FMB/Fango

Some cool news from Francois at FMB...

INFORMATION

Nouveaux ;

Les boyaux cyclo-cross FMB sont désormais disponsibles avec la nouvelle chape Fango.  Les succés remportés par ce nouveau produit conçu pout exceller dans les conditions boueuses offre une résistance au roulement faible.

New ; The FMB cyclo-cross tubulars are now available with the new tread FANGO.  The success of this new product designed to excel in muddy conditions provides a low rolling resistance.

MABRA Cross Championships

MABRAcross Championships (and State Championships)

Taneytown, MD

Cold, Wet, Muddy day

HEAVY, slippery track

The story of the day was teamwork.  Everyone pulled through and threw down for their teammates.  It feels really good to be part of such a special and supportive group.

Our main goal for the day was to move Auer into the 35+ Series lead.  Marc Gwadz held a 6 point lead going into the race.  Therefore, we needed Auer to finish at least a few spots ahead of Gwadz.  We felt confident that Auer would have a good race, but we also needed to place some guys ahead of Gwadz...no easy task.

As for the race...

Fatmarc made a strong opening statement by coming from back in the grid to grab the hole shot.  I slipped through a couple of tight spots in the opening series of slippery up and down turns to move up to third wheel, right behind Gunnar.  Marc continued to rip it up front riding the mud with just the right mixture of power and finesse.

Halfway through the first lap Auer made his way to the front and then off the front with Gunnar.  Marc had done such a good job of driving the pace from the start that there was now a slight gap behind us.  He and I rode together for a while with Gwadz just a few seconds back. We pushed it hard knowing that we needed to maintain our positions to give Kris a chance at the series title.

Eventually the effort started to take its toll on me and I made some mistakes (mental: unclipping my low-side foot on a slippery off-camber and physical:  eating shit trying to square off a turn too soon on another slippery off-camber).  As I watched fatMarc continue to ride strongly in front of me I saw that the chasers (Fuentes and Root, with Gwadz just a few seconds behind them) begin to close the gap.

I had been hoping to get enough of a gap that I could cruise it in at a solid, but not puke-enducing pace.  It was now clear that I would have to resort to puke-enducing.  I'll just say that I put everything that I had into the last lap and a half.  I was fading and I looked and felt like shit, but I wasn't going to give up.

I had some friends and teammates cheering around the course and by the tone of their voices and their choice of words on that last lap I could tell that it (I) wasn't looking too good.  Dave Fuentes finally caught up to me just past the pit with maybe a minute left to go.  Luckily it was tight from there to the run-up and through to the ensuing slippery downhill.

I figured that I could keep him behind me until we got to the road, giving me time to recover enough to have a shot in the sprint.  Happily it didn't come down to that.  Just after the run-up I heard a noise just behind me.  It sounded like someone stacking it.  I took a quick peak behind me and sure enough Dave had clipped the telephone pole on the edge of the course.

I put my head down and negotiated the next tricky off-camber cleanly to get onto the road with enough of a gap to make a sprint unnecessary.  After crossing the line the cold and the effort hit me.  I felt like shit and was shivering.

After a celebratory muddy hug with Auer and Vettori I stumbled off to find a way to get dry and warm.  Luckily one of my teammates told me to go see Tom McDaniel.  Tom had his usual pimp compound set up with hot shower and warm changing area.  Tom saved the day!  Huge thank you to Tom McDaniel for the post-race support to combat hypothermia!

So I got cleaned up and changed with Kris, Gunnar, and Jan.  I was even forced to see Gunnar's naked ass, though I understand that many before have had that honor.

In the end we did it.   Auer 1st, Gunnar 2nd, Vettori 3rd, Me 4th.  Jan is more of a fan of a fast, dry track but he still gutted it out for 11th and I think a Delaware Gold Medal.   Kris locked up the 35+ Series.  Kris, Marc, and I swept the 35-39 Gold, Silver, and Bronze for MABRA and Maryland States.  It was a good day for the Elite Masters team and a great day for the team all around.   We won more than a few races and medals.  Good stuff.

Postscript:  I had been fighting a cold since Tacchino and a day slopping around in the cold rain and mud at Taneytown put me over the edge.  Instead of a cold it's a chest infection...outta work Monday & Tuesday, cold sweat at night, hacking up brown sludge from my chest.  Nice.  I'm starting to feel a little better today, but training may be out for the week.  I'll have to rally for the last race of the season Sunday in Reston and squeeze something out of the fitness I've built up thus far.

Why you should ride your bike...

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

...instead of driving it. Ouch. Yes...I'm a dumbass and a bit distracted right now. This happens to everyone at some point, right???

Luckily the crossbars on the rack gave way before the bike did. The shifters got beat up and the roof of the car has some scratches, but it could have been worse.

And it's Melanie's 'beater' bike set up for pregnancy riding and not her 5900.

