Racing In Moop

If you race Cyclocross long enough, you'll discover tons of things... 

But when you focus your sights, specifically on the Cyclocross courses, you'll notice 2 things in particular 

* No two courses  are exactly the same (even if the venue is the same for both days...)
* Weather conditions are a huge variable to any course

With that said...

Year in and year out, certain races become a tradition... to name a few

Gloucester
Providence
New Gloucester, Me
North Hampton


Some courses are traditionally dry,  some courses are traditionally flat and fast... Some courses are known for their mud, some courses are very technical, and some courses (like the one we raced on last weekend in Maine)... are known for their MOOP!

What the hell is MOOP????

HAH!!!  Funny that you ask!!!  Cause I'm going to enlighten you... with pictures even!!! 


First... we'll start with a cow field...   In Maine.

Actually... that's not accurate... let's add more cows....










That's better....



And then... let's factor in the first thing that cows do...






















As we all know... what goes in at the front end must come out at the business end...
 
This shot wasn't an easy one to get SPORTS FANS!!! 




















This is a single serving size.....


















Now..... when you add in  a bunch of these guys....










a bunch of these  
















Aaaaaannnnd

And a metric crap load of rain the night before the race!

























Hey Peanut... I have a question for you, what's all the rain doing to the cow fields? 





Answer! Turning it into MOOP!
















Translation of Moop is - Equal parts of Mud and Cow Poop!


This is what happens when things don't go well in Moop













This dude hit something buried in moop that broke his frame in 2 places... he was lucky to walk away with no injuries!










 




But this is what you got if you did really well...  Pie for 1st place!!! What a great award!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, racing in moop is like racing on any other course... you and your stuff just smells a little funkier!

 

Only in Cyclocross!!  Gotta love it!

 

With the Cross season well on it's way, I feel the need to send a very special shout out to all the race promoters and course builders and volunteers, for all the time they put in to putting on these great events.  It's certainly not for the money... God knows they break even at best.  It's purely for the love of the sport.  You all do a wonderful job.  Thanks for all of your efforts!

 

Many, many thanks!

 

 

 

Have fun out there

Ride Safe!!

Talk with you soon

The Peanut Gallery

 

MTB & CX What's the Deal!

First of all I want to thank Kathy for asking me to write in the most prestigious of literary publications as a guest writer. It's probably due to it being the heart of her race season and she's busy riding and training.

(Peanut here... Uhhhh... not true!!!  I asked the Ride Bully to write this blog cause he's a damned fine writer and I know you guys get sick of hearing from just me)

Just after Kathy and Karen tore it up at Gloucester I had a short conversation that asked the question. "Why don't more mountain bike guys race cross"? Kathy responded with a perplexed "I don't know, but they should".

So when in doubt, write it out.

First a little background on me. My first passion has been riding mountain bikes, and I've been doing it since 1994. I liked it so much I decided to get a job at a shop in Mass to support my addiction. I've been riding ever since and currently enjoy road, cross, and mountain. Bottom line I'm attracted to the simplicity, complexity, technology, adventure, adrenaline, competition, challenge, and personalities of the sport of cycling. I'm not a mountain biker or roadie, nor am I a cross guy. For all intensive purposes I'm just a cyclist.

So what keeps the masses from crossing over from the dirt to the dirt? Did that make sense? No!

So what's the deal!

The two sports seem almost interchangeable. 

Both sports are primarily done off road in sometimes adverse conditions, both sports require power and technical bike handling ability, and both sports require a bicycle! (OK so that last one was a bit obvious) Seriously though if you're a MTB racer and just need to get your weekend fix of racing then cross may be the perfect fit.

Sure the cyclocross races are shorter but you've got to be on the gas for the full 40 - 45 minutes. If you're not on the gas you're last! Silly you say? Check the popularity numbers, The typical New England race has 80 to 125 participants per racer category, and guess what, they're all racing at once. This would be the equivalent of sending off the full Elite/Expert/SingleSpeed  mountain bike fields all at once every Sunday. The larger races will see upwards of 1000 racers per day.

Like a mountain bike race no two venues are the same. There's power, technical, and hilly type courses. Like mountain bike racing the equipment is insane except lots of folks bring with them a spare set of carbon wheels, or even a spare bike that they leave in the pit just in case of a mishap.



