Time to glue the tubulars...

Ah, the hump of the cross season- with a little over a month to go, this season has already been full of epic races and 45 minute stints in the pain cave. After races like Granogue and Gloucester, I can tell you that racing tubulars this season has been a huge plus. And from my observations, its also been full of opportunities for people to roll their tubular tires due to shoddy gluing technique!

Gluing a Tubular CX tire is a bit more involved than gluing a road tire. The tire itself is put under higher tortional stress, and sharp turns with pressures as low as 25 psi practically beg the tubie to let go of its wheel.

I figured this would be a great opportunity to educate people who are interested in gluing CX Tubies the right way. However, since the only experience i have with glue is the huffing i did in high school, I reached out to Gabe Lloyd, co-founder of Echappe Equipment. and look at that, Echappe also happens to be one of our proud sponsors for Staten CX! Consider it a pre-emptive gift (now go pre-reg, already!)

Stretch the tires for at least a day. To do this: Get the cotton tape on the tire wet. Then install the tire on the wheel. Inflate to max pressure and let set overnight. and check out those SWEET wheels from our sponsor Revolution Wheelworks!

Prep the rim for the first time: Clean the rim with Goof-Off or another grease/goo cutter. Some rims also require a light sand (440 or 880 grit). Then apply one coat of Mastik One. Let dry for at least one day.

Once the glue on the rim has dried, install the “Belgian tape”. Start at the valve hole and cover the entire rim, back to the valve hole. Use your thumb to squeegee the tape to the rim bed to make sure it has fully adhered. Let sit for at least an hour to make sure it holds.

Apply at least two coats of Vittoria Mastik One

Inflate the tire to 40psi. Hold it like so, or in a figure 8 to apply glue.

You’ve already applied the tape to the rim at this point. Now remove it.

After you have removed the wax paper from the tape, apply a thin coat of glue to the tape.

Immediately after applying glue to the rim tape, install the tubular. ram that sucker in there Peter North Style!

Insert the valve (huh huh…) and push very hard.

Keeping about 10spi in the tire, use both hands to push the tire evenly around the rim.

Using the clean floor as a block, push until you get to this 6 inch point.

Now lift the wheel into your hips. This allows you to push the tire onto the rim with full force while not using the ground as a block. (Note: Flip-flops are not required for this step)

If you have properly stretched the tire and have pushed hard enough before getting to the 6 inch point, you should be able to grab the tire and pop it

Once installed, inflate to about 30-40psi.

Check to make sure the tire is seated evenly on both sides of the rim.

Spin the wheel in your hands to double check the evenness. The tire may never be 100% even, but you should get it pretty close.

Once the tire has sat for 24-36 hrs, check to make sure the tire is adhered edge to edge all the way around the rim. If it is, you’re ready to ride! Hooray!

Eventually you’ll want to get the tire off. You’ll probably need to use a knife to gently cut the edge of the glue portion. After that, have fun pulling at the damn thing for 20 minutes. ah, the joys of bicycle maintenance…

The Perfect CXtorm

I'm hangin' out in the motel room with Marco right now- after a long, muddy, awesome Day 1 at the Gloucester Gran Prix. We loaded up the Toga! Van yesterday afternoon and headed up to MA. So far the race has been the complete opposite of last year. 2208 was a sunny, gorgeous day with nice, dry conditions. Today was a muddy slopfest that would bring a tear to any Belgian's eye. Being the smartypants that i am, I had forgotten my rain jacket at home. We all ended up going to a fisherman's store where i bought a rainsuit that made me look like the Gordon's Fisherman...

Racing as a cat 3 at Gloucester is an interesting experience; 120+ people were registered, and callups to the front line are by order of registration. Needless to say, pre-reg is a furiously fast endeavor for those who take the race seriously. most of the field fills up in the first 20 minutes. I was a bit lackadaisical in signing up (by 2 hours) and ended up in the 94th spot...




That automatically removes the pressure of the race. You're out to beat your friends and humiliate them by passing then in the mud and on the straight sections. I'm very happy for all of my friends who managed to do that to me. PS-guys, go f*ck yourselves!

Photos by Marco Quezada

The weather for the day was in the 50's and raining. i made sure to bring all of my embrocations, and ended up going with mad alchemy, and tons of it. That stuff is orange, and putting it on makes you look like you just got out of the fake'n'bake booth. that being said, its delightfully greasy and warm, and water beads right off of it. hoooray for spicy grease!

