In The Crosshairs

The 2011 Rockburn Cross took place this past Sunday in Elkridge, Maryland. Full fields, sunny skies and Howard County Parks & Recreation’s first beer garden highlighted a day of racing on a demanding course. The sand was fun, the single-track is always a blast, and a new run-up let the superior bike handlers show their skill as they rode the steps with ease. The video covers mainly the elite men but starts out with some clips from the masters elite and men 3/4 races. Music is by Rancid.

Thanks for watching and see you in two weeks at Capital Cross Classic. If you are not attending, you should be. No excuses. It’s Cross. And it’s Classic.

Okay. Now watch the video.

DKeg and Todd Man The Preview Camera

This Sunday is Rockburn Cross, race #7 in the MABRAcross Super 8 Cyclocross Series, and the Mid-Atlantic mountain bikers’ favorite course. Rockburn is known for its long single-track stretches and punchy terrain. Word has it that the Adventures for the Cure crew is going to plot out the course a little different than in the past. But for the most part it will capture the same features as previous editions. One big change to the event is that it will have a beer garden. Yay! And if you are going to serve beer, I believe there is some unwritten rule stating that you must do so near or adjacent to the barriers. This means that the placement of the barriers, as seen in the video below, is different than last year, so just disregard the no longer on point commentary that accompanies that part of the course.

In addition to the preview, course designer Mike West put together this a animated Google Earth video that takes you through the course. This will help you better figure out what has been changed from last year. Unfortunately, I didn’t look at this handy clip until after I recorded my commentary.

Okay, so watch the videos and we will see on Sunday. If you want a shirt or socks, please do not hesitate to ask. I will have plenty at the race.

Mario Bros. Course Preview (with real time commentary–if you listen closely–by Todd Bauer and David Kegley)

Google Earth Preview

Thanks for watching and see you at the races.

Dogs love 'cross.

Rockburn Cross, day two of the Howard County Double Cross, took place November 21. Yes, that was a month ago and we are playing a little bit of catchup here at CXHairs HQ, but this way the video has a tinge of nostalgia to it.

If you have watched the preview commentaries we have been posting throughout the season, there are several themes that come up in almost every episode. One of the most important is to know what you are going to do, before you do it. This is especially true for mud and sand sections. If you are going to run, commit to it early. Don’t decide at the last second.

As you will see, early in lap one, this rule is not followed. And the result is some really nice close-up footage of the grass before the entrance to the sand pit. Lesson learned. Maybe.

Soundtrack is by Nine Inch Nails. When Trent Reznor released the Ghosts albums a couple years back he allowed people to use the tracks in personal film projects. The soundscapes give some nice atmosphere to film projects and as long as you’re not selling the finished product, anybody can use them. Pretty cool on the part of Reznor.

Video from the MABRAcross champs race is still waiting to be posted and the CXHairs action team is out this weekend filming races in Pennsylvania. So it looks like the mothballs are going to have to wait a couple more weeks before we put the lid on the CX season.

Thanks for watching.

Getting dizzy at HCX. Photo by Joel Steen

Hyattsville CX went off October 10 under sunny skies and seasonably awesome temperatures. Was it traditional cyclocross weather? It was for Hyattsville, your fast and sunny race in the MABRAcross series. We have helmet-cam footage from the Masters 3/4 race. I had the seat-stay cam hooked up but it was too shaky to watch. I think the multiple early season crashes have loosened up the mount. Probably about time to reapply the superglue.

Stoked to have  tracks from Park Police and Qway for this latest video. I think you are going to dig these bands. Good, driving pop/punk tunes. The kind of stuff you pop into the ears warming up for a race. You can check out more from Park Police at www.myspace.com/parkpolice and Qway at www.myspace.com/qway. Thanks to Neil Schirmer for putting me in touch with these guys.

Alright, go watch the vid and then meet back here soon for DCCX coverage and much, much more. Thanks for watching.

The BCA mud (custom churned by Mike Birner)

The Breast Cancer Awareness Cyclocross Challenge was held this year at a new location, moving from the Hagerstown Fair Park to Fort Ritchie in Cascade, Md. The week before the race it rained. Really rained. That made conditions on the course thick and slow. With long flat stretches and not much technical riding necessary, other than the ability to drive your bike through slop, racers with big engines definitely had and advantage.

We are going to take a look at a full lap plus a little more of the BCA course. It’s a bit bouncy, a bit frenetic and a bit crazy out there. For music to match that atmosphere, we are stoked to get the green light to feature Baltimore’s own Double Dagger. This trio has been around for a while but have now gone and got themselves all blown up with a new record out on Thrill Jockey. We have some older jams on tap for this video from Ragged Rubble, an album from their days with Stationary (Heart) Records. To see what they are up to now, and you should, check out there killer site.

Thanks for watching.