Oh well, riding in the heat and humidity this weekend was brutal. My lungs were not working in the dank, sweltering air. I especially suffered on Sunday. I need a rest week.

At least I got all my tubulars glued up this weekend. I'm very close to having my bikes and gear dialed in pre-baby.

This morning's run was the first one that actually felt pretty good. I still didn't enjoy it, but at least my legs didn't feel like cement pilings. I felt like I was striding as opposed to dragging my feet.

We're having a baby on Wednesday so I'm getting a week off the bike, but I wouldn't exactly call it a rest week. It's actually pretty cool. You just focus on what needs to be done and you do it. There's no dithering or whining...just doing. That feels good.

I've got a family that needs my full attention. It's good to have a purpose. Riding bikes and racing cyclocross will wait. And I'm sure I'll come back more motivated than ever. I'll still grab a quick run or a spin over to the park to do some sprints and drills for sanity's sake.

counting down

So we're having a baby in 8 days. Wow.
After many months of training and getting our gear prepped we are ready.
Car seat, crib, diapers, wipes, bottles, tubulars glued on the stroller stroller, etc, etc....all done. We can't wait to meet him next Wednesday.



He's in there and running out of room. When he stretches or moves around you can see the belly poke out. Cool.

Since I'll be a bit busy for a while I've been working hard to get ready in advance for whatever my season ends up being. Last night the workshop was filled with the scent of Mastik One as I got the first layer of glue on a couple of sets of wheels. More gluing tonight and I think I'll open a window this time.



I've also been doing an early morning group ride that hits some prime Ellicott City hills with vigor. I can get more quality intervals with a small group than I can when riding alone. Plus, closing gaps and taking fast pulls should help out with some speed work that I don't necessarily get when I'm out on the mountain bike. Doing a fast ride at dawn is a harsh way to wake up, but it's always good to deposit some suffering in the memory bank before the season starts.



Doing most of my riding in the early morning gives me more family time. This is an amazing time in terms of language development. Thor is pretty fired up that he can communicate effectively. Before he would get frustrated if he couldn't get his point across. Now he can put together some pretty interesting sentences and convey what is on his mind. Last night at Frisco Burrito he made sure the kitchen could hear his request (demand) for "CHIPS! GUAC! BLACK BEANS!" over and over. Frisco has good food and a killer beer list. Check out the list here.



He's getting pretty handy to have around. Now I can sit back and drink a beer while he mows the lawn.



On to the other countdown. We're only 33 days from Charm City 'Cross. This is our third year and I think we're getting the hang of putting on a high quality race. This year's event will be the best yet.



Last year fatmarc was a worthy adverary. Now he's now a teammate...as is E-Town. We have some guys that are going to rock the B races and I don't know if anyone will be having more fun. I'm really excited about our team this year.

Mud and Cowbells

79 days until Charm City 'Cross.

26 days until the first official 'Cross practice.

It's definitely time to stock up on parts and gear.

If you're not racing road it's not too soon to start some easy running or to get re-acquainted with your bike and do some dismounts.

Mud and Cowbells has an excellent post to get you primed for the season and ready for CX practice with instructions on building port-o-barriers.

Molly at Race.cx also has some inspiring words to get you pumped for cyclocross.

I wish someone around here ran a weeknight Short Track XC series through the Summer leading up to the season. Even an informal practice race would be cool. Hmmmmm.

direct from France

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

New toys from fmb.

A pair of 'mud' treads and a pair of 'file' treads (with some nice side knobs).

Thank you Francois!

FM-B, an alternative to Dugast

Now's the time to stock up on tires for 'cross season. In fact, Cyclocrossworld has already gone through a shipment from Dugast. High quality handmade 'cross tubulars are usually in short supply...and for good reason. I rode a set of 34mm Rhino's last season and they were phenomenal.
Good tires help compensate for lack of natural ability and training time! 8-)

Another manufacturer is trying to fill some of the supply shortage. A guy named Francois M. has set up shop. As I understand it he is a former employee of Dugast who has gone out on his own.

Though I haven't heard any first-hand accounts of how the tires ride they appear to be very similar to Dugast tubies in terms of materials and construction.

Check out the website for a look at their cyclocross selections. If I get confirmation that the quality is good I'll be placing an order.

Sniffing Glue

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

I feel like I'm one of the cool kids now

Rhino's baby!
They're stretching on the rims getting ready for glue-a-palooza.

And now for the obligatory gushing about 'cross practice... 8-)

'Cross practice was the best yet. We did some skills work and then raced around a slightly modified practice loop, kicking each lap off with a practice start on the road section. Mike, Christine, Rodger, Kevin and I chased each other around; drifting through turns, attacking, closing gaps, and slipping along off-cambers at a pretty fast pace. Sean's front wheel was half-taco'd, most likely from a yard sale crash at Nationals, so he did some running.

Hopefully we'll get a few more people out and keep up the momentum for the workouts.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.