Photos by Marco Quezada

We got to watch the Masters 35+ Men's race right before ours. Watching Roger, Johnny Bold, and the Gotham Guys duke it out on the muddy battlefield is a fun sight. Here's a most excellent shot of a midair collision between Chris Long and some farthead who doesn't know how to handle his bike:

Photos by Marco Quezada

As i lined up in the 20th row back, i knew what to expect; all 125 of us were going to hit the first half of the lap together, including the horrifically steep and muddy run-up. those who had shoes without toespikes were going to hate themselves. This has been my first season running tubulars and i couldn't have been happier with that. i rocked some challenge grifo's with about 35 psi for this race and they were pretty dialed-in. I think i'm going to switch to a Challenge Fango in the back though, as the rear tubular is a bit old and i could always use more traction on the backside...

It's days like today that i love my team's white kits: nothing says "euro," "i'm and idiot," or "i have a great cleaning lady" like wearing a bright white kit o the muddiest of days.

Photos by Marco Quezada

So it goes without saying- the slop was thick, but mostly rideable. I went back and forth trading blows with my friends and crossresults.net nemesises. for ONCE i didn't wipe out! I would also love to take this moment to state that putting those barriers on an uphill incline is a total pain in the ass for those of us who have short hobbit legs.

These muddy races completely sap your energy around the half-way mark; especially when you don't have a clean pit bike to hop on. the mud accumulates and bogs you down (as if i needed to be any heavier)- your back tire frequently slips out when pedaling up inclines, and you're forced to trudge up muddy rises that would otherwise be a piece of cake. Every muscle in your body hurts. you start to lose your finesse as your arms and lower back get fatigued from all the pounding (save your jokes). Somehow, though, it's still some of the most fun you'll have on a bike...

I got pulled a lap early but wasn't lapped- I spent the next few minutes wandering around like an out-of-breath hobo before heading off to get hosed off like the muddy swine the i resemble.



after getting cleaned up and donning the rain gear, i made a b-line to the beer tent. My purpose was two-fold: drink awesome beer and contribute to CX Magazine's live coverage of the Elite Men's race. I was twitterin' so hard i think Lance may have noticed. If you didn't follow the coverage, all you have to know is that Jonathan Page tore everyone a new poopyhole (Lolz). The Kona Mafia (Trebon, Wicks) weren't Present, so Jamie Driscoll, Tim Johnson, and Chris Jones were the only guys even remotely close to him. By remotely close, i mean 1:30 back...

It was also great too see our very own Andrew Crooks hold his own in the elite race. I really think this race benefitted his MTB background- awesome job Andrew! And it goes without saying, but Thanks to Marco for all the awesome shots!



Time for sleep. Day 2 tomorrow! and before you go, here's a photo of Jason Parkin mounting his bike as if it were some crazy-assed sex toy (DAYUM!)

For Those about to 'Cross, We Salute You!

Has the long road season made you weary? are you looking to get muddy and put a little more fun between your legs? If so, then you're in luck! The 2009 cyclocross season is just around the corner! After GMSR and Bear mountain pass, you've got 2 choices: Go into hibernation and start your monk-like training for the 2010 Road season (boring), OR you could come out and give Cyclocross racing a try! Cyclocross racing is experiencing Double-digit growth year over year, with more and more new racers trying it out every season. If you're curious about the sport and what you need to get into it, now is the perfect time to have your questions answered!

For those unfamiliar with the Cyclocross, Check out the the Wikipedia entry, and this video :

So why race 'cross? There's a whole slew of reasons! 'Cross lets you simultaneously extend your racing season and have some fun at the same time. The "scene" at CX races in the northeast is much more mellow than the road races around here, and once you're done with your race you typically grab a few beers and cheer (and sometimes hurl beer) on your friends racing in other categories.

Don't get me wrong- Cyclocross is HARD. You're going as hard as you can for 40 minutes; riding, jumping, running, slogging, tripping, gasping, and trudging all over the place. Rain does NOT cancel a CX race, and many of the most epic races of the season (like a certain race in Staten Island) were in terrible weather conditions.

So what do you need to get into Cyclocross? It's Pretty simple:

1. A Cyclocross Bike! Major CX Brands include Kona, Ridley, Salsa, Felt, Bianchi, Independent Fabrications, Van Dessel, and Scott, to name a few...
2. Mountain Bike shoes- you're gonna be doing some runnin' and those Sidi Ergo's with speedplays aren't going to cut it. Sidi Dominators are a pretty popular choice here.
3. Mountain Bike Pedals- you're going to want a pedal that's easy to get in/out of, and sheds mud well. Popular pedals include Time ATAC and Crank Bros. Eggbeaters.
4. Embrocation: Gotta keep those legs warm in the colder months! Some Brands include: Mad Alchemy, SportsBalm, Sportque, Agu, and Greyhound Juice
5. Belgian Beer- for Post Race Recovery, Duh...
6. a Cowbell: you've just gotta have more cowbell!