It's spectator friendly! Bring the family along. Most laps are 6-8 minutes in length and there are plenty of great crashes to be witnessed. Many races take place at a park or school. So more often than not there is something for the little ones to keep them occupied.

And just how many mountain bike races do you know of that have a beer tent on location?
So what's the deal? What's not to love? I have lots of bikes in the stable at home and while they may not all be the top of the line full XTR/Red/Record components. They are all fun to ride and race with your buddies and teammates. If you haven't given CX a try then you don't know what you've been missing.
Here's a short list for all you MTB guys of the Top 5 reasons why you should try a CX race.

1. You enjoy massive quantities of pain delivered all at once.

2. You've run out of quality MTB races for the season.

3. With shorter days you're looking to extend your season of fitness.
4. You want to see if you can beat Andy Gould at something  bike racing related.


5. You love to race bikes, hang with your buddies, and have frosty libations at a most festive environment surrounded by many like minded  bike folk.

For those of you hot shot mountain bike racers reading this saying "but I don't have a CX bike" you're in luck cause you can race your MTN bike! So come on out and let's see what all you fat tire folks can do!

 




















Hey do you see what this thing does to my fur!?...   Someone buy me a Cross Bike!


Sincerely,
The Ride Bully

My sincere thanks to the Ride Bully, for taking the time as a guest  writer to our Blog... nice job.!!!

The Peanut Gallery 

MUD, BLOOD AND COW BELLS

OK... I have a small confession to make.

Before I went to bed last Friday night... after I made a few apologies and said a extra few Hail Marys for excessive swearing...  I asked God for a huge favor.

I asked for rain in Gloucester...  Now, I didn't ask for "rain in general"... I specifically wanted it to rain during "MY" races... And let me tell you,  I GOT WHAT I ASKED FOR..

 























 Ummm... where's my bike????  The last time I was on it, was in the off camber section....


It freaking poured.... ALLLLLLLLLLL WEEEEEEEEKEEEEEEEEEND!

Now... despite popular opinion... I'm not a crazy person.

I don't particularly like the rain... you know, those soggy conditions that turn a comfortable pair of bib shorts into a wet diaper that doubles as a sling shot, that will catapult you over the handle bars and into outer space, if you mistakenly hook your shorts on the saddle (like I did in the 2nd lap), during your flying remount.... 

Wanna watch me fly???  Just wait until I do my flying bicycle remount in my soggy shorts!



For the record... I don't feel any particular attachment to the shoe sucking mud either.  It's two faced...  as soon as you get comfortable it will quickly rip you off your bike the second you think "you've got this corner".  Now that I'm thinking about it... I'm not "attracted", to the sponge like... wheel grabbing grass fields that seem to have magnets straight from hell, much either..






















This is my evil devil cat... we are going to grab your wheels and suck you into hell with us!!!


It's like the Klingons and their damned tractor beam... Draining every ounce of energy from your aching legs. 

Hey... turn the tractor beam up... Their race hasn't hit the appropriate "SUCK  FACTOR" yet.

Ahhh... Yes, now the "SUCK factor" is at the appropriate levels...  "Cho oy plvlob"



Nope... I don't particularly care for any of it...



BUT... here's the deal!

I KNOW MOST OF MY COMPETITORS WOKE UP TO THE PITTER PATTER OF RAIN DROPS, THEY WERE TOTALLY HATING THE CONDITIONS ... even more important... I know they're afraid of what the rain is doing to the course!!!

So.... A long time ago I made a decision.  I decided to take the totally opposite perspective on things... I have turned the foul weather into my absolute best friend.  It is something I hope, pray and yes, even dream for... because it is my greatest ally.

If you want to get good... Really good at the sport of Cyclocross, you better make the weather your friend, not your enemy.  

Anyone can race well in dry conditions.... but dry conditions are never a guarantee and guess what, being a winter sport, dry conditions are only temporary.

YOU DON'T want the weather to be the variable that leaves you flopping around on the side of a muddy off camber corner, like a fish that just fell out of its' bowl. 

  














Crap!!!  How do I get back in the bowl!!!

So... what do you do??

Welp... 4 things immediately come to mind

1.  Start doubling up when you pack (at least 2 sets of everything).  If it rains, you'll want to get out of the wet stuff after your pre-ride, to race in a dry kit.   Starting a race in a dry kit, is good both physically and mentally.

2.  Next time it rains or snows... grab your cross bike and go play in it!
 
If you don't train in it... you can't expect to race well in it.

