In The Crosshairs

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.

There are at least a handful of ‘cross racers in the Mid-Atlantic region with aspirations to ride their bikes to as many MABRA races as possible, next season.

Sean Callahan of Team Pegasus races at Northbrook. Photo by Josh Radlein.

Our friendly Internet overlords at Google make that a little bit easier today with the roll out of “Bike There” on Google Maps. “Bicycling” is now an option on the “Get Directions” tab at maps.google.com. Good stuff.

Along with the Bike There reveal we are also bringing a little grassroots ‘cross video goodness to your computer monitors, today. Heather Jurewicz of Johnny Sprockets put together a great highlight reel from the 2009 Chicago Cyclocross Cup series. The Chi Cross Cup was started in 2004 as a grass roots effort by folks that wanted to race ‘cross in their neighborhood. Yes, that’s all it takes. The series has grown ten races and features hard racing and a party atmosphere. But don’t just take my word for it, check out the film.

Thanks for watching.

A cyclocross bike with wood composite tubing?

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.

The eleventh Capital ‘Cross Classic took place December 6 at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Virginia. 

Masters 3/4 Field. Photo by Jen Franko.

Early morning ice and a layer of fresh snow turned to mud and slop as the day progressed. Conditions that make for a fun day of racing but not ideal for filming. 

The helmet-cam made it about 15 seconds into the race before getting tagged with a small glob of mud. The rear-view camera, surprisingly, fares a little better. For a couple minutes, at least.

Music this week is by Blackie Knight. Sadly, I believe they have disbanded. But the tracks rock. So go to the MySpace page and tell them to get the band back together.

Thanks for watching.

Mud and the MABRA 'Cross finale go hand in hand.

The MABRA ‘Cross Championship took place November 29, 2009, at Taneytown Memorial Park, Taneytown, Md. Under sunny skies and warm temperatures, racers faced a course of varied conditions. Fast asphalt, gravel and grass sections funneled riders into muddy bogs. Some ridable and others, not so much.

The video captures the first ten minutes of the masters 3/4 group from the helmet-cam and the seat-stay camera. The helmet-cam video angle is a little more severe than usual. This is the result of what could be described as a wardrobe malfunction but more accurately was an ill-advised wardrobe decision. I almost always wear a CXHairs.com cycling cap under my helmet (if you want one, e-mail me at cxhairs@gmail.com). On most occasions said cycling cap faces forward. On this day, I wore it backwards. This pushed my helmet forward a centimeter or so and lowered the horizon on the video.

Music this week is courtesy of Paper+Plastick. This label has a slew of fantastic artists. Three are featured here: Failers’ Union, Rehasher and The AKAs. Please go to paperandplastick.com to discover even more great material. If you like what you hear, buy an LP or download some tracks to keep you motivated on the trainer this winter.

Thanks for watching.

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.

Day one of the Howard County Double Cross (HoCo2xCx) weekend was Schooley Mill ‘Cross that took place November 21 in Highland, Maryland. Racers were faced with long power stretches for half of the course and a hilly, grassy bog for the other half. As you will see in the video, the field gets strung out but stays more or less together for the first lap. A rarity in the MABRA series.

I am psyched to have a second soundtrack appearance by Exotic Fever Records. They first appeared on the Granogue Video and added some great atmosphere to the day. I beleive the same effect is accomplished here. Tracks are by Pash and The Sinister Quarter. Check out those artists and the others in the Exotic Fever stable at www.exoticfever.com.

Thanks for watching.

Killer Bs work the stairs at the Ix factory

Urban Cross at Ix 2009 took place on November 15 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The course takes place on the grounds of an abandoned factory and features a ton of elevation change, good power sections and on this day, unseasonably warm temperatures. The video is from the first ten minutes of the Masters 3/4 race. Pay special attention to the rear-facing camera at about the 45 second mark. The race comes to a standstill as riders start piling up on the muddy off-camber turn. Good lesson in why a decent start is important. You don’t need to win the hole shot, but being near the front is the best way to avoid the bottlenecks.

There was a lot of running on this course. The heavy rains leading up to race day made the normally ridable hills unridable. There was also a staircase and one set of barriers. As you will see, these barriers jumped up and got me on the first lap.

Music this week is by The Burdens. Check them out at www.theburdens.com.

Thanks for watching.

Photo by Demon Cats Photography

Jared Nieters (Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit) has a robot obsession. In a nod to this life-long theme, we have coined Jared’s interview feature “Interview-a-Tron.” As Jared explains, “It’s a subtle nod to the robot, but still stays on point in that it’s an interview.” So there you have it.

In this episode we have three clips.

First up is Steve “Steevo” Cummings (Indiana Regional Medical Center) discussing old-school modems and his aspirations for Tacchino Ciclocross.

In our next clip, Sam O’Keefe (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) seems to be taking in stride his upgrade from the Killer Bs to Elites.

Finally, we have Jared giving the run down on the Fair Hill elite race. Not sure who is playing the part of Interview-a-Tron.

Thanks for watching.