Sean O'Donnell at Schooley Mill

We caught up with several podium finishers at Saturday’s Schooley Mill Cross race to get their thoughts on the course and how the day played out. The idea in putting together these interviews was to give you a video version of what we used to do every week on this site: seek out the podium finishers to see what they did to prepare for their race and what they were thinking about during it.

Much more still to come including helmet cams from Schooley Mill and Rockburn, and some pretty cool tandem-cross coverage. Also, the MABRAcross Championship preview video should be up Friday.

Thanks for watching.

Steevo shows some PRO technique on the run-up.

DCCX, the undisputed queen of the MABRAcross series, went off Sunday, October 24, at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. The event attracted over 700 racers and many more spectators. A new course designed by race organizers DCMTB and The Family Bike Shop set the stage for a day of hard racing under ideal conditions. The weatherman helped out the party atmosphere with 70 degree weather and sunny skies.

The elite men’s race was won by wunderkind Joe Dombrowski (Haymarket Bicycles-SEAVS), who looked like his main priority on the day was to open up his legs for the tandem race scheduled for later in the afternoon. Chasing Dombrowski for the entire 60 minutes and taking second place was C3-Athletes Serving Athletes strongman Wes Schempf. Olympian Bobby Lea (Van Dessel) slotted in for third.

Haymarket rider Stephen Cummings followed Lea in for a solid fourth place. Steevo, who has graced the pages of VeloNews for his cyclocross prowess, was kind enough to spend a couple minutes with us after the race.

Thanks for watching.

Donning the Verge Sport MABRAcross leader jersey he wrenched from his teammates shoulders, Nieters talked tactics, skills and what it’s like to ride the Shimano Di2 gruppo in a ‘cross race.

Big thanks to Peter Niccoll (superluminalmedia.com), who used his PRO filmmaking skills to make my little non-pro production shine. Seriously, check out the camera work. Classy, on the fly, stuff going on there.

Thanks for watching.

Erin Silliman powers through the BCA Cross mud

The Breast Cancer Awareness Cyclocross Challenge presented by Antietam Velo Club took place October 2 at the historical Fort Ritchie in Cascade, Md. The course endured several inches of driving rain for days before the race. Although sunny skies met racers on Saturday, conditions were muddy and dense.

For today’s episode, we concentrate on the top of the women’s field. The weekend turned out to match two riders’ strengths to a tee. On Saturday, the long straights and wet conditions favored the powerful riding of Fruit66/Artemis rider Erin Silliman. On Sunday, the windier, hillier aspects of the Winchester Apple Harvest Cross favored a technically skilled rider like Haymarket/SEAVS’ Patty Buerkle.

We caught up with Patty and Erin at the conclusion of the BCA race. After going 1,2 in this event they traded top positions the next day at Winchester.

First up we have the winner, Erin Silliman.

And now the runner-up, Patty Buerkle.

Thanks for watching. And thank you to Dave Tambeaux (Adventures for the Cure) for his camera work on these interviews. We will be back soon with more coverage. Lots to get to this week.

Dombrowski powers through the Lilypons.

Ed Sander Memorial cyclocross went down yesterday at the Lilypons Water Gardens in Adamstown, Md. Although an early shower had riders thinking it was going to be another Ed Sander slop fest, the mud and rain that defined this course in recent years never developed. Instead the precipitation served to knock down the dust and soften the hard-packed course.

The elite men’s race was a clinic in team tactics. Jared Nieters (Haymarket Bicycles) set the early pace and Joe Dombrowski sat in and waited. When Wes Schempf (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) reeled Jared in, Dombrowski countered and the race was on.

We caught up with Jared, Joe and Wes to find out exactly how it went down, and to have them give some advice to the new folks just getting into the sport.

Thanks for watching.

First Place: Joe Dombrowski

Second Place: Jared Nieters

Third Place: Wes Schempf

Although many see this race as their season opener, it actually represented races 2 and 3 in the MAC series. Having the second day added to Charm City meant that the promoters were given the opportunity to try out a new course. What they came up with was a nice change of pace from the traditional power-friendly course that racers expect. The Sunday course did not stray too much from this traditional course, with only a couple new diversions along the way. The Saturday course, on the other hand, presented several new twists and turns and gave those racers that favor technical flair over raw power a chance to show their stuff on the Druid Hill Park grounds.