There are Cyclocross races Every weekend this fall, from Mid-september all the way through to December. The "Scene" at cyclocross races is a bit less serious than most road races- the northeastern cyclocross scene has a fantastic sense of camaraderie, with racers drinking beer and cheering on their friends that are racing in other categories.

Ok, so- once you get your bike, shoes, and pedals together, you're going to need to know how to ride the thing! Luck for you, our weekly Cyclocross practices will be starting every Tuesday Evening from 6-8PM on Randalls Island, Starting Sept 8. Think of it as your FBF Substitute. At the weekly practices we'll work on skills by doing drills and simulating race conditions. There are always veteran CX'ers at the practices, and they're the best guys to learn from!

If you're wondering what the best races of the season are, Have no fear- I've done all of the Work for you! Follow the link below for a Google Calendar showcasing the best CX races in he Northeast! To make it even easier for you, every race on the calendar has a link to the Bikereg page- just double click on the race and you'll see the link.

CJ's 2009 CX RACE CALENDAR

CYCLOCROSS SEASON KICKOFF PARTY

In order to get everyone excited about the upcoming cross season I've Teamed up with the guys at NYC Velo to put on the first annual 2009 NYC CX Season kickoff party!

WHEN: September 12th from 9:00AM-11:00AM

WHERE: NYC Velo - 64 2nd Avenue (between 3rd and 4th streets)

We’ll be featuring the Wafels and Dinges truck outside the shop, free espresso inside, and a monster sale – 15% off ALL CX related items, including bikes!! Gee, what a perfect time to pick up that bike you're gonna need!

We will also be playing the ‘09 World CX Championships on the big screen, and we’ll have a couple of laptops handy to get you signed up for upcoming races, as well as a sampling of the hottest embrocations around. There will be NYC ‘cross veterans in attendance (Maybe even a National CX Champion), so come and get your questions answered!

Shake and Bake

Here we are, boys and girls- It's already mid August, and the road season is almost over. This year's season ran a bit long in the tooth and by July I felt about as burnt out as a stoner at Burning Man... I guess going full-bore starting with training camp in Feb until now takes its toll (and i don't think I'm the only one...) The ennui of late summer bike racing was taking its toll, but now three things have happened that have set the fire in my loins once again:

1. Cyclocross season's around the corner!!!! If I have any hope of finishing in the middle of the pack as a newly minted cat 3 in CX, I better start training more...
2. The team has been absolutely kicking ASS lately. 2 wins in the park by Zak, Alvin winning Tokeneke (and finally getting his cat 3 upgrade), and the little stunt Zak and I pulled at Lou Maltese (more on that below)
3. For some god-forsaken reason, I'm pre-reg'ed to do the Green Mountain Stage race. After last year's spectacle* you think i would have learned my lesson, but no.

So in order to not embarrass myself too much at GMSR or in the 09 CX season, I've ramped up my training again. I know, coach roger must be so proud. It's easy to let yourself go for a few weeks after racing pretty much nonstop since march, but I've toned down my normal diet (not really) and started putting some real miles in again.

So onto Last Sunday:

I'd never actually raced Lou Maltese before, but it's widely known as the Ultimate-mega-Excitable-cat-4-world-championships. Needless to say, this race was in our sights. The race started out in a similar fashion to CRCA races, with the addition of some non-CRCA jokers from Bklyn and Queens (Kissena, etc). It was pretty much guaranteed that it was going to be a sprint finish, what with the entire excitable cat 4's in the bunch. There were numerous half-assed attempts at breaks, but the field never let anything stick for more than 1/3rd of a lap. I played my usual be-lazy-and-don’t-do-any-work,-you-fat-sprinter card. The rest of our team did a few leg openers, with Zak, Beckerman, Tim, and Chad attacking a few times. Nothing special. The non-sprinters did a good job of helping to rein in whatever did go.

Coming into the last lap, Reggie and Zak stuck near the front. I waited till the west side/tavern to get into position- looking for my leadout of destiny- AKA TIM ROGERS.

