the fam

Life is settling down on the home front. Sleep is still in short supply, but we've gotten into a pretty good rhythm. Continuity has started to edge out chaos. There's still plenty of excitement so don't get the idea that life is boring with 2 kids in diapers!

Our move out of the city is really helping us handle everything. Mel and I both love (NEED) to ride and being able to roll down the driveway to the trails in 2 minutes makes it pretty easy for us to get rides in without taking away much family time.

No racing this weekend. My racing this season is about finding balance. With a newborn at home it's not possible to spend most every weekend away. I wouldn't enjoy it and I'd burn out pretty quickly. With a good balance of family and racing I can do my races and enjoy them knowing that I'll still have a lot of quality time at home being a Dad.

So I'm not racing, but I will be trying to ramp it up for next weekend's biggie at Granogue. Hitting it hard on the mtb seems to be working for me so that's what I'll do. The weather and trail conditions couldn't be much better.

I'll be doing a limited MAC schedule this year but Granogue is important. First off, it's a stellar race. Not that all of the climbing suits me, but I still love this race. Second, I worked hard last season to accumulate a few MAC points here and there. The starting grid for Granogue will be based on the final standings from last year. That should put me on the second row.

I have a history of having material issues and bike driver issues at this race, but last year I rode it cleanly until I blew the finish and lost 4 or 5 spots on the final road section. If I can do well this year I might score enough points to be able to start in the first 3 rows at Beacon, which will be my next MAC race.

My first priority will be doing what I can to help one of my teammates win the race. I figure if I'm lucky enough to get in position to help them early in the race then I have a shot to hang on for a decent finish myself.

I guess when I really break it down my goals are to ride hard and aggressive the entire race and to have a clean race. If I can do that I'll be happy regardless of where I finish. After all, I love racing cyclocross, but it's really just one part of a balanced life.

Pumpkin Patch

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

I'll always have Lilypons

Ed Sander Memorial 'Cross
Masters cat 3/4

First off, I'm lucky to be on such a fun and supportive team.

Second, I actually won a friggin' bike race. It may never happen again so please indulge me and my ego while I put my thoughts down and post some photos. When I'm old(er) I want to be able to look back and remember this most rare event.

Bernie, fatMarc, and I were all on the front row for the Masters 3/4 race. We wanted to get a good start to control the pace around the ponds first lap and then open it up once onto the gravel roads. A couple of weeks ago I put shims under my cleats to make pedal engagement a little easier. That has helped my starts as I have been able to get clipped in faster. Before the shimming the tread on my shoes was interfering with the pedal/cleat interface.

Anyway, I got into the pedals first try and took the hole shot. I gave it a little bit of gas to make sure that I had the lead into the first narrow spot of the prologue loop. From there I was able to back it off and actually recover until we hit the barriers.

After the barriers I gave a quick glance back and saw that Marc and Bernie were right near the front of the line of riders. Perfect. I led around the ponds riding a solid tempo, but not pushing too hard. The narrow line made passing difficult so I knew that I could just focus on riding smoothly.

Of course, a few turns in I take one too wide and end up off a ledge into a deep rut! D'oh! Marc very calmly told me I was fine, helping me to avoid a complete panic. I got back on course and stayed on the front.

By the pit the first time we made the tricky left onto the fast gravel road section. Immediately the German diesel Michael "Jan" Kolb passed me and started riding fast, really fast. Marc got his wheel and I followed with Bernie right behind me. I don't think the group split here, but it certainly got strung out. We rolled it top speed on Jan's wheel all the way to the technical backside of the course.

Marc led through here and we made it pretty much without incident (just some friendly elbow rubbing). Coming down the fast downhill leading to the start finish we still had a long line of riders, but small gaps were opening.

As we approached the pea gravel pit (soon to be renamed the Endo Zone) I had decided to dismount and run through the obstacle. Jan and Marc gambled and tried to ride it. However, the gravel crew had raked the gravel up higher than expected into a contrived, but effective obstacle. They didn't make it far before their front wheels stopped and they simultaneously endo'd spectacularly, synchronized swimming style.



Remarkably both guys got right back up and into the action. The next lap was more of the same (minus the crashing) as we rode a solid, but controlled pace around the ponds, drilled it on the gravel roads, finessed the technical "back nine", and sprinted up the backside climb.

The next time around a leading trio had developed with me, Marc, and Jan. Marc and Jan are training partners and fellow members of the DCCofD. We had a friendly breakaway group. This was good for all of us. We rode really smoothly together to establish a gap to the chasers behind. We each took pulls and offered words of encouragement.



Once we had a decent gap Marc and I took turns putting in accelerations in hopes of getting one of us free. Jan was too strong. He covered each one immediately. Though we couldn't shake him perhaps we were able to soften him up a little. Aside from covering us he also put in a lot of work early to get us away. I was really impressed by his riding. He had plenty of power and he was also smooth driving his bike.



With 2 laps to go Jan led around the ponds at a strong pace with Marc on his wheel and me on the back. When we got onto the gravel I jumped up the left side and gave-er what I had. I didn't look back, but I think Jan covered me pretty quickly. I kept driving it in hopes of setting Marc up.

After we crested the little rise that leads to the entrance to the technical "Back Nine" Marc countered jumping to the front. I slowed up in an effort to open a gap. Jan saw the danger immediately and made a nice pass in a tight spot to get around me. We bumped shoulders and he apologized but it was just good racing on his part...there was no need for an apology! 8-)

So Marc led through the tricky stuff with a small gap, but he flatted as he was really trying to open it up. We got back up to his wheel on the stair-step grass climb. We didn't know he had flatted and he hid his cards well to lead us down the fast downhill without any sign that his tire was flat.

As we approached the pit he called out for a bike change. With that Jan attacked through the finishing straight as we got the bell for the last lap. I made it up to his wheel and sat there hoping that Marc would make it back up. He got a smooth bike change, but Ron Huebner was able to get his wheel as he re-entered the course.

Being a teammate to me and friend of Jan he didn't want to drag Ron up to us so he sat on his wheel. Likewise, I was able to sit on Jan's wheel since Marc was just behind. It would have been better if Marc hadn't flatted but we were still in a pretty good position.

If Ron closed the gap Marc and I would hopefully be a little fresher since we had been drafting. If Jan and I stayed away it would be because he put in a strong pull to keep us away. Well...Jan put in a MONSTER pull around the ponds and the gravel roads. I was suffering just holding his wheel and didn't think I'd be able to pass him.

I knew my only chance to win was to get in front before the "Back Nine". Just before we got to the downhill approach to the run-up I stood up and made the pass. At that point I got a surge of adrenaline. I had to force myself to calm down and focus on riding the next section cleanly.

Everything went well and as I made the tight turn to climb up by the announcer I gave it everything sprinting over the top and down the double-track leading to the off-camber drop. I took the drop faster than I had all race and hoped that my tires would stick at the bottom.

They did putting me right on track with a lot of momentum. Already in a big gear I dug deep to put in another sprint up the steep kickers and all the way along the false flat at the top.

When I reached the downhill I snuck a glance back and saw that I had a gap. Now all I had to do was to keep from puking and not mess up the downhill. In my head I had to scream at my fingers not to touch the brakes on the gravelly little S-turn. I made it cleanly and tried to stay calm down the last stretch of double-track.

Through the pea gravel Auer yelled at me to stay smooth and not to slow down! Coming up the finishing straight I couldn't believe it. I was going to win a bike race. I zipped up the skinsuit, held back the puke, and for the first time ever raised my arms across the finish line.



Jan rolled across a few seconds later for a hard-earned 2nd. Marc was able to attack Ron on the run-up to grab 3rd. Bernie was right up front too until a crash slowed him down. He still finished a very respectable 12th out of 63 starters. It was another big day for our squad. The rest of the team kicked ass too with Wes taking the win in the Elite race and numerous other podiums.

Melanie had rearranged all of her weekend plans so that I could race and I didn't want to ask her to cancel anything so I had to head out before the podium. Mark Russell generously offered up a stroller as a fitting stand-in for the podium.



It was a hard race.
It was a fun race.
It felt great to win, but honestly it felt just as good riding a smart team race for the second week in a row.

I think that actually winning a race will help me push my limits a bit more, but I don't expect to win. I'm more of grind it out in the trenches kind of bike racer. I get a lot out of racing my bike and doing what I can to help my teammates.

If I never win another bike race I'll be happy as long as I ride hard, race smart, and have fun. In any event, I'll always have Lilypons.

All photos courtesy of super-photog Dennis Smith.

I needed that...the beer.

full report coming

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

forzing impresso!

translated from ciclocrossitalia.blogspot.com
http://ciclocrossitalia.blogspot.com/2007/09/frattini-vince-il-charm-city-cross.html

Beautifulest victory for David Frattini that prevails Charm City Cross
di Baltimora in the state of Maryland, a contest of medium importance
of the American calendar that has seen to the way between the elites
50 of athletes, more rather nervous contest where it saw the athletes
engages to you on a distance with many handles, ready via is benefits
Frattini to you its companion of Damiani square and Weston Schempf,
the three are remained together for some turn under under the forzing
impresso from the athlete varesino are aliquot and are remained to the
commando the single Frattini followed in second position from Schempf
and in third from Damiani. The positions are then remained invariate
until the term where Frattini has cosi been able to cut the goal to
arms raises.

mojo working

Bernie and I working it in the heat on the run-up.

photo courtesy of John Scott

2007 Charm City 'Cross was all about teamwork;
from the amazing passion & hard work of everyone involved in making the race happen
to the esprit de corps of the riders (more than 400 total) all day long.

The Masters 3/4 race was a beautiful thing. The field was big with 88 starters.
My C3-Sollay teammates and I used our collective forces to push the pace early
creating a select group containing 4 of us C3's (fatmarc, Bernie, Disco, and I) and a handful of others, including Kelly Cline, Roger Masse, Richard Bilson, & David Lowe.

Marc rolled off the front and we did what we could to discourage a chase, though I don't think Marc needed our help. He was ON, riding with power and grace. Before the race I was tired and flat. Honestly, I was doubtful that I would finish. But watching Marc ride away and our team working so well together gave me motivation and energy as the race went on.

With a few laps to go there was only one non-C3-Sollay chaser, Roger Masse.
Roger is a tough competitor, but he had a couple of mishaps which allowed Bernie and I to get away. From there, Disco covered him while we made hay to solidify 2nd and 3rd. Thanks Jeff!

Bernie was also ON, with a break-out performance. He ended up riding away from me. I was worried about cramps, but managed to hold them off. Bernie was like a freight train powering along and taking the turns like he was on rails. The bike driving has come a long way Bernie! 8-)

In the end we finished 1-2-3-4 with Roger rounding out the podium in 5th. Holy shit! That was awesome!

It was a great start to the season. We have a tremendous team. I'm not talking about having great riders, though we certainly do. I'm talking about the team spirit and camaraderie that we have. The team was formed out of a common love for cyclocross and I think that shows in how we interact and how we race. It's a cool thing and I feel lucky to be a part of it.

It was also a good day for C3-Sollay mastermind/evil-leader Kris Auer & Athlete Development Group. Our team had a lot of big results on Sunday. Auer coaches a number of riders on the team, including me. In my case, he doesn't have much to work with in terms of talent or training time. But he's managed to put together a training program that allows me to make the most of what I've got. I'm thankful for that!

Huge thanks to team backbone Suzy Gerlak and our primary sponsors Sollay, The Hostetter Agency, Joe's Bike Shop, and ADG.

On the equipment front I rode the FMB SSC Sprints (file tread with side knobs), 34mm in front, 32mm in back. Mid-to-high 30's psi. A lot of the bumpiness of the course was soaked up and the treads hooked up incredibly well on the dry, dusty, grassy surfaces! They rocked.

