I love the idea of waiting till CT. Presumably I'll have learned how to turn by then, and not be consistently starting in the DFL row.

Provided it still has a roof. Owned house for more than 10 years, haven't been there in 2. As you might imagine...it's a long story.

I'm still a cat5 in CX... anyone know how strict the upgrade requirements are? According to the book I have to do another 7 races to upgrade...

niallsmart said:

I'm still a cat5 in CX... anyone know how strict the upgrade requirements are? According to the book I have to do another 7 races to upgrade...

Unless you won the first three don't sweat it. Most races only have 4/5 fields anyway.

Jules said:

niallsmart said:

I'm still a cat5 in CX... anyone know how strict the upgrade requirements are? According to the book I have to do another 7 races to upgrade...

Unless you won the first three don't sweat it. Most races only have 4/5 fields anyway.

Agree. Not too many cat 5 only races...and if you do find yourself lucky enough to line up in a Cat 5 only race, I recommend going out and crushing it and getting that experience racing at the front of a race. At the beginning of last year, when I was still racing 4/5s, I really enjoyed the opportunity to start first or second row, race from the front, learning to deal with pressure of guys hunting you down from behind, etc.

Now that I've upgraded, I'm like Mr. 8th-12th Row and well, that's a diff't kind of fun.

A few of you already know this, but this CX season I'm racing with Kindhuman-Pactimo CX. This is a CX-only move, and you'll still see me out repping KCC when I'm not on dirt. And it's that reason I'm posting this here and not over in the Farewell thread. That said, I'm expecting extra heckles whenever I'm at at the barriers. 

I didn't post a report after Providence (or Gloucester) because I didn't have the time or energy after the drive and races. These are great races but there hasn't been much to report as I have had near the back of the field call ups in the 45+ and 2/3 fields. 

Ive posted my on board video from the races below, but first I need to make a PSA. I got DQ'd on Saturday's race at Providence. I learned a rule the hard way, here is my story so you don't accidentally make the same mistake. I didn't know rule and after taking to a few people figure most of you don't either. So here goes.

My handles bars got bent in a first lap crash in the chaos that is the back of the field. When I got near the pit I called over to Marc to meet me in there. When I got there I handed him my bike and asked him to have neutral support fix it. I jogged to my pit bike, and now at the back of the field, got back to racing. 

When end I returned to the pit an official told me I was DQ'd. I later learned that in CX you cannot "advance" your position without your bike. Apparently going from one end of the pit to the other with out a bike is against the rules. Ouch. I wish they had just relegated me to the back of the field like they do when someone crosses the yellow line in a road race as I just wanted to "race". But they were adamant that if they let me do it then they'd have to let others dos the same. 

I was pretty bummed, but now I know not to make that mistake again. And so do you: DO NOT MOVE FORWARD DURING A CX RACE WITHOUT YOUR BIKE, INCLUDING FROM ONE SPOT IN THE PIT TