Eco-Cross

I had wanted to do the Coonamessett cross race for a couple years. Missed it three years ago and they didn't run it last year. So I was definitely planning a day off to hit it this year. Small fields and a chance to get crushed by juniors-how could you say no? Got to the farm early for a preride(in kit, sorry business casual crowd). It was a short lap. Felt really short which is odd since I always think laps are loooong when I preride. Had Cape friends coming out to watch so I was hanging out and a little distracted. Distracted to the point that I lined up with no number. Very pro. Number was in my jacket in the car. No way I was going to make it to the car and back for the start. Officials didn't notice, so off I went. My start wasn't a total shit show, but I lost places heading into the woods. Couple laps in and I was locked into the battle at the back-which is as serious as the battle of the bulge, just slower. The gravelly left turn into the beer tent barriers never felt right to me and I hit it pretty slow each lap-including the time I veered into a low wall and almost took my self out. Luckily I was going slow enough to recover.... After the barriers you went out into a field that was soggy, grassy muddy death. The only bright side was their was a "faster line" along the left hand tape that kept you out of some of the mud. Need to check for that line more often. It took til 2 to go for the inevitable to happen, I got caught by Nate Morse. Funnier guys than me have addressed this issue so I will not. I got caught by a few other dudes as I continued to battle it out with Andy. Going into the last lap, he uncorked a brutal attack in pretty much the perfect spot to pass me to win the battle of the back.
It was odd to be the only Newbury dude at the race since we usually roll deep (or as as the full quartet). Missed the crew. Got heckled by the announcer with the classic line, "this guy doesn't look so high&mighty now...." rim shot.... After the race I got a brief scolding from the officals and was on my way to try the "cyclocross salad". Didn't take advantage of the available harpoon as I was mentally preparing for getting spanked in a bigger field on Saturday.
This race is like a shorter Orchard Cross and was really fun. Plenty of beer and food and a cool scene all around. I would recommend getting the day off to do this next year. This was also the only race of the year that had mud in quantities beyond a three foot stretch.
Do the race next year and if you are on the cape check it out. Food is good.

Teamwork our way

Thom keeping hope alive at Orchard Cross.

When we started our team, we joked about doing some photo shoots. Well when you have photographers in the house all day it can turn into reality pretty quickly.
Then the problem was what to do with the pictures? Well after watching kit after kit get ethered on Kit Watch, submitting our shots seemed like an obvious choice. So we sent them off and waited.
Check it out. We got off pretty easy.
Thanks NYVelocity!
And for anyone racing Canton or Orchard Cross keep an eye out for Thom and Nick, we are restocked with High&Mighty!

PVD day 1

Ok, so I bailed on writing reports for a couple races so I figure I have to write this one.

Providence was a goal of mine from the start of the season. I had heard that the course was basically like a skate park, and that got me really stoked. I like courses that flow well, it makes me feel like I'm riding my skateboard and it makes putting lines together easy.

We showed up pretty early and I got in 2 pre-ride laps, and I was hooked. The course was great, the most fun I'd had yet on my bike. I made a bunch of excuses about how I was tired and that my legs sucked. Which is what I think every bike racer does when they feel good. The whole team lucked out when we were staged by registration order, all front row. I'm sure there is a photo of it somewhere, but my feeble search attempts found nothing. We started, I rode hard and hit the grass probably 5th wheel. Nick was in front of me and did a great repeat of his holeshot at quad. He cooked the turn and was in the tape. He recovered perfectly and lost only a few spots. Impressive hustle. Half way through the first lap we hit the barriers and I think that is where I made my passes and got on the front. I hit the half pipe sections and the climb as hard as I could and built maybe a 10 second gap. From then on the race got really weird, I was in front, with a gap and I just wanted to wait and let guys catch me. I felt too cautious in the turns and too slow in the power sections, but I guess it was enough. It was a slow and steady type of ride, I knew no matter what the result would be good and I didn't freak out because I was off the front.

Then we finished and I had won my goal race with a 20 something second gap. Super stoked.

Day 2 started great too. Until a rogue bungee cord took me out of 2nd place and really wrecked my back and front brake.

Don't blow it.

After Gloucester and Night Weasels Providence had a lot to live up to. I've seen some video, and heard a lot about the quarter pipes, but I needed see it to believe it.


Day 1 in photos.

This

followed several riders later by

This

followed by

This

I'm gonna write about Day 2, because Billy should write about day one.