If you don't practice in it, how can you ever expect to ride well in it, never mind race well in it... right????

  
3.  "As a general rule"... when the weather goes south...  if you race on tubulars... your tire pressure should go south as well.  The slicker the conditions the softer the tire pressure for better traction.  But always pre-ride the tire pressure you adjust to, and make sure you're good with any change you've made.


4.  If you complain about the weather when it's nasty...  Odds are, I've already beaten you... and we haven't even raced yet.

I realize I have an attitude problem... but you would too with mud up your your nose!!

What goes on in your head has a huge impact on how it translates into "performance on the bike".  Don't kill your race before you even roll to the line.



Since you're going to race in it anyway... learn to love it.  If not love it... then at least, make a deal to make friends with it vs. making an enemy out of it.



So...  

As you roll to the line in the pouring rain, snow... whatever mother nature is tossing your way....  Embrace it!!!   

Once the whistle blows, you will forget the weather... all you will hear are the shouts from friends and family, and the ringing of cowbells.

And afterwards... as you're hosing mud and yes, even a little blood off your legs... you might surprise yourself.  You might find that you are silently  wishing for rain next weekend...

  

This is what happens when you make mud, blood and cowbells your friend!


Our next Blog will be a week early, because we have a guest writer, the Ride Bully who I am proud to say, is also my Blue Steel Teammate... so be sure to continue to  check in, for what I know will be a good read. See you next Friday....

Have fun out there

Ride Safe!!

Talk with you soon

The Peanut Gallery 

PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR CROSS RACERS

This is "not"... the Pain Management definition for Cyclocross Races...  This is for normal people....

Pain Management for a Normal Person
 
1.  Pain management for Normal People -  (also called pain medicine or algiatry) is a branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach for easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain.

2.  The typical pain management team includes medical practitioners, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists. 

3.  Pain sometimes resolves promptly once the underlying trauma or pathology has healed, and is treated by one practitioner, with drugs such as analgesics and (occasionally) anxiolytics. Effective management of long term pain, however, frequently requires the coordinated efforts of the management team.


<sup>Sooooooooo......  The Cross Season has arrived and with it... the resurrection of our old friend pain.  


Yeah... you know, that gnarly, mangy, raggedy flea infested thing that sinks it's claws into your back the second the whistle blows ... and doesn't get off,  until well after that coppery taste... deep in your lungs has been washed away with a few cold beers.</sup>

     









<sup>Say hello to your new best friend for the season... UGH!!! 


What... you thought you were the only one who experienced that coppery taste????  Hey... when you race hard enough... you swear you're gonna cough up blood any second, but don't worry.  You'll throw up way before you cough up blood... so quit being such a baby!

So... what's the point of this blog anyhow???? 

Well... funny that you ask!!!

I've been doing this ridiculous sport for way longer than I would care to admit and even after all these years, I still forget how freaking painful it is, at the beginning of the season.

I swear... last week, during the second lap of a race... as the lactic acid is dripping out of my ears, all of a sudden... I heard a little voice begin to drone MY pre-recorded "I'm quitting cross" retirement speech through my head.  WTF!!!!!  I almost pulled over and slapped myself silly...  We all have our demons.  It's easy to quit when you hurt... it's harder to keep fighting...

It does basically boil down to Pain Management...</sup>

Pain Management for a Cross Racer


<sup>1.  The way we treat our particular ailment...  Ummmm... may not be defined as "reasonable" at least when compared to the "normal person". 


Actually... it's the polar opposite to what any "normal"...  aka "sane"  individual would advise... which would be "stop" immediately and sit your ass in a chair!!! 

Nope... Cross racer pain management treatment is simple...
Train harder, race faster, stop your freaking whining and close that gap!!! 

This is what helps to improve our quality of life!!!





















Thank you sir.... can I have another please!!!!


2.  Our Pain Management Team is made up of our friends, family, teammates, coaches, pets and anyone else who will listen to us whine, cry, and swear our way through the season.</sup>

<sup>I am here for you... really... don't you see me in my cheerleader outfit for Godsakes! 


3.  Pain resolution.... in Cyclocross is called... end of season.  

As a true cyclocross racer... I would say that not a single one of us are rushing for pain resolution.

We love this sport, which means in a weird way we learn to love the pain... It's part of what defines the sport and makes it... what it is.  If you talk to any Cross racer... that's one of the first thing they'll say... is how freaking hard it is and how much it hurts.

As the season goes on,  we get use to it and learn to tolerate it and over time... welcome it's presence.

None of us as cross racers are looking for Pain resolution.... 

We are OK with the pain, we are just looking to manage it... not eradicate it.  That's why it's called "Pain Management".</sup>


 

Have fun out there

Ride Safe!!

Talk with you soon

The Peanut Gallery 

  









 







 





 

CHILD LIKE ENTHUSIASM

You know what???  You never really know what fun is all about until you watch a child at play...


They approach things with unbridled wonder... often getting distracted along the way, be it by a butterfly, bumblebee or whatever.
  













As adults, we need to try to find a way to recapture some of that child like enthusiasm... don't ya think???

Well... for about  8 hour last Saturday,  we did just that!!!

So... what did we do last Saturday?

Welp.. we launched our First Annual Blue Steel Cyclocross Clinic with 64 enthusiastic riders... many who were new to the sport.   Of the 64 riders... we had close to 10 junior riders in the group, which just added to the fun.... not to mention, the energy level...  Kids on bikes are = to main lining adrenaline!!!! 

We broke the Clinic into 2 sessions... a morning and afternoon session... 

We had 6 skills stations we taught in the morning.  

The skills we covered were:

*  Mounts and Dismounts
*  Barriers 
*  Shouldering The Bike
*  Off Camber Riding
*  Pit Set Up
*  Cross Equipment

Folks started out a bit tentatively... but after a few minutes we saw their confidence begin to slowly build, then we heard hoots of excitement as they accomplished things they didn't think they would be able to do.  It's amazing to see people progress so quickly is such a short period of time.  

The child like enthusiasm comes bursting out of all of us when we see progress, that we didn't think possible... regardless of our age.  

Hey... where you going????   No idea...  Where, you going ???


Then, after a short lunch break... which was provided, the afternoon session tied the skills together and everyone raced!!!


Everyone did really well and I'm so proud and happy for both the folks who attended, and for my teammates, sponsors, and friends of the team who helped... They all did such a great job on and off the course.  What a great effort... what a great day!  Everyone really had a good time out there and it really showed on the smiling faces. 

Uhh... who's idea was this anyway???

First Annual Blue Steel Cross Clinic Graduates!!

 
 

Chocolate milk make a great recovery ride drink in a pinch!

Despite the warm temps.... we kept everyone well hydrated and everyone had tons of fun!

We're going to do it again next year... so if you want to recapture some of your child like enthusiasm... come join us.  You won't regret it. 

Before closing... I would like to take a moment to thank all the folks who helped out in putting on the event... many of them were Blue Steel Team members, but many were not.

I would love to give individuals shout outs but in fear of leaving someone out... I will not, for fear of hurting that one lone soldiers feelings... I could never forgive myself.    With that said.  Thank you, thank you, thank you...  

An effort of this size... can not be pulled off with out a ton of work and without a team effort, it simply can't be done.  Hopefully the smiles on the faces of the 64+ happy folks who attended the Clinic was enough payment for your efforts... if not... then please accept my thanks and gratitude.  

We'll do it again next year!


Have fun out there

Ride Safe!!

Talk with you soon

The Peanut Gallery 
 

SIZE DOES MATTER

SO...

Remember when "THEY" said size didn't matter???... 

Well.... They lied!!!!

WHAT!!!!  WHAT!!!  WHAT!!!!

Heeeeyyyyyy.... I'm not talking about thaaaaat....

To go please... and make it fast!!!

I'm talking about proper bike sizing... geez!!!

So, we've all been to the circus and seen these guys..

And we'll often goof around and jump on equipment that we realize is either way too big or too small for us and end up looking like this... 

  














6 pack of tiny



Or worse yet...  because of limited finances or whatever, we've gotted on ill fitting equipment, in positions that are... let say...  awkward at best for us to ride in....

My first year of racing Cyclocross, was on a borrowed steel road bike that was 2 sizes too big.  It was heavy as hell, not to mention a freaking safety hazard every time I did a flying remount.  As soon as I could afford to buy a real cross bike that fit me, you bet yo butt, I went out and got one.... pronto!

So...  Let's see... a frame too short kinda looks like this...

Hey... what kinda bug is on that license plate????


