In The Crosshairs

With the beginning of the season right around the corner I have decided it was time for ‘In The Crosshairs’ to do its first ever clip show. So pretend we have just accidentally locked ourselves in the cellar and are spending the time reminiscing about last season until somebody realizes we are missing. We are going to start the flashback sequence with some advice for the newbies. A standard interview question asked on this site concerns missteps of the new cyclocross racer. Here’s a look back at the knowledge handed down from podium finishers.

What is something you saw a newbie do that made you think “I really need to have a friendly word with that guy.” This could have been in a race or in the parking lot or waiting in line to register, etc.

URBAN CROSS.

STEVE FIFE: I see people roll to the start line cold all the time, and think it would really be helpful for them to know the benefit of a good warm up.

Technique. Tire Pressure. Layering. All are important in CX.

JULIE KULIECZA: I think I am still a newbie so if someone sees me doing something dumb please tell me. Pumping tires up to more than 50 psi. I did say something and they thanked me.

LINDSAY BAYER: I AM that newbie. People are always kindly pointing things out like, “Your number is on backwards,” or “You’re on the wrong type of bicycle” or “You should lay off the brakes in those turns.”

NOAH BELL: A guy ran through a ridable sand pit every lap and on the last lap a guy rode past him and he lost a podium spot.

CJ CONGROVE: I am a noob. I didn’t wear my kit to the podium. Maybe someone needs to have a word with me. Continue reading »

1. How was it racing under the lights?

CJ CONGROVE (Cat 4 VACX C, 3rd place Saturday, 4th place Sunday): The sections of the course that were actually under lights were really cool.  The back section was pretty dark, I should have brought a bar light.

JOHN MCKENNA (Masters 35+, 2nd Place Saturday and Sunday): I didn’t race under the lights though I practice there every Tuesday and Thursday under the lights and I love it. As a spectator it was a lot of fun. There seems to be a certain energy in the air. I’ve never seen or heard of a cross race under the lights before. [ed.: Cross Vegas, baby!!!].

MICHAEL SEEK (Pro/1/2, VACX A, 4th Place Saturday): I wish I could have been there for the Saturday night races. I think it is a great concept and would really like to see more night races.

ANDY MCKEEGAN (Pro/1/2, VACX A, 2nd Place Saturday and 3rd Place Sunday): Racing under the lights was awesome, everything looks and feels differently in the dark, shadows are cast which makes things appear bigger or smaller than they really are, like holes or log jumps.

CHRISTOPHER DALE (Collegiate A, 4th Place on Saturday and 3rd Place on Sunday): Awesome! Probably one of the coolest ways to race bikes is at night.

DAVID MORRIS (Collegiate B, 2nd Place Saturday and 3rd Place Sunday): Not too bad at all. There was enough light for me, but I know a lot of people struggled with it.

2. What was the best/worst part of the course?

MARY ANNE SNAVELY (Women 4 VACX B, 2nd Place Saturday and Sunday): For Saturday’s race I liked the off-camber sections. I didn’t like the downhill that took you through brush. On Sunday I liked the downhill where the barrier was the first day. I didn’t like the switchbacks (at least not the last one) in which I only made it up the hill the on the last lap.

AENON MOOSE (Collegiate Women A, 5th Place Saturday and Sunday): I think that I liked running it backwards on the second day more. It was a really good challenging and technical course.

CJ CONGROVE: The turns at the end of the finishing straight in either direction were real fun: fast and downhill. The worst part was the super long, bumpy, soft, off-cambered straight into the 30 mph wind section.

ANDY MCKEEGAN: The best part of the course was the double log obstacle, there were a few “ohh [drat?]” moments going over those at speed.  The worst part of the course was the nasty, gnarly, freezing cold headwind on the backstretch.

MICHAEL SEEK: The course was great because it had a lot of good technical elements that really required you to keep focus. The part I didn’t like (where I had trouble maintaining focus) was the long off-camber slog into the wind. Having Cole on the megaphone and all the people out on the hill heckling was great.