Thom got his crippled ass out of bed early and drive me to the race with plenty of time for pre-riding. Seriously Thom deserves a ton of credit for going to Sunday's race after his less than spectacular Saturday. The race starts at 8:00 and at 7:30 the course still wasn't finished being staked off. Not the biggest problem, but I definitely did 1 of my 2 pre-ride laps wrong.

The start grid was registration order again giving Billy and I front row starts, thank you signing up early. He and I had discussed the fact that we were probably riding for second because Charlie Schubert was there, and he has been whipping us like dogs every time we've raced him (good for you Charlie.)

The whistle blows and it's on. I see Billy surge up on the left, and Charlie zoom past on my right. I manage to be second wheel onto the grass and promptly overcook the first right hand turn. I did something similar at Quadcross, I went so hard that my brain couldn't handle turning my bike. That time it took me a while to get going again, but this time I jumped back in in the top 20. I proceeded to pedal my ass off, and managed to get around a few guys before the off camber grass part. There were a lot of guys just coasting through on the high line, so I went low, pedaled, and managed to get to about 5th wheel.

Personal highlights of the rest of the race:

-Remounting in the drops after the barriers every time.

-Sprinting up the false flat on the back every lap.

-Railing the downhill headed back to the pit, and attacking to get to 3rd wheel

-Not freaking out when Eric Oishi was closing on me in the final lap. On Saturday he was on my wheel on the last straight, I had him pull through hoping to ride his wheel to success, but he rode me right off it instead. We finished with the same time on both days.

-Not blowing it when I rolled by and saw Billy off the course hopping around. I saw that and thought "Please not again. Oh sh*t now I'm in 3rd, don't blow it." I didn't.

-Finally only losing to 2 people.

This whole NECX Superweek has been incredibly awesome. From the spectacle that was Gloucester to the party and general awesomeness of Da Weasel to getting a rider on the podium each day of Providence. Every race was awesome, and all of the people that I've met, or become better acquainted with have been awesome as well. I'm stoked that this is my home.

Providence Day 2

I am sure a race report will follow this. Day 2 and Nick got third. Later,he will help you unravel the mystery of the missing man on the podium.....

the good part

2 guys in the top ten is the good news. Especially when one is on the top step. The bad news we will handle latter, but if you see Thom tomorrow-give him a beer.

Cross over load

Bewtween Gloucester and Night Weasels there has not been enough time for me to finish a report. There will be something to post here after Providence. In the meantine I found this picture.


Time to go soak my skinsuit again, the mud from Night Weasels is everywhere.




*photo courtesy of Russ Campbell photography.

The short, short version

Billy had the best finish at both the Noreaster on Saturday, and Suckerbrook on Sunday. However it is Wednesday and Billy still hasn't posted anything.

Noreaster:

Holy awesome. Stayed right on course (I mean almost literally. The place we stayed was right at the high point of the course right before the euro shoot of doom.) This course was awesome and was written about much better elsewhere. I crashed out, Thom crashed out, John not only finished, but aquitted himself well finishing in his first cross race finishing 38, Roger finshed 29. Billy came in third scoring the first (and hopefully not last) podium spot. (lots of photos including these at http://bicykel.com/)

Suckerbrook:

This is at the middle school I went to as a kid, and is 3 miles from where I grew up. This summer riding around in the back section I decided to lose my garmin. I hoped this would go better. If you watch this video, you can see that I rode an ok race, right up to the part where I flat heading back onto the pavement. I was sitting ok (nearish 12th) when I flatted, rode the flat to the gravel, had to run to the pit from there. I managed to get a wheel change and proceeded to claw my way back to 27. Thom finished 17 seconds ahead of me in 25th, sandwhiching Giessel. Roger finished 32 just 11 seconds back. Billy was the winner once again. He flatted on the bell lap and still managed to finish 12th.


Next up: Gloucester!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A bunch of videos from Green Mountain Day One

While Nick was busy with the camera, Thom was taking some videos. Enjoy

women's elite race

another lap of the elite ladies

3 race lap one. If anyone knows how to flip the footage-let us know

3 race at the barriers


and of course you all remember the first lap of the Elite Men on the steps

The rise and fall of Catamount weekend

It started out so good. The car was packed when I got out of work, so it meant just a short drive from Boston to the hostel in Burlington. Head over to eat burritos, then on the way. In Stoneham Thom is turned around talking to me and says "We just lost a wheel."



"What?" - Roger

"A wheel just flew off the roof" - Thom

*please let it not be my wheel* - Everyone.