The men’s and women’s elite races featured strong fields and competitive racing. By the time these afternoon races rolled around, the heat and bone dry conditions started to take their toll on the fields. We caught up with the race winners for both days as well as the reigning MAC champion.

First up is Laura Van Gilder (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) who is entering her second weekend of ‘cross after a long and successful road campaign. Laura won the MAC opener, Nittany Lion ‘Cross, and follows it up with back to back wins at Charm City. This is LVG’s third year securing victory at Charm City.

Our next interview is with Davide Frattini (Hudz-Subaru). Davide raced a full road season with Team Type One, lining up at The Tour of California, Tour of Utah and several trips overseas. Splitting time between his homes in Italy and Asheville, N.C., Davide is a returning Charm City champion and Druid Hill Park crowd favorite.

We were also able to catch up with reigning MAC champion, Valentin Scherz (Cyfac-Champion System Racing Team p/b Revolution Wheelworks). Valentin traveled from Switzerland with his countryman, Anthony Grand (Cyfac-Champion System Racing Team p/b Revolution Wheelworks) to take on the MAC series. Scherz finished 2nd behind Frattini each day and Grand slotted in at 3rd for both races.

A big thank you to Dan at www.cyclingreporter.com, Bruce Buckley and John Cutler for their help in producing these interviews. Thanks for watching. We will be back soon with video race footage.

Powers, Mayhew and Tille field your questions Friday night

In conjunction with the 2010 Fulcrum Coaching and JBV Coaching Cyclocross Clinic that takes place this Saturday, top U.S. cyclocrosser, Jeremy Powers, will be answering your questions at the Bike Doctor of Waldorf during a Friday night meet and greet. This free event, made possible by the Bike Doctor, Cannondale Bicycles and Swiftwick, is open to the public. If you live in the DC metro region, take advantage of this opportunity. Jeremy is here to share his knowledge on all things cyclocross. If you are new to the sport or a seasoned veteran this is a great opportunity to pick the brain of a rider at the top of his game. The meet and greet is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.

As if you needed another reason to attend this event, Cannondale is upping the ante by giving away a brand new Cannondale cyclocross frame. The only catch is you have to be at the Bike Doctor Friday Night to win.

Jeremy Powers is a professional cyclist with the Cannondale-CycloCrossWorld.com professional cyclocross team and the Jelly Belly professional road team. Last season he raced his way to 20 UCI cyclocross podiums and was ranked number one for the USA Cycling Cyclocross national racing calendar. In addition to racing domestically Jeremy has spent the last six seasons training and racing in Europe. He has represented the U.S. at the cyclocross world championships seven times.

Along with Jeremy, Dan Tille (Fulcrum Coaching) and Chris Mayhew (JBV Coaching) will be on hand to field any training, nutrition and technique questions you may have. Tille and Mayhew are experienced coaches and seasoned racers with the knowledge to set you straight on a plethora of cycling-related issues. For those also attending the clinic, this is a great time to get your questions answered, leave that much more time on Saturday for hands-on instruction.

For directions to the Friday Meet and Greet with Jeremy Powers you can enter into Google or MapQuest: 3200 Leonardtown Road, Waldorf, MD 20601.

As an appetizer to the Friday night gig, we caught up with Jeremy to ask him a couple question about transitioning from road to ‘cross and his goals for the upcoming season.

Have you changed your approach over the years in how you transition from road to ‘cross?

Yes and no. Every year’s approach to the season is different because my schedule with Jelly Belly constantly changes from year to year in August and September. For example, this year I’m not racing the tour of Missouri because it was canceled.

That gave me the opportunity to relax a little bit in July andAugust, and come into the season more relaxed. In turn, this will keep me more on task for doing well in December through February.

In years past I’ve come out of the blocks with great form, fresh off Missouri and as the season and miles in the air add up, my form slips little by little as we make our way to February. So this little shift in timing and schedule is a huge change for me this year.

It’s a positive change and I’m constantly trying to figure out the formula to racing competitively here in the U.S. all season and still racing at 100 percent in Europe in January and February.

How have your ‘cross goals evolved over the years and how does this affect where and when you race?

Back in the day … I definitely did whatever races could to garner a sponsor’s attention to my results!  When I came back to the U.S. from racing in Europe in 2006, my number one goal was to find a good sponsor. I cherry-picked some races I could win and that worked out for me.

