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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    I'm the only one allowed to whine
    Posts
    10,557

    I want to learn!

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    Who's cyclocrossing? 'fess up!

    Is it like the old days of mountain biking, when we had NO suspension?
    "If Americans want to live the American Dream, they should go to Denmark." - Richard Wilkinson

  2. #2
    Kitsune06 Guest

    I'd best leave this message and Never. Look. At. This. Thread. Again.

    I can only imagine. Great. Now I have to have THREE bikes. (Unless I can just use my imaginary Cyclocross bike as a roadie, too... well, it probably WOULD smoke the mtb on the road anyway, right?, so I only need to have a cyclocross bike and a mtb?)

    ...Best not tempt fate. If I say the B word at home one more time, I'm sleeping outside... with my bike.
    Remarks I've made to this threat:
    "Ride who/what for hours where now?"
    "...but we spend all DAY together!"
    "Wait. I'm confused. If I'm sleeping with the bike now, does that mean my to-do list includes swapping out your seat, packing your bearings, and lubing your derailleurs? Are you sure?"

    Come to think about it, I think I'M the 'DPITA'... or just "PITA".

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    407
    I'm cross racing this season. I'm going to have my bike built up soon.....all in 10 speed 105!
    Just keep pedaling.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    I'm the only one allowed to whine
    Posts
    10,557
    Darlin' lil' fox - You get the cyclocross, and have a 2nd set of tires (or wheels) for her. Voila! Instant awesome roadie.

    That way you only have 2 bikes, but with 3 functions!

    (SKnot tells me "kitsune" means "fox" in Japanese)
    "If Americans want to live the American Dream, they should go to Denmark." - Richard Wilkinson

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    1,080
    I'm racing again this season. This will be my 4th season racing cross (although my 1st season consisted of one race where I skinned my shin down to the bone tripping on a barrier -- season over!).

    My race rig is a Ritchey Titanium Break-Away. I had raced Shimano Dura Ace in past seasons, but my road bikes are Campy so I just made the switch on my cross bike too (allows me to get rid of a lot of duplicates, like wheels, etc). I'm also running a PowerTap on my cross rig this season to collect some real data (haven't done that in past seasons).

    Kitsune06, you don't need multiple bikes. A cross bike does it all -- throw road wheels on it and it's a road bike, if you've got generous gearing it's a rigid mtn bike, get a frame with eyelets for racks and it's a commuter! Or, just try some cross races on your mtn bike. Beginners are allowed to race on mtn bikes.

  6. #6
    Kitsune06 Guest
    Hehehehehehe...
    well if I can do 'cross races on my mtb as a n00b, what's holding me back?!
    I love mud
    I love the cold & wet
    I love both of those on my bike...
    Where do I sign up?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    1,080
    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune06
    Where do I sign up?
    Where do you live?

  8. #8
    Kitsune06 Guest
    around Portland, OR, actually. It'll be a long ways off... I HAVE to have my asthma looked into before I even TRY to do anything active in the cold weather...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Flagstaff AZ
    Posts
    2,516

    Mountain bikes without Suspension

    Didn't know there was anyone else on this forum who had raced without suspension (front and rear). I look back and that and thank god that most of my racing without suspension was in California (not so rocky and rough)!

    Cyclocross is similar to that, but usually the courses are not too technical as far as rocks, etc. Most promoters know that you will be riding a cyclocross bike and if it was as rocky as a mountain bike course, everyone would have a perpetual flat!

    I don't always use my cyclocross bike to race up here in Flag, cause the boys that put on the races are a bunch of kamikazes and they like to make the courses as hard as they can. When they are hard courses, I ride my Klein mountain hard tail mountain bike. Besides, it is lighter than my cyclocross bike (hard to believe) and so it is easier to pick up than the cyclocross bike!

    Those that haven't raced cyclocross before, remember to bring the PAM. Spray it on your cleats and your pedals escpecially when it is muddy or icy. Sometimes when it is really cold, I don't use clipless cause all you end up with is a big ball of ice on the bottom of your cleat and it won't engage anymore. For State Competition one year, we had about 1 1/2 feet of snow. That year, it was flat pedals and hiking boots! It worked great

  10. #10
    Kitsune06 Guest
    eeeehheheehhehe...
    this sounds awesome. =D I've gotta look into this stuff... my hardtail is actually pretty light...

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    MI
    Posts
    2,543

    Cyclocross for Knottedyet

    Knottedyet--
    You can use your new Waterford for cyclocross racing. That's what it was originally used for. She used to race through the apple orchards with the best of 'em up here in MI.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    3,099
    Iwant to - I want to sooo bad I can't stand it..........ooooo and I could use the vintage Trek for it cept....................don't know anyone that 'crosses here and - while they do hold cross races one night a week in the fall - they're races and they aren't meant for beginners (or in my case never-done-beforeres) but one of these days the winds will blow in My direction..........and I'll ride cross....one of these days.................
    Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming: "Yeah Baby! What a Ride!"

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    1,080
    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune06
    around Portland, OR, actually. It'll be a long ways off... I HAVE to have my asthma looked into before I even TRY to do anything active in the cold weather...
    Portland is the cross capital of the US. Seriously. If you don't race, at least go out and check out some races -- you can learn a lot just by being a spectator. Cross Crusade is awesome (I may actually head up to do a couple Portland races just to get experience in the weather since CA cross is just dry and dusty).

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Suburban MA and Western ME
    Posts
    1,815
    I'm trying cross for the first season. In fact, off to a women's cross clinic that my club is putting on this evening. I figure once I learn to "master" the on and off issue, I have it made .

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune06
    I can only imagine. Great. Now I have to have THREE bikes.
    Only three???? You should come to my house - 2 people, 14 bikes .

    SheFly

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Flagstaff AZ
    Posts
    2,516

    How do you think people start racing?

    HEY CORSAIRMAC:

    You said:

    "they're races and they aren't meant for beginners (or in my case never-done-beforeres) but one of these days the winds will blow in My direction..........and I'll ride cross....one of these days................."

    How do you think anyone gets started racing - you have to go out and do the first timer beginner race of your life. Cyclocross series are usually pretty low key and small and probably a good place to try your first race. Find out who puts on your Albuquerque cross races and contact them to find out if they have anyone getting together to practice or show how to do cyclocross, i.e. how to get on and off your bike and do the barriers. Most people that put on races usually have something like that, go try it, ask for help, ask for more help. It's amazing what people will do for you if you are just interested!

    If you can't find that out before they start racing, go to the first race and ask,ask ask.! So you come in last! Who cares? You have no idea how many times I've come in last in a race. Too many to count! Have to admit the races were all fun even if I was last!

 

 

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