New twists and turns at the 2010 Charm City Cyclocross. Photo © Joel Steen

The 2010 edition of Charm City Cyclocross included two days of gut-wrenching, chest-burning racing. The festivities kicked off early Saturday morning with a new course layout at historic Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Md. More twists and turns than the usual set-up but no less demanding or fun. The course still included Charm City Cross landmarks such as the staircase, natural barrier and double-sandpit.

Here at CXHairs, the 2010 game plan is to again try and record the races we attend using two cameras. One camera is on the helmet and a second, rear-facing camera is on the seat-stay. Instead of trying to fit both camera views onto the screen at the same time, as I did for a handful of races last year, I am going to post two videos. They will be close to identical in music and length. The only difference is that one will be the forward-facing view and the other the rear-facing view.

For music this year I hope to once again tap into the great bands supported by Mid-Atlantic labels. If you hear something you like, check out the labels website and buy some music. 

Charm City Cyclocross had me diving back into the archives for a couple of my favorite tracks from Exotic Fever Records alums. For this race we have tracks from Pash and Eulcid. Not to highlight my dumb mistakes, but you may notice on the video I had a 2:00 a.m. typo and misspelled Eulcid. My apologies to the band. My goal is to get that changed and reloaded soon.

Enjoy and thanks for watching. 

Forward-Facing Camera 

Rear-Facing Camera

Rosaryville State Park

For those of you out there that race ‘cross first and foremost, this time of year is typically referred to as the offseason. Many ‘crossers are racing on the road to keep sharp but others are just starting to come out of hibernation to pack on the base miles. For me, it has always been a combination of the two. Lots of saddle time on the road with the occasional “who cares” race thrown in for good measure.

Little did I know there was a whole other world of cyclists out there that do it a little differently. You may have heard about these people. They ride around on bikes with fat tires and squishy forks. They call these contraptions “mountain bikes.” From what I understand, folks have been riding and racing these “mountain bikes” for quite some time and having “fun” while they do it. Intrigued but unconvinced this was no more than mythology and old wives’ tales, I set out to learn more.

Now this whole “dirt riding” concept isn’t completely foreign. I spend plenty of time “off road” on my bike in the fall and winter. Granted that riding is on a well-groomed cyclocross course in which there are usually clean smooth lines that spare my supple yet fragile tubular casings from too much wear and tear. Rarely are there the roots, divots and rocks that seem commonplace on the trails these mountain bikers or “MTBers” like to ride.

I was intrigued by it all but a little concerned as well. Egged on by teammates that partake in this “MTB” scene and claim to have “fun,” I got myself a bike. It has 700c wheels on it. The same as my ‘cross bike. That left me more at ease. But then I was told that I was supposed to call the wheels 29ers. That got me feeling a little uneasy again.

I have now ridden this rig, conveniently named the “Rig,” a handful of times and there’s no denying it, the “mountain bike” is “fun.” Dare I say “a blast.” You can get a great workout at threshold, work on the handling skills and break up the monotony of the road. That being said, I still don’t understand why you need a visor on your helmet if you are riding in the woods while wearing sunglasses. So much to learn.

I guess you can call this my MTB conversion story. For kicks, I strapped on the helmet cam for today’s ride and below is my video testimonial. Set to a song about having a well-stocked pantry. This, of course, has nothing to do with mountain biking, but what can I say, riding makes me hungry.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to post this video because without anybody else in the frame it seemed like it could get a little boring. It is definitely not a CX race vid. In fact, Mrs. CXHairs watched for about ten seconds, and then mockingly said “look … around that bend … it’s … more trees.”

Understandably, after that exchange I was even more concerned about the boredom factor so I also showed the video to Jim, The Unholy Roleur, a lifelong MTB guy. He liked it and thought it would be interesting for all the fat tire folk out west to see what the East Coast terrain was like this time of year. Jim also mocked me for riding a mountain bike like a roadie. For now, I’m going to take that as a compliment.

Here’s the video, roadie skeelz and all. It was shot at Rosaryville State Park in Maryland. Home of the 2010 Tacchino Ciclocross. Thanks for watching.

The CXHairs Team Bike At Schooley Mill

The Howard County Double Cross weekend took place November 21 and 22. Schooley Mill Cross, a new race, featured long power sections and some muddy climbs. Rockburn Cross featured the same exciting single-track sections, punchy climbs and technical turns as it has the past three years.

For these interviews, I tracked down podium finishers that have yet to grace the cyber-pages of In The Crosshairs for their racing prowess. This way we get a couple more voices in the mix, with different takes on some of the same old questions. I also included sixth place finishers at Rockburn because those folks won pie. And if you win pie, you deserve to be recognized.

I think the highlight of these interviews is the great discussion on race starts and the hole shot. Pay attention to what these folks are saying and see if their successful strategy matches up with what you are doing.

Thanks for reading.

What is your pre-race routine?