On the box...a rare event for me. I'm glad I had teammates for company!

photo courtesy of Dennis Smith

Charm City 'Cross morsels

I'll put together a post about Charm City 'Cross 2007 once I recover and get some photos.

The summary:

Amazing teamwork and hard work produced a HUGE day all the way around.
We're already working on how to make next year's race even better (results & other stuff).

The Baltimore Sun did a story about the race. Read it here.
Press release and results (such as they are) at bikereg.

More tales from the dusty cave of pain
-Read about fatmarc's season opening WIN here.
-Reports from Scott & Jake Thompson are here and here.
-Jim, the Unholy Rouleur breaks it down here.
-Gwadzilla with multiple musings.
-Jared has words and video!
-Steevo telling it like it is.

I need a burrito...and a nap.

perspective

I saw this piece about Randy Pausch in the WSJ yesterday and it brought tears to my eyes. Back in college I played hockey with Randy. He's a beautiful human being. His story is inspiring and sad at the same time. For me it put a lot of the stress of day-to-day life into perspective.

carpe diem

'Cross practice Monday

I'm doing an informal 'cross practice on Monday at Rockburn Park. We'll work on
basic skills and technique as well as talk about what to expect at
Charm City. If everyone is up for it we'll also do a few practice
starts and perhaps some short efforts.

The plan is to start at 4:30 and end by 6:00 so that I can make it
home for dinner.

We'll set up near the picnic pavilion that has the sand volleyball
court. You can get to it by entering the Park from Montgomery Rd and
driving down past the tennis courts and hanging a left.

I'll bring a couple of portable PVC barriers and we'll set up a
practice loop.

Feel free to come out. This will be informal and fun...and very
beginner friendly.

Trail hike

Yesterday we went for a walk on some of the Avalon trails. Melanie is jonesing for a ride, but it'll be more than a month before she'll be cleared to ride. She needed a taste of trails to satisfy her craving for singletrack. Here's a short photo essay of our hike.

On the way in from the small Landing Rd trailhead.
Here's the little practice skinny that I built. Freeride for weenies.


Dropping down to the creek you get some fast swoopy turns with some trail-protecting rocks as you transition from the dirt to the water.


Log trail creek...not much rain = not much water in the creek = dry feet


This is one of the many fun logs on the log trail. It's also the toughest as it is on a hill. The rest are not too challenging, but they are good for working on your log-hopping form. East coast baby!


Climbing back up towards Landing. This part of the trail has some nice high speed curves. Of course, they're only high speed when you're going downhill.


Thor walked most of the way, but he wanted a lift for the last part of the climb.


The last log on the log trail (or first, depending on which way you are riding).

Living adjacent to some primo mtb trails is not a luxury, it's an essential.

1 week into it

Yesterday we had some photos taken by Amy Masser at Baby Face Photography in Frederick, MD.

The rest of the set is here. Amy specializes in newborn photography and she does a fantastic job.

I've managed to get out on the trails the past two days. I removed the 20t cog and am now running 32x19 on my 29er. The legs are feeling the harder gear, but I think it'll work out once my lower back gets adjusted to the stress of pushing up the steeper hills.

Riding on little sleep is tough. The first day out I thought I was going to fall over on some of the climbs. I couldn't breathe and my legs were stuffed. As much as that sucked it was still nice being out on the mountain bike.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

Snooze

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

Baby truck

Gavin

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

Gavin Powers Nystrom

born 8/29/07 at 2:06pm
7 lbs 8.8 oz
20 inches

everyone is doing very well

Rockburn 'Cross Practice

I've had several people contact me asking about 'Cross practice at Rockburn Park. I'm busy with stuff like having a baby so I can't organize anything at the moment. I've been hitting the stealthy, pre-dawn sessions.

If anyone wants to get something going again on Wednesday evenings let me know and I'll try to get people in touch with one another to line something up. We had a fun crew out there last year. I hope it continues.

I'll do my best to join in when we get into a groove at home.

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.

shit. we all got our runnins now.

Running.
I don't enjoy it.
I'm no good at it.
But I gotta do it...
For the love of cyclocross.

I'm a few weeks into my running and
though it's getting better it still blows.

This morning the master plan called for
30 minutes of e-z jogging mixed with 6 x 20 second bursts.
Strangely my legs felt heavy and slow on the normal e-z part of the run
But they felt good during the short bursts.

When I was a kid in PE class
I stunk it up any run longer than one lap around the track.
Though I did pretty well in things like the 100yd dash.
So I guess it all makes sense.

Running.
It's not a huge part of 'cross.

But 'cross is about the little things.
The details.

It's about drilling technique until it's ballet-like.
Getting to the race early.
Scouting out the track.
Figuring out the proper speed through turns.
Discovering the pro lines.
Determining optimal tire tread and pressure for the conditions.
Warming up the engine thoroughly.
Visualizing the start and absolutely committing to embrace the pain.

A few seconds saved each lap can make a huge difference.
Small improvements at the margin of performance are huge improvements in cyclocross.
Running is not a big part of 'cross,
But it's an area that can make the difference during a race.

And that's reason enough to get out of bed and plod around the neighborhood
When it would be a lot more comfortable to still be in bed.

I'm developing a taste for worms

The sleep deprivation training is going well. The 5:00am wake-up is getting me ready for the coming months.

On Wednesday I did another pre-dawn 'cross session. The overnight rain greeted me like a cold shower as I headed out of the house. It was a test of motivation, but at that point I was awake and setting up the trainer wasn't happening.

After blindly rolling the singletrack into Rockburn I set up shop under the weak glow of a curbside streetlight. The portable PVC barrier is working out much better than the wooden barriers that I stashed in the park last year.

I worked on some downhill turns into the barrier. The wet grass sketched me out a little at first, but after a few reps I got more comfortable carrying some speed through the turn as I was stepping through for the dismount.

So far, my technique is feeling pretty smooth, but I know it's important to really drill the skills to make them automatic. Silky transitions quickly turn to shit late in a race when you've got that ferrous taste on the roof of your mouth.

I finished up with a couple of road starts to piss off the legs and remind them what it's like in the opening moments of a race. Ouch.



Last night we had a team meeting to work on logistics for our race. Promoting a race involves A LOT of little details and hassles, but it's also very rewarding when your event comes together and people enjoy the race. We've got a great crew of people that know how to work hard to get things done. And equally important they know how to keep things fun. That's a nice combo.

This morning I once again dragged my tired ass out of bed before dawn to hit The Morning Ride for some punishment on the so-not-flat roads of Ellicott City. The group was pretty big and everyone took some digs to ensure that the pain was shared by all.

When time is tight and you have priorities aside from the bike you take what you can get...and for me that's the early rides. Aside from the waking up at 5am part, it's a damn fine way to start the day.

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.

Charm City 'Cross T-39 days

39 days until Charm City 'Cross

Bernie, Auer, and I did some course recon. yesterday evening. The entire region has been in a drought for months and it shows. The ground is rock hard and bumpy. We're going to need to sharpen the course stakes in order to get them in the ground...seriously. I hope we get some rain in the next month.

I was rolling on a set of clinchers pumped up to almost 50 psi to avoid flatting and the ride was not pleasant. Riding this course on 34mm tubies at 30 psi was pretty smooth (and fast) last year. It would suck on skinny tires pumped way up. You'd be doing more bouncing than rolling.

We have done some tweaking. Most importantly, the start will be different. Our goal is to have a start that doesn't immediately bottleneck and string out the field 20 seconds into the race. While a front row start will still help you should be able to move up from further back on the first lap. I expect some good group racing dynamics, but far from a grass crit.

We're changing a bit of the field section to hopefully force more of a run. The rest of the changes will be minor. The track will be fast, with 4 dismounts per lap. There will be fast, swoopy turns and there will be some slower technical turns. Our goal is to have a course that encourages hard racing, rewards cyclocross skills, and achieves a smile-inducing level of flow. Here's my tip. Run tires that can handle bumpy ground and corner on grass at speed.

Registration is up on Bikereg. Do us a favor and pre-register! Thank you.