A couple years later, with the help of Cannondale and Cyclocrossworld.com, I’m trying harder and harder to bring my best form to the biggest races of the season! Vegas, Ohio, USGP, Nationals, Europe, Worlds.

I think once you get towards the top of any sport, you have to think about goals and what your weaknesses are so you can be the best you and get the most out of yourself.

I set a lot of personal goals, some that aren’t even related to racing, like drinking more water throughout the day or getting in bed at 10pm!

Looking at the scheduling stuff, the team and I try to build my schedule around what makes the most sense logistically and for our sponsors. There’s a lot of racing out there.

Sometimes a weekend on the east coast with some racing is a nice break from being away from home and living out of a bag.

Thanks for reading and see you on Friday.

Beth Mason facing conditions she did not find in Iraq. Photo by Eloy Anzola.

A year ago we published an interview with licensed physical therapist, certified bike fitter, and Cat 1 road and cyclocross racer Beth Mason. If you haven’t read it, take a couple minutes and do that now. Although Beth currently lives in West Point, New York, she has strong ties to the Mid-Atlantic racing community. During the cyclocross season Beth will make it out to several MABRA and MAC races and periodically sets up shop in Northern Virginia for several days of bike fittings. 

In addition to being a top-notch physical therapist and bike fitter, Beth also holds another job: U.S. Army officer. Maj. Beth Mason has spent most of 2010 serving a tour in Iraq. Now safely back in the states, she is restarting her fitting business with a four day stint in the Mid-Atlantic. 

As of today, she still has a couple slots available for an in-depth session that, according to Beth’s website, includes the following: 

“A detailed history, flexibility assessment, and static and dynamic positioning. Dynamic positioning will include the integration of the state-of-the-art Retul motion capture system for bike fitting—you have to see it to believe it! At the end of the fitting session the client will be provided with documents detailing their position, and their optimal bike position. Special emphasis is always placed on the foot/pedal interface, with respect to cleat adjustment, and wedging and shimming when necessary.” 

If you suffer from aches and pains on the bike or want to make sure you’re riding efficiently, do yourself a favor and contact Beth for scheduling or questions. She can be reached at bethbikes1@gmail.com or 410-562-4776. 

I caught up with Beth recently to ask her about her tour of Iraq and what it was like to ride a cyclocross bike in the desert. 

Thanks for reading. 

Many readers know you as a bike fitter and Cat1 racer. They may not know that you are also an officer in the U.S. Army and recently returned home from a tour in Iraq. Welcome home and we are glad you made it back safely. I know that before you left one of your goals was to keep as much bike fitness as possible. This seemed like an ambitious challenge that I’d like to have you walk us through.  

What cycling gear did you have shipped to Iraq? 

I had my Blue CXC cyclocross bike with Ksyrium wheels and Hutchinson Bulldog tubeless tires, a Cyclops Fluid trainer, a trainer tire, a floor pump and an inadequate stockpile of inner tubes. I quickly went through all of my tubes and had to call in favors from across the globe. I was sent sealant, tubes, tire irons, CO2 cartridges … I felt the love! 

Describe your accommodations and if storing bikes, trainers, etc. was an issue. 

I had my own Containerized Housing Unit (CHU), which was about the size of a tractor trailer box. Initially I stored my equipment and bike inside and really had no issues. Eventually, however, I was able to move my things to a “bike CHU” that I shared with the senior enlisted soldier who had a mountain bike and some equipment. 

Tell us about your ride schedule and what kind of terrain you faced. 

Initially after building up my bike, and stabilizing my tires with a tubeless system, I was riding consistently twice daily: once during our two hour lunch break, and then immediately after work. At that point, I was riding about 200 miles per week. This was challenging, because the base we were operating on was extremely small, and I was only able to ride out about 3 miles, and then would have to turn around. It was always the same out and back route with small variability, and the terrain was cement-like dirt and trap rock. There was a road (dirt with some black top) to travel on, but if you chose to travel the road, you chose to eat the dirt spat out by the passing vehicles. The alternative option was the trap rock fire road – better for the long term emphysema options, worse on the tubes if you were running them. 

Any challenges as far as kitting up for rides? Were you able to wear a jersey and cycling shoes or were you on your rig in BDUs and boots? 