Rusty Williford (Fulcrum Coaching/WWVC Racing, Rockburn Cat 3/4, 4th place): Same thing every week: Get to the course by 8:30, recon the course until 9, kit-up and hit the trainer by 10, off-the trainer by 10:35 and head to the course for either 1 hot lap or a few starts.

Andreas Gutzeit (HPC List, Schooley Mill Masters 3/4, 4th place): I do about two laps of the course, mainly looking for good lines. Then I do 30 minute warm-up. Jeff Anderson describes cross racing as a reverse crit. Very helpful for a novice roadie. So now I have taken to practice the start on the course a couple of times and it really served me well at Schooley Mill. I was fourth into the dirt and ended up fourth 40 minutes later.

Brach hits the climbs at Rockburn (Nystrom not pictured)

Chris Nystrom (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes, Elite Masters, Schooley Mill 8th, Rockburn 6th): Arrive early enough to preview the course before the start of the race two slots before my race. Really getting to know and understand the track is key. Pin up the number and get dressed during the race (two prior) and ride the course with a bit more speed before the next race. Ride the trainer and b.s. with teammates during the race just before mine. Red Bull 45 minutes before my start. Get to the line, relax and visualize the start. Remember to have fun.

John Cutler (CycleLife DC, 1st place Schooley Mill Men’s 3/4, 19th place Rockburn Elite Masters): Coffee and a Starbucks egg sandwich (kind of disgusting, yes, but fast). Drive. Listen to NPR or that weird show about parenting. A moment of sheer terror trying to find a gas station with a restroom. Arrive in the middle of one of the races. 20 minutes to get number and get ready to pre-ride. Ride a couple laps. Pretend that I’m actually remembering the corners and lines. Hop on the trainer for 40 minutes. I used to never bring a trainer, but I’ve come around. You can listen to music and zone out. Then Race.

When a race throws a kink in my plans—like a really long walk to registration, one port-potty, a line at registration, a line for the hose, etc.—it really throws me for a loop. I said this last year, but I’ll say it again. NEXT YEAR I’m going all out with the tent, the easy chairs, that little mat for taking of your shoes, the cooler, etc. For two days of racing your post race routine is really important as well. Instead of jumping back into the car while slamming recovery shakes, it can pay to relax, socialize, put your feet up, and commune with fellow racers.

Jeff Trinh (Georgetown University, 1st place at Schooley Mill Men’s Cat 4, 6th place at Rockburn Men’s Cat 4): Coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. When I get to the race site I get dressed and pre-ride the course, making sure to drink plenty of water in between laps. One of the advantages of doing the 9am race is that you have plenty of time to pre-ride, so I like take my time and make mental notes about which lines I’ll pick.

Elizabeth Harlow (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes, Women’s 1,2,3 Schooley Mill 4th and Rockburn 6th): Ride the course a couple of times before the Master Men’s Elite race. Paying attention to anything that may give me trouble. Ride around easy while the men race and then ride the course again close to race pace after the men finish.

Jon Hicks (Winchester Wheelemen, Rockburn Cat 4 5th place): The first lap to get a feel for the flow and the second much slower, looking for objects to avoid. A gel and FRS 30 minutes before the start.

Andrew Welch (Squadra Coppi, Mens 3/4, 3rd at Schooley Mill, 1st at Rockburn): I don’t like to have a lot of down time before my race, so I usually show up just in time to get a couple laps in before the previous race goes out … nothing too fast, just some course recon and easy warm-up. Then I get my number, change kit, and finish warming up … on the road. I have a trainer in my car, but it hasn’t come out all season.  Continue reading »

Ryan Douglas (R1V/Arrow Bicycle) working the off-camber. Photo: Joel Steen

Day two of the Howard County Double Cross took place November 22 in Elkridge, Maryland. In its third year, Rockburn Cross is a Mid-Atlantic favorite that features greasy corners, fast single-track and quick hard climbs.

With the sunny open sections and wooded single-track, this course works well on video. It may be paradoxical to say that you can move forwards and backwards at the same time, but this clip shows the possibilities as the camera quickly works its way from the front to the back of the pack.

Music is again by our friend, Caleb Stine. It may be a little slower and a little quieter than other tunes featured on CXhairs.com, but music doesn’t have to be hard and fast to be punk. I guess that’s the second paradox of the day. Check out Caleb at www.calebstine.com.

Thanks for watching.

The Masters Elite descend the flyover.

The MABRA Cyclocross Series dropped in on Chris and Fred Kelley October 4, 2009, to play in their backyard. Talk about a scene that would have driven my grandfather crazy, all those kids with their bikes on his property!

Kelley Acres ‘Cross featured lots of climbing, ridable barriers, and a Euro-style flyover. It was a great day in the country for cross racing. We caught up with some of those on the podium to see how the day went. Thanks for reading.

Note: All photos by Kevin Dillard of Demoncats Photography. Check out more sweet images by Kevin at www.demoncats.com. Continue reading »