For a taste of last year's event check out Peter Nicoll's Charm City episode of Cross Talk.

cyclocross by moonlight (seeing stars)

Out the door before 5:30 this morning
portable PVC hurdle in my pack
dismount
remount
over and over
in the meager light on either side of sunrise.

I was pretty fired up by this skills session.
How many people are crazy (dumb) enough to do
cyclocross drills at the ass-crack of dawn?

I felt superior momentarily.
And then I did some gravel surfing...
On my face.

Ouch.
That turned my smile into a frown.

All good.
It makes me look tough.
Or it makes me look like I don't know how to ride my bike.

Helmets are getting expensive.
But given the alternative I suppose they are pretty cheap.
In any event, I can't afford to keep buying a new one every week.
I just picked up this beauty at lunch today.



I'm hoping for some fatmarc mojo with the pink lid.

Thanks to Greg at Mud and Cowbells for the pvc hurdle inspiration/how-to!
His blog is a must-read for 'cross freaks.

I will take poo poo truck!

So my 2 year old is quite the linguist. His vocabulary is taking off and he's even putting together some full sentences. Clearly he's a product of his environment. 8-)

Some of the things he's said recently...

Dada crash bike, fall down. Ouch. Boo boo. (he knows)

I will take poo-poo truck! And pee-pee too. (while standing on top of his toy potty)

Bike race! Go fast! (every day during Le Tour)

Huuuuuuge poo. (every day)

Chips!
Guac!
Eaaaaaat!!!!!!! (he shares our love of Mexican food)

I will make cakes. (he mixes up a mean pancake)

Grandma truck, Mama truck, Dada truck (to be called truck is a high honor)

Here he is using a hammer to "fix" the bike that the Posner's gave him last year.
He really enjoys hanging out with me in the shop doing bike maintenance.

invisible man

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

I've often wondered if cycling had a way of imparting special powers on its practitioners. I think that invisibility is one such power (at least when it comes to drivers of motor vehicles).

I've been a bit out of commission, but I'm back. I was out on the afternoon of Sunday 7/29 on the cross bike looking to get in some miles riding the BWI Airport loop followed by a few EC Hills.

As I approached a (GREEN) traffic light just before reaching the bike path a car turned left in front
of me. Rather than go through their windshield I swerved and avoided
the head-on impact.

I narrowly avoided the car, but I lost traction while taking
evasive maneuvers. I was on a downhill and going reasonably fast. When my bike went out from under me I ended up sliding across the road on my back
slamming my head (helmet) into curb. My helmet is toast, but it saved
me.

The next thing I remember was 'waking up' in the ambulance on a back
board on the way to Shock Trauma.

I got the full Shock Trauma treatment....Shock Trauma "handshake" i.e. finger up the butt, x-rays, cat scan, etc. Luckily everything checked out and I was out of there in just under 4 hours. This morning I've got scrapes and bruises on my back and elbows, a sore neck, sore chest, and a headache.

I picked up my bike from the police the next day. Apart from scraped and misaligned brake levers the bike was fine. The police were nice, but not so helpful. I had hoped they would be able to answer some questions like did the driver stop? who called 911?, etc. No dice. The report had already been sent off to the archives at HQ. Now I'm paying $10 to request a copy.

I'm lucky that I'm ok. I needed a new helmet & cell phone, but aside from a temporary sore neck and chest I ended up no worse for wear.

Be safe out there and use your invisibility wisely. The world is full of asshole drivers.

Better yet, stick to the trails.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

Dirt

huge balls

Vino has a huge set.

You can tell by the way he rides. He's not afraid to gamble in an effort to win. That's great on the bike, but off the bike it's just sad.

L'Equipe is reporting that he tested positive for homologous blood transfusion after the TT. It's shocking to think that a cyclist heading into this year's Tour de France would cheat in a way that they know is detectable. The dopers don't give a shit about the sport. They have no integrity. They have no conscience.

What good is a victory when you know that you have lied, cheated, and stolen to get it? And if you're only in it for the money there are a lot of much easier ways to make a lot more money. What a waste.