A Frame too big looks kinda like the one on the right...


and.... you guessed it... in comparison... a frame way too small is Billy on a frame waaay too small....

Ummm... this is gonna leave a mark... isn't it???


Let's see what happens when we get on the right bikes...

Wow... much better! 


The trick is to talk with a shop that knows what they're doing (any guesses?)... Come on!!!!

Super Squirrel to the rescue????  Ahhhh No!!!



Not a great photo but you get my point

 

So, In short Sports Fan.... Size does matter and while we are on the subject... so does fit!

If you want to be professionally fitted to your bike... be sure that a certified fitter takes care of you... not some dude on your team...  who is eye balling your saddle height 5 minutes before the race, with a string dangling off your knee cap with a weight tied to the end of it, and then says... "you're good to go"! 

We have 2 certified fitters and we'll be happy to set you up with an appointment and get you set on your bikes to help you maximize your performance.

Have fun out there

Ride Safe!!

Talk with you soon

The Peanut Gallery  



TIME TO SHAKE OUT YOUR CROSS GEAR!!!

That's right Sports Fans...

Here's your Cyclocross count down...

If you haven't started already....

In the next 2 weeks, many of us will be starting cross specific training... possibly jumping on our cross bikes for the first time since LAST SEASON....


In 4 short weeks, many of us will be attending some version of a Cross Clinic... brushing up on rusty cross skills

As a cheap and shameless plug... Blue Steel Cyclery will be putting on a Cyclocross clinic on Sept 1st, but act fast because space is limited and we're closing it out at 64 attendees.  Check it out on bike reg. 


And... then!!!!  In 6 weeks...   Ohhhhhh, NOOOOOO!   The actual racing season starts!  

You guessed it!  We'll be coughing up a lung in our first Cross Race out in VT.... or some other place in New England. 

Racing up the side of some mountain, wondering what the hell we were thinking, when we signed up for the damned race on bike reg!!


So...  don't add insult to injury, by jumping straight into the fires of hell, on a bike that you've ignored since last winter. 

Hey Dude!  It's hot in here!

 
Come on... if you are anything like me...   after your last Cross race, which for me was LAST January, the last thing you wanted to do was bike maintenance... so, I did what any responsible individual would do.


I tossed my cross bikes in the basement and ignored them.... until.... ummmmm.... HOLY CRAP!!!!  I ONLY HAVE 6 WEEKS BEFORE MY FIRST RACE!!!!

And here they come!  Rounding the first bend...




So.... now what?????


Well...  before you jump on your bike cold turkey and start blasting over the barriers

Oops!!  That's gonna leave a mark



Through the woods 

Part of the Chain Gang!





and all over creation

Now... doesn't this look life fun!!!






 ... here's a few things you might want to check out first...


*  Pump up the tires... and make sure you don't  have a slow leak


*  If you have tubulars... make sure the glue is still good.  If you see an edge of the tire peeling away from the rim... NOT GOOD... Time to re-glue!!!


*  Check your tires for wear... if you want to get a little more wear out of your clinchers...  you can always rotate the front to the rear...but only if they are clinchers...  I wouldn't recommend rotating tubulars.  If a tubular is worn, replace that bad boy !!!


Because we are hard on our equipment in Cross... it will wear out faster... sooooo
*  Check the chain for wear... and, since it's been sitting, be sure to add chain lube


*   Check brake pads for wear... if pads or at 1/2 life... go ahead and replace


*  Check chain rings & cassette for wear... those wear on fast in Cross particularly the chain rings


*  Check bolts on chain rings to ensure they are tight...  


*  Check seat collar bolt... that has a tendency to snap due to mounts and dismounts!


*  Check your handle bars to make sure they are tight and make sure your headset is tight


*  Make sure your wheels are secure in the frame and tighten down the skewers


If you find anything outside of the above acts or looks weird on your bike... bring it to a bike shop and let one of the pros figure out what's going on with it... save yourself the frustration, hand gestures, and the excessive swearing... 

Doing this to my bike after I attempt to repair it, always makes me feel better.



Plus, I've found from personal experience that the maintenance cost goes up after I try to fix something first...


It's cheaper if I go directly to the bike shop vs. trying to fix it and then go to the shop. 

Since we're closing in on Cross Season...  I'm be posting blogs every 2 weeks.

Have fun out there

Ride Safe!!

Talk with you soon

The Peanut Gallery