Turns out it was Thom's wheel. We take the rest of the wheels off the roof, and get back to driving. Anyone who's ever taken me somewhere knows that I'm bound to fall asleep in the car. Probaly mid conversation. I don't know why, but it happens all the time. I even once fell asleep while drinking a Red Bull, clutched in a death-grip in my hand. After my nap we listen to the new Madball (awesome) and a Brian Posehn comedy album (listen to it.)



I'll tell the Hostel story another time (night digging) and start with getting to the race venue way too early. The Catamount Outdoor Center is an awesome place, lots of great views, and a ton of rideable terrain. Watching the fog burn off in the morning, and having it get about 10 degrees warmer in about 35 minutes was pretty awesome too.

Day one: Front row start. Ken from Threshold and I go out pretty hard and are leading up the first hill. By the time we get to the first left turn I've drifted back to 10th wheel or so (ah uphill sections.) I don't remember much except getting myself back around Giesel before we get back through the start/finish. Honestly this whole race is a blur. I do know that I rode up the bike jump every time, and that I managed to stay upright the entire ride. I also passed a couple of riders on the last lap n order to take 6th on the day.

I took a ton of photos after my race and proceeded to watch the Tim Johnson show before packing up and heading out for pizza and beer.

Day two: After a night of restless sleep it's back over to the venue super early for pre rides. It looked to be more suited to me (less climby) than day 1 and looked to have only 1 real feature to separate the race out (at least in the 4 field.) I was cautiously optimistic about my chance but was not getting good sensations from my legs during pre rides.

Front row start again. Again Ken leads it up the first hill and around the corner. Unlike day 1 I drift really far back during this part. I realize that there is now at least 1 Geekhouse rider ahead of me. I cannot allow myself to be treated this way and decide to move up on the left hand side. All the way to the front, and then to ride harder. I'm first wheel headed into the turns and still first wheel after the run up (yes I ran in every time.) I got passed just before it went back downhill, but stayed in the front group of 5 or so. We traded places amongst ourselves for most of the rest of the lap and rolled through the finish with me driving a train of 6 to the hill. I realize this is a really bad spot for me to be in so I weave around a bit to get off the front (in retrospect maybe the front is where I should have stayed.)

Back around the course on lap 2 it feels pretty good riding with this front group until we get to the downhill part. I managed to overcook a soft right hander and land right on my head. I also somehow manage to drop my chain behind the cassette and into the wheel. I get right up and realize that my oxygen starved brain can't fix my bike so I pick it up and start running.

I ran a lot. All the way down the hill, over the barriers and to the pit. I vaguely remember Roger yelling at me to keep running as he passed by. Stephen Pierce and Dave Wilcox, god bless their souls, met me in the pit to try and help out. I put my bike down and said "Chain. Needs fix." or something really intelligent like that. Between the 2 of them, and with an assist from Neutral by Mark himself I was back out of the pit quickly and right back into 14th place.

I proceeded to push myself harder than I ever have before in an attempt to catch not only the Geekhouse rider just ahead of me, but I needed to reel Roger in too. I relatively quickly caught up to the Geek (he washed out in a corner I think)and proceeded to cross paths with Roger for the next lap and a half or so.

I make a move to pass Roger and he lets me by with some words of encouragement. I think I see Giesel ahead of me, but he's to far to catch, so I just keep turning over the pedals trying to make up some time. Good for 12th on the day.

Overall I think we did pretty well for ourselves. I know Thom wasn't to happy with 16 on day 1 and 14 on day 2, but Roger seemed happy with 15 and 13.

Up next is the Noreaster and Suckerbrook. Keep an eye out for a special guest rider on Saturday.

The season begins...

There have been a few races already, but the big guns of the internet, came out to play Sunday in Bedford (some guns are bigger on the internet than in real life.) Thom and I went over on Saturday to help out with setting up the course and to drop off the team tent(s). If you liked the turns after the pit, thank Thom and I, if not, blame Ian for leaving us unsupervised.



I've been practicing as often as possible since Blunt Park, hoping to improve on my DNF. I started well for about 35 seconds, then went 1st to 50th in about 5 seconds by going into the tape in the first turn. Actually it wasn't even the first turn. In true cat 4 form I miss judged my speed heading up off the pavement and didn't turn enough sending me right into the tape. I quickly regrouped got back on the bike and started trying to claw my way back toward the front. I made a couple of passes through the start finish, and ran the first "circle of death" part at the bottom of the hill passing a bunch more people. That running part earned me a "Watch out for the guys with tattoos, they're aggresive" comment from a guy in a Bike Barn jersey. When a Bike Barn guy says you're aggressive you know you're racing bikes. Seriously if I can run past you maybe you shouldn't be still on your bike. Just saying.

I finally sorted myself out some and found the group that I would ride with, ahem behind, and settled in for some redlining.

I finished 29 of 88 better than last year's 54 of 91, but not as good as Billy's 12th.

After my race I got to hang out the rest of the day and watch bikes and enjoy a Beer of the Gods from one of the Newbury Comics water bottles that we passed out. I had so much fun Sunday, I can't wait for VT this weekend.


-Nick

Quad Cross

Photos are up on our facebook page. Race reports and more photos to come.
Awesome day of racing! Thom and Nick did a ton of work helping to set the course up and break it down. Thanks Team!

Palmer "Jungle" Cross

Race #3 of the Tobacco Valley/Accelerated Cure Series found Billy and I rolling into the parking of the Palmer High School nice and early. Complete 180 from last years downpour and mud-it was sunny and dry. It was pretty much the classic Palmer course. Fast start,on pavement this year, followed by a hard left into some rooty single track(roots are going to be a reoccurring theme in this post). Next up is a big section in a field with some pretty long wet, power sucking, grass turns. Then it is back into the woods for a short run up followed by a longer run up, before a 3 pack of low barriers in a field. Then it's back into some truly teeth rattling root sections. Be prepared to have your bike tossed around as you fail to find a clean line through this section. Last on the menu is a another quick trip into the woods, a wood bridge(big upgrade from the pallets that were spanning this stream in years past), and a long run up.
The roots were everywhere and amazing. They seemed to just reach up out of the ground like zombies trying to knock you of course.
Conditions were hot and dry. Dudes started staging 20 minutes before the start. 20 minutes? Over achievers? We staged a few rows back and sweated in out til start. The war for the hole shot was not as sketchy as past years even though a guy laid down right in front of me. Same as last weekend, Billy came past me early and I would only see him occasionally when he would drop his chain and then blast past me.
The heat and the roots made for a tough day even if this race finished up well below 40 minutes. I am not begging for more suffering, but a 40 minute race should be a lot closer to 40 minutes. I let myself get stuck in traffic too much and need to get more aggressive about passing. Could have used any kind of liquid hand up on the last lap.
Billy held on for 21st nursing a front flat through the last lap and I came in at 28th. Turns out Billy's issue was more than a flat, he dented the life out of his front rim. So even after the race the roots continued to make an impression.
No more races til Quad Cross on 09.12. Time to train.

Blunt Park

All 4 of us made it to Blunt Park on Sunday for out first chance fly the Newbury/High&Mighty banner. Nick and I were out in Western Mass already. We did the D2R2 the day before and enjoyed the hospitality of Will the man behind High&Mighty Beer. Dirty Truth is a good pub-too bad we had to race the next day.
Woke up to rain. Of course, it's cross season. First lessson learned-do not trust the weather report. Pack all your rain gear. Everytime! No exception! Thom and Billy arrived at Blunt Park(which was suffering the after effects of some major party) and it was time to go.
Nick was right up front. Thom, Billy, and I were further back. I was not too interested in the chaos of the Blunt Park hole shot so back of the bunch was not an issue. The course was basically the same as last year-so after a log dismount you head into some rooty single track. A clear high/low line was getting carved out, but I managed to clip a stump anyway. Billy rocketed past me and that was the last I would see of the team for awhile.
Billy got 14th,Thom 20th, me 28th, and Nick DNF'd after a nasty crash into the quad barrier set up. That quad barrier set up was a disaster and I could never find a good rhythm through it. There were a lot of dismounts per lap-2 logs, a low fence, and the quad barriers. Even though people were finding creative ways to avoid them.
Thom and I were reg'd for the 3/4 so that left us a few hours to hang out in the rain. Got to watch the Justin Lindine show before slithering back into my kit from race one. Gross. The course was deteriorating nicely into a super slick grass and mud fest. A lot of corners you could ride earlier had to be run.
No excuses, but my legs were shot and I road out three laps to try and improve my turning skills. Luckily Billy and Nick were ready to heckle some helpful advice.... Thom hung in. And that was that.
Race one in the books. Great weekend on the bike. Seeing all the familiar faces at Blunt and D2R2, really made it feel like the first week back at school. Can't wait for the next race.