Sock Guy

Harshman and I got out for a ride at Avalon on Sunday afternoon.

Much of the trail system at Avalon is on the steep slopes rising up out of the Patapsco River Valley. While there are some more gently rolling trails up over the ridge you're never far from a steep climb or a fast downhill. The terrain is varied and challenging. I love it.

Our ride on Sunday was pretty typical.

We rode up some trails that are usually reserved for riding down (see photo). This trail is steep & rocky, making it a ripper of a downhill and an ass-kicker of a climb. Ok, so we hiked up the worst part in the name of training for cyclocross.

Also typical was ChrisH having a mechanical. This time he destroyed his chain while powering up the steep water-bar climb. Lightweight SRAM 9-spd chains should not be run on singlespeeds. The spring on his single-ator also shit the bed. Basically, gravity became the bike's only source of locomotion.

I am going to take up a collection to encourage him to get a proper SS set-up (horizontal drops, no tensioner, and a beefy chain). If you would like to contribue parts or $ please contact me.

With his bike unridable we made a plan. I would ride an interval the 25 minutes back to my house to get my car. He would do a chainless downhill off the ridge and jog to the base of Lawyer's Hill Rd. His training plan has him running already so he went ahead and ran the length of Lawyer's Hill Rd. in his socks. Whoah!

Hanka

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

Hanka
I was too lazy to get the good camera out.

cool friends

Last weekend some of Melanie's girlfriends surprised her with a baby shower/tea party.


They even baked a cake...and not your run-of-the-mill tea party cake.

A pregnant mountain biker cake with mountains.

Yeah...she has some cool friends.

TGIF

gold amongst the junk

While organizing my workshop this evening I came across a tube of old posters.
Among the gems inside I found a few that I picked up in Zeddam 2006.

Fidea Team (multiple copies...I was definitely drunk and Fidea was hemmoraging swag)

Treviso 2008 Ciclicross World Championships

Hanka Kupfernagel pin-up. It's a keeper (for cyclocross obsessed freaks like myself). I need to clear out some wallspace for it. Or maybe I'll throw it up on ebay...I know a guy in NJ that would pay up for it!

I'll have to get the camera out soon so that I can post photos.

At least I'm enjoying the ride

Sometimes Wednesday intervals don't jive with Wednesday reality. That's the case this week so Wednesday intervals happened on Sunday. I hit a hard hour on the trails working on some explosive anaerobic power efforts. Ouch.

By the end my lower back was feeling it. Note to self...work on the lower back and hamstring stretching. I suffered, but I got in some good efforts and didn't feel as slow as usual. It was a good ride.

I even nailed the Landing Rd practice skinny that's been vexing me. I have no problem on the slightly downhill ramped direction thanks to momentum, but in the uphill un-ramped direction I'm off it as soon as I get on it. Last night I think I was too cooked from the ride to worry. Some things are easier when you don't think about them.

This is not a difficult obstacle. It's just that my ~freeride~ skills are non-existent. It's fun stuff though. Playing around on the easier stunts is a blast.

I'm slow and getting old but that doesn't deter me from enjoying the ride.

David Millar is doing a TdF diary at Bicycling. He seems truly repentant about doping and serious about helping the sport change. His tribute to Tom Simpson is worth reading.

USA Cycling Cyclocross categories are going to be really useful. There's so much overlap that essentially the races are still self-selecting, except for the Elite UCI events.

MAC UCI races:
Elite Men = Cat 1
Masters A = Cat 1/2/3
B Men = Cat 2/3/4
Masters B = Cat 2/3/4 (Should a Cat 2 be doing a Masters B race?)
C Men = Cat 4

Non-UCI races
Elite Men = Cat 1/2/3
Masters A = Cat 1/2/3
B Men = Cat 3/4
Masters B = Cat 3/4
C Men = Cat 4

In the MABRA races the Masters A's and Elite Men will be racing together. At 2006 Charm City Cross we had 37 Elite Men and 65 Masters A's. Assuming the same #'s that would make for 102 riders in that race. We had 93 B-men so maybe it's not as bad as it sounds. I guess they'd have to stagger the Elite and Masters starts.

