents come rises. and run ups.

After the first lap, i started to feel it. I concentrated on keeping a steady rhythm and choosing the best lines through the turns. there were a few slips here and there, but no hilariously awesome crashes to report (unfortunately, i know...)

The pain train went on until i heard the bell lap. One of my goals for this race was to not get lapped. I saw the leaders making way, and I started to push it harder in order to avoid getting spanked. I was able to hold off and complete the full five laps. I had a strong last lap, and was able to pass a few people. I ended up coming in 36th out of 54. A little better than each prior race. A good end to a good race.

My back and my lungs were killing me, but i felt good (in a terribly painful sort of way.) My obnoxiously green steed was with me the whole way, and took some solid pounding without complaints. I'm yearning for a more solid wheelset, however (I'm lookin at you, 2007 Ksyrium Elites...)

Big ups to Patrick Clifford, who's been rocking the C- races all season. he came in second this week and was first at Jamestown. Super talented guy, and really personable. look out for him. and a Super big thanks to my buddy Tom for snapping most of these shots. Thanks for comin out buddy!

In my limited experiences with cyclocross (five races),I've noticed that a wonderful paradox exists: Pain and fun. Is it the fun that brings us pain? or is it the pain that brings us fun?

I might be getting a little too poetic here, but I think that anyone who appreciates the concept of suffering on a bike knows what I mean. We jump on these marvelous two-wheeled inventions, and we go out there to suffer. reallly suffer. We want it. It makes us better.

I'm reminded of a quote i read a while back about the relationship between pain and cycling:

"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks."

-Scott Martin

If being a road cyclist means one is a student of pain, then being a 'cross racer is akin to taking the honors courses. It's intense. It's and hour of solid sufferocity. you don't have too much time to contemplate it like you would on a climb a few miles long. You push yourself to the brink, and keep it there until you can't bear it anymore. That's usually when you encounter a muddy run up or a set of barriers. @#$@%^.

When it's all done with, a sense of peace and accomplishment comes over me. regardless of what place I came in. As long as I finish. That kind of pain is cleansing to me. out on that course, the last thing on my mind are my neuroses, romantic problems, and dissatisfaction with life. I guess you could classify what we do as a form of escapism, but the difference is what we do isn't destructive. It's beautiful.


and muddy!