Tim's surgical precision in the leadout is remarkable- he’s steady, finds great lines, and guides you to victory with perfect timing. I stuck onto Tim’s wheel like Britney Spears at an all-you-can-eat-buffet. Zak was on my wheel, waiting to do his thing. I had been anticipating giant leadout trains from Setanta and NYVelocity, but nothing came around. I kept an eye on "Union" Steve Marmo, who I had been talking sh!t to all week. I was praying he wouldn't whip out a tire iron and take a swipe at me mid sprint (kidding!)- he's been racing strong and i made sure i knew where he was. With 1 or 2 K to go, Beckerman goes off on a flyer. The field freaks out, knowing he's a TT monster, and the whole pack sped up and got strung out trying to chase him. I think this was extremely beneficial to our finish, as we had a great position when it got strung out.

As we got to the boathouse, Tim was chugging along. The Sprinter on Organic tried to go early and we followed. Tim rammed us about 1/3rd of the way up

Cats paw and then Zak and I went. Zak came around me and I started to sprint. Our timing was perfect and no one was getting around us. It's a great feeling when you know you're golden before you cross the line- it’s almost surreal; it goes in slow motion. I vaguely remember hearing Steve curse my name.

The minute we crossed the line 1-and-2, we did a Guido Fistpump and screamed in victory. We showed up to the Cat 4 World series and dominated on our home turf. Everyone played their part- we won because everyone raced well and for the team. Reggie, Chad, Tim, Zak- I'm so glad that we get to race together! my "oh" face even made an appearance:

This month has by far been the best month for the team so far. We're finally coming into our own, and done with the growing pains of a new team. Everyone’s racing their strengths, and we're taking advantage of those strengths with our solid, selfless teamwork. I'm so proud of our guys!

I didn't remember this right away, but before the race i had called that we would finish 1st and 2nd. As Andy Shen was photographing that day, and apparently I made sure to remind him of my prediction mid-race:

If you think that's a shocker symbol I'm throwing up, well then you don't know me very well. I'm a polite, meek person who isn't fond of the spotlight at all. I'm also 6 feet tall and have a full head of hair. Ladies?

This latest result puts me within earshot of a cat 3 upgrade. No, really- stop laughing. that wasn't supposed to be a joke!

Note- due to the lack of an actual "podium" for the podium shot, it looks like I came in 3rd if you go by height order. next time I'll wear risers in my Sidis.

*Last year's GMSR incident involved a hilarious road race stage, where i took a wrong turn, did 15 extra miles, bonked, got severe GI distress and had to poop my brains out at a pizzeria at 11:30 AM right before hitting the final climb. I proceeded to get passed by Evie Stevens, who had probably started about 1 hr after me.

Tour de France Viewing Party- Sunday, July 12 @ BXL!

Hello, my legions of fans- i've been neglectful of my blogging as of late, but it's not for lack of trying! too much bacon eating and (subsequently) squeezing into skinsuits that are wayyy too tight...)

here's a heads up on another Viewing party I'm putting on this sunday, July 12th. Stage 9 is gonnna be a good one- the race is going to be decided in the mountains! Will Contador Spank Lancey-pants and make him get bottles with Levi? We'll have to see!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jed Kornbluh

Christophe Jammet

NYCX

newyorkcross@gmail.com

Stage 9 @ BXL to Benefit the CRCA Junior Development Program, presented by CJ & Jed

NEW YORK, NY July 6, 2009– Mussels! Schleck! Frites! Berto! Beer! Bottle! Lance! Who? On Sunday, July 12th at 7PM, come out to support the CRCA Junior Development Program and enjoy the company of fellow members of the NYC cycling community as we watch Stage 9 of the tour de France, featuring the classic climb up to Col de Tourmalet, at BXL Café on west 43rd (b/t 6th and Broadway). Belgian beer will flow, prizes will be raffled, and great TdF racing will be on the TV as CJ and Jed bring you another great party for a worthy cause.

The event begins at 7PM, with coverage on Versus beginning at 8PM, and will run until the end of the broadcast at 11PM. Offers for the night will include drink specials, courtesy of BXL and other event sponsors, a steady steam of prize raffles, as well as pre-recorded extended coverage of Stage 9. Raffle tickets will be sold for $5 throughout the event and all money raised will go directly to the CRCA Junior Development Program.

Raffle prize sponsors for this event include:

CRCA

Sportique Body Care

Univest Grand Prix Cyclosportif 100k

NYC Velo

Finkraft Coaching

New Jersey State Fair SpectaCross

David Jordan Coaching

Uvex Helmets

D'artagnan

OrthoChick

Velo Classic Tours

Wafels & Dinges

BXL Cafe

Gage DeSoto Tees

AND MORE!

For additional information, contact:

newyorkcross@gmail.com