I was relegated to wearing the Army Physical Fitness Uniform, which includes a gray t-shirt and black shorts, white socks (no logos, thank you very much), and a yellow reflective belt. I was able to wear my cycling shoes.

BDUs are obsolete, I believe we phased out around 2008. ACUs (Army Combat Uniform) are what we wear now (not on our bikes, thank God). 

I’m guessing a lot of race bikes don’t make it in theater. What was the reaction of your fellow soldiers?

I don’t think anyone really had any idea that my bike was anything better than a Huffy, or that I was anything more than a recreational rider. 

Any funny ride or bike-related stories you can share?

Crashing is always funny, right?

If you can do handstand pushups, this is a piece of cake. Photo by Sterling Natalia McKittrick.

There was the time I was at the 3 mile turn-around point, which happens to be at a Ugandan compound, complete with Ugandan guards. I smiled, and did my high speed 180, but my tire pressure was low and I washed out. The next thing I knew, I was impaled on a number of very sharp rocks and was bleeding from my left hip and my left elbow. The Ugandan guard was running toward me, obviously concerned…ironically yelling “sorry!”. Of course I was just pissed off, and I got up as quickly as I could, ensured my chain was on, and ran a few steps before mounting the bike and riding away, blood running down my leg and arm. 

You were introduced to CrossFit while in Iraq. Can you tell us what that is all about?

CrossFit is an exercise regimen that delivers fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. It was a way for me to work on something new and different, which I needed while I was overseas. 

It seems like CrossFit involves a lot of upper-body work that is going to have most cyclists running in the other direction. Do you think this will benefit your cycling? If so, how?

After being home for awhile, and riding a bit … I’d have to say no. But I’m working to get that back. I might need to scale back on the pull ups and the handstand pushups. 

You’ve been back in the states a couple weeks. How’s the bike fitness compared to when you shipped out? 

This is pretty anti-climactic … horrible. The extra upper body muscle, plus a few extra pounds of body fat, factor in some stress…I can arm wrestle ya! 

From time to time you take your bike fitting business on the road. You are scheduled to be in the D.C. area June 26 through June 30. If folks wanted to make an appointment during that time do you still have slots available? If so, what is the best way to get in touch with you? 

I do still have some availability. I can be reached at bethbikes1@gmail.com or 410-562-4776 for scheduling or questions.

Click on image to learn more about Sylvan Cycles

 It’s so crazy it just might work. Sylvan Cycles specializes in using sustainable materials to build bicycles that “rival or surpass conventional frame materials for performance.” We met up with Sylvan co-founder John Fabel at the 2010 Shimano North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Richmond, Virginia, to talk wood bikes and how they would hold up on a ‘cross course. 

Sylvan’s featured bike at the show was their adventure model, a sharp looking ride crafted to excel in adventure and randonneur events. This does not mean, however, that the model would hold you back at your local ‘cross throw down. And talk about turning some heads. And I’ll bet for few extra bucks, the boys at Sylvan will get out their wood burning kit and etch your name on the top tube. 

Sylvan Cycles cares about building quality bikes and also about getting people to out and riding no matter what they throw their leg over. Hence their by line, “using bicycles to go places.” Learn more about the company by visiting it online at www.sylvancycles.com. 

Here’s the interview. Thanks for watching.

Sampson builds components suited for 'cross.

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show took place February 26-28 in Richmond, Virginia. Started in 2005 with around 30 booths and 700 visitors, NAHBS has grown into an event featuring over 150 exhibitors and 7000 attendees. The craftsmanship of the bikes, components, accessories and clothing on display at the show is top notch. I’m sure by now most people have seen photos of the shiny bits that commanded everyone’s attention. I have some, too, and will get them posted soon.

Our mission at this show was to find some interesting cross-specific stories for CXHairs. Along with photos, I conducted a fair number of video interviews. The first is with Eric Sampson, president of Sampson Bicycles & Components, based in Denver, Colorado. Sampson designs and builds components that rival the big boys. His shifters and drivetrain components feature precision operation, competitive weights and a damn nice price-point.

I asked Eric how Sampson’s Stratics group holds up to the rigors of cyclocross. Here’s what he had to say.

Thanks for watching. Later this week we will feature interviews from Mike Zanconato, and Sylvan Bicycles‘ John Fabel.