To further get the 'cross juices flowing here's highlight reel of some crashes from the Cross Crusade.

new configuration

Lovely afternoon for a cold beer...poolside.
I'm hitting the trails and then coming home to do just that before firing up the grill.
Husband, father, lifeguard, cook.
It's all part of the job.

i
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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

nice day for a soak

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

Pool

recovered but not rested

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

Mmmtb

I'm coming off a rest week in which my legs took it easy but a nagging summer cold (cough) and crappy sleep led to poor sleep.

I hit the trails solo on Saturday without any expectations for how I would feel. Surprisingly I felt really good. The only time I didn't feel good was on the steep, rocky climbs over by Hilton/Hilltop. But the only time I ever feel good on those climbs is when I'm going super-ez. If you're riding a tough, technical climb with any effort your going to feel it.

I'll be happy when this late-night cough goes away so that I can actually sleep.

The wild blackberries are just starting to ripen up and they are plentiful this year.

Big pickings next weekend.

ramble on

Martin Dugard's blog on Active is great, as expected. He's got a great eye for interesting details and an ability to convey the feelings and experiences of following Le Tour in words.

I'm a bit late on this, but A-shiz gave me the head's up that Cyclocrossworld has Dugast Rhino's and Typhoon's in stock. They won't last long. I don't need any more tires so have at 'em. They are worth the $$$. Sell your car and buy some.

If I ever hit it big I'm building a cyclocross bike park. It'll have a permanent multi-configuration cyclocross track, a skills area, and maybe a fountain of chocolate pudding. There will be a permanent maintenance staff to handle landscaping and turf repair. There will be a set of 'euro-stairs-to-nowhere'...not to mention the bike wash, locker rooms, showers, childcare, and cafe. For the centerpiece I'll hire some Dutch artisans to build a windmill.



Big shout-out to Sally at Stellina Sport for going 'above-and-beyond' to make sure that I get a new der. hanger for my Alan Cross Ultral before the season gets going! Stellina Sport (based in Richmond, VA where I grew up) took over the Alan USA business and they are great people to deal with.

My shimano mtb/cx shoes are pretty cooked. These are a few years old and I'm out of the loop on what's out there so I'm looking for suggestions on a good shoe for 'cross.

This weekend is over-scheduled so I won't be making the Fairhill Classic, an excellent mountain bike race and the scene of multiple calamities for me last year. I will get out on Rita for miles of singletrack smiles both Saturday and Sunday. Some day, some year I'll get a result at Fairhill...some day, but not this Sunday.

Bon week-end et Vive Le Tour!

demolition

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom

The Park demolished the jumps & stunts on the 'Lewis & Clark' trail yesterday. This photo shows the carnage of one of the jumps.

I only hit a handful of the easier jumps and a few of the less-sketchy skinnies. I was way too chicken to hit this step-up gap jump...but I enjoyed the challenge of learning how to ride the free-ride stuff. Oh well. Large-scale unauthorized traibuilding is whack.

There's an effort to get some official IMBA built goodies at Avalon. That would rock, but I'm not holding my breath.

I rode my 'cross bike for the first time since Nationals earlier this week. Initially I was just going to tool around Rockburn since I'm on a rest week (and I'm nursing a summer cold). However, it felt so good to be on the bike that I crossed Landing into Avalon to shred some singletrack.

It was all good for a few minutes until I punctured my front p.o.s. Tufo tubular on a root. The sealant tried to plug the hole, but it had been in there since September and was probably pretty dried up.

I rode the slowly deflating front tire for a couple of miles, making haste to get back home, but it didn't hold. I ended up having to shoulder the bike and run/hike the last mile and a half back to my house. That led to nasty blisters on each heel. Ouch.

At least I got my first 'run' of the year in. The rest of my running will be done in the appropriate shoes.

And the Tufos will be peeled off the rims and replaced with more pimpy treads handmade by Francois Marie!