JOHN MCKENNA: Assuming you mean course design I’d say the best was the log piles and the long off camber run. The worst was how bumpy the course was though there is not much you can do about that. Some of the corners could be wider; especially the one around the pine tree section, that one took me by surprise a few times but its all part of the game.

DAVID MORRIS: The back section after the off-camber bits was great. The off-camber bits were a real slog though.

CHRISTOPHER DALE: Best part were the logs.

3. Describe your winning (or losing) move.

LAURA WHITE (Women 4 VACX B 1st Place Saturday): I won by staying on the gas the entire time. Second place made me work the entire race. I couldn’t let up until the very end.

MICHAEL SEEK: I had a pretty good battle for third going with Andy McKeegan. I think I was a bit faster in some of the technical sections but he had me beat on horsepower. I partially rolled a tire in one of the ditches and that was it for me. Don’t know if I would have been able to battle much longer, I was getting pretty cooked.

ANDY MCKEEGAN: I didn’t really have a winning move, just start fast and stay with the leaders and you will get a good finish. On the second day I wasn’t feeling good and had trouble dropping the guy who was battling me for 3rd. My girlfriend secretly told the announcer to give me [a hard time] and that got me mad enough to put in a hard effort and some distance on my competition.

JOHN MCKENNA: My losing move really is a lack of training. Ed Dickenson just plain and simply had me beat. In the first race I had a bad start and lost a lot of ground. I bridged up to the two leaders and knew that soon after Ed would attack. When he did I probably should have gone into the red zone a bit so as at least to make him think I still had a lot in me when I really didn’t. Then if I pushed him hard in the corners he might have skidded out or something to give me an edge. I was better in the corners then he was so I should have put that to better use. The second day he plain and simply out powered me.

CJ CONGROVE: I’m not sure if the results ever got straightened out, but I finished 5th on Saturday I think but they marked me in 3rd. I actually was in 3rd until about half way around the last lap when I crashed on the steep, downhill, muddy turn before the logs. The crash somehow dropped my chain and wedged it in something pretty good, took me about a minute to get it all sorted and I finished from there. Sunday’s race was pretty typical. I did my usual gig, ride with the leaders for 2 laps and then dropped back to 4th.

MARY ANNE SNAVELY: Oh, I wish I had one!

CHRISTOPHER DALE: After 3/4 of the first lap, teammate Brad Perley rocketed past 2nd place finisher, Noah Niwinski and myself, after that it was a steady race maintaining  3rd to the finish.

DAVID MORRIS: Crashing! On Saturday I lifted a wheel on the final climb and dropped my chain. On Sunday, I binned it on the off-camber uphill corner whilst trying to pass some guys from the other field. Unfortunately, that also cost me my brake lever, so I was down to front brakes only. But I was never going to be able to stay with the two guys ahead of me.

4. Pre-race ritual, warm-up, food, etc.?

MICHAEL SEEK: Usually just a Hammer gel and maybe a Monster if I am feeling frisky. Need to do a better job of warming up because I always get worked on the starts and it usually takes me a lap or two to get going.

MARY ANNE SNAVELY: Lose all confidence, begin stressing and swearing I can’t do it.

CJ CONGROVE: Eat a bagel, poop, put on 80 layers, try to warm up.

JOHN MCKENNA: I like to ride the roads and do as many laps on the course as I can for about an hour before the race. I like to show up to the start line almost out of breath and ready to go. Bacon and eggs in the morning, lots of Gatorade up until about 30 minutes before the race and then pop a gel.

ANDY MCKEEGAN: Ride in the morning before the race for about an hour, easy endurance pace.  Have a good nutritious meal which isn’t too heavy 3 hrs before your start, get to your race early and pre-ride the course as much as possible, looking for the best lines and the flow.

LAURA WHITE: I didn’t have time for any rituals or warm-ups.  I came to watch, and brought my bike just in case I decided to race.  I decided to race about half hour before the start, so I only had enough time to register and change before getting to the start line.

CHRISTOPHER DALE: Rubbing Mad Alchemy-Cold Weather Embrocation on my legs.

AENON MOOSE: Ride the course before you race!

5. What is something you saw a newbie do that made you think “I really need to have a friendly word with that guy”? This could have been in a race or in the parking lot or waiting in line to register, etc.

JOHN MCKENNA: There was this one kid on the second day that was determined to get on his bike after the forced run up barrier at the bottom of the run up. Rather then run it he would get on his bike and struggle it up. He must have lost 40 seconds a lap doing it.

MICHAEL SEEK: Don’t remount the bike right after the barrier at the bottom of a run-up and waste a huge amount of time trying to ride the hill instead of just remounting at the top. [ed.: I see a trend. I hope one of you was kind enough to talk to this poor bloke.]

CJ CONGROVE: In the race on Sunday, Brian Beckman dove head-first into the second log pile. I would recommend not doing that.

ANDY MCKEEGAN: I don’t know if he was a noob but he would attack me so hard that he’d explode. His attacks were hard enough that I didn’t bother chasing, but another minute or two later on he’d be slumming and Id blaze by him.

CHRISTOPHER DALE: Try not to wear a ridiculous amount of clothes during their race. Granted it was extremely cold but you can’t race in tons of clothing.

6. Are you sandbagging? If not, defend yourself. [If you didn't finish first, was the winner sandbagging???

JOHN MCKENNA: There is no such thing as sandbagging in a Masters race. (wink.)

CJ CONGROVE: No, the winner [Alex Dayton] wasn’t either.  He was a junior that had just raced the race before, he deserved it.

MARY ANNE SNAVELY: Me a sandbagger, Very funny! That’s the least of anyone’s worries with me. Women’s races generally don’t have many in the field. I am no podium girl, except on paper. But I’m glad I have helped my team win some points. In this particular race I didn’t find there were any sandbaggers. IN D.C. I definitely had some sandbaggers in my field.

MICHAEL SEEK: Definitely not a sandbagger because I routinely get worked. It’s actually kind of a pet peeve of mine.

DAVID MORRIS: No prizes for collegiate riders, so I guess not. I probably could ride for an hour, but I’m not sure I could race for an hour in collegiate A.

7. Racing next week? What will you do differently, what will you try to repeat?

MICHAEL SEEK: Racing the NC Grand Prix. Mostly, just have fun.

MARY ANNE SNAVELY: Try very hard not to overthink what part of the course scares me and just try to do it!

ANDY MCKEEGAN: Racing every weekend until Natz. Try to take more time to recover properly, not finish a hard three hour interval session, chug a chocolate milk then run off to work and lift heavy [stuff] the rest of the day.

CJ CONGROVE: Somewhere near D.C. I’m gonna try and warm up more before the race, and not crash.

JOHN MCKENNA: Next week I am going to try and stay in the red for a bit longer when following attacks or initiating them. This often works on your opponents heads because they thing you are stronger then you are.

LAURA WHITE: No, I think I’m done for the season. But if I were racing, I would spend more time on my crossbike before the race. I rebuilt the bike as a single speed the day before Tech Cross, and didn’t get to spend time on it before hand. Going single was a smart move, it made the bike lighter, and gave me one less thing to think about during the race, but I was not comfortable with my bar position.  If I had spent more time on the bike before the race I could have made those adjustments.

CHRISTOPHER DALE: Hendersonville Nov. 22nd/23rd!

DAVID MORRIS: Maybe Superior Cross, but I’m waiting on the repair parts.

AENON MOOSE: I have a race in Hendersonville, NC. I’ll try to ride more like I did the second day…more aggressively, especially on the steep up-hills.

2. What was the best/worst part of the course?

LINDSAY BAYER (1st Place Women Cat3/4): The best part was the sand pit, because I thought I was going to wipe out every time. The worst part would probably have to be the steep, rickety flight of steps. I love my bike, but I’ve never had the desire to take it climbing.

STEVE FIFE (2nd Place Men Cat 3/4): My favorite parts of the course were the sand pit, stairs, off camber turns, and fast barrier section. Least favorite part of the course was the start. We needed more room to wind up the sprint and would have benefited from the use of the whole road (minus the parked pick up truck).

JAY MORALI (3rd Place Men Cat 4): Best – sand pit was fun!  Worst – the chance of smashing into the brick wall at bottom of hill!

NOAH BELL (1st Place Junior 10-14): Best part was the sand pit. Worst was the stairway to heaven.

KENNETH MORRIS (4th Place Men Cat 4): I loved the “litter box.” I hated the downhill into the brick wall.

CJ CONGROVE (5th Place Men Cat 4): It was pretty epic all around.  I come from a mountain biking background and usually enjoy the more technical cross courses, so the Urban Cross course was perfect for me.  Lots of tight sections and quick up and downs with cambered and off cambered turns, and no long road sections for the physically fit people to make that much time on me.

JAKE THOMPSON (2nd Place Junior 10-14; 4th Place Junior U16): I think the best part of the course was the part where the hill drops you into the wall and if you didn’t hit it you go to the sand pit.

JULIE KULIECZA: Best part had to be all the technical turns, the worst part: the downhill into a brick wall.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: None of it was awful at all, though it certainly seemed a bit “off” on the first pre-ride. Racing it was a hoot though. Worst would be the starting stretch/run-up to the big set of steps. It was bumpy, narrow and oh-so-close to all that concrete and debris. Fun to go through there on subsequent laps. Litter box was a bit unnecessary, wasn’t a natural part of the strange landscape, and only got sand on the drivetrain, wasn’t difficult at all.

Best part was racing in a construction zone! With all the fencing, broken pavement, and other fun stuff. The two sets of steps were pretty cool as they were so fast. Took some focus.

3. Describe your winning (or losing) move.

GUNNAR SHOGREN: Master’s Race-Get the hole-shot, put out enough effort to stay in front of the rest but not kill myself so I could do decent in the Elite race. Randy [Root] kept me pretty honest.

Elite Race-Greg [Wittwer] got the hole-shot and didn’t look back. Even if I heard he was “worried” about me. I really didn’t have any extra energy in that race. Would have been nice to though…

STEVE FIFE: The winning move came on the last lap. I was leading Andrew Troy and Jonathan Nisbet into the last lap. I wanted to be first through all of the sections because I felt that it was going to be hard to make a move from behind on such a technical course, and I didn’t want to get caught out if one of them went down. Turns out, I went down as I led into the long stair run up. My foot slipped as I planted it on the first step, and Troy was able to get a gap, while Nisbet was trailing after dropping his chain. Troy opened a gap of about 10 seconds, as I tried to close it down. He washed out on the steep turn onto pavement before the sand pit, and I thought I might be able to close it down. Troy quickly remounted, and finished ahead of me by six seconds as I ran out of room to close the gap. He rode very strong in the last part of the lap, so he totally deserved the win. My only wish was that it could have come down to a three-way battle to the line. I live for those moments in a cross race.

JAY MORALI: I had a crazy day…I really rode terribly when it came to technique…I ran into numerous barriers, dropped my chain once because of it, took bad lines and crashed once…However, I felt really strong and worked hard to get back into contention…it just goes to show you can do well with good fitness but you must master the technique to win!

JULIE KULIECZA: Coming in second to Betsy Shogren ain’t so bad, but my losing move had to have been taking the technical turns much slower.

LINDSAY BAYER: I was hanging onto the leader when we went up a short, steep hill. She ran it and I rode it, but I was distracted, lost momentum, and fell over. That cost me about five seconds. But the winning move would probably be catching up and passing to win.

CJ CONGROVE: I burned myself out pretty good on the first lap trying to get the prime, unfortunately I was second across the line at the first lap.  Dropped back to about 7th or 8th on the second lap.  Then I had a pretty spectacular upside-down crash in the sandpit but didn’t lose too much time, lotta sand in my mouth though which wasn’t awesome.  It was actually the sandpit that got me into 5th place on the last lap though, the guy in front of me dismounted and ran it and I rode through it and got a bit of a gap on him going into the final stretch and was able to hold it to the line.

KENNETH MORRIS: Getting up from a crash in third to finish fourth.

NOAH BELL: I never gave up and didn’t let the guy behind me catch up.

JAKE THOMPSON: The thing that got me onto the podium this week was that I could go up the big hills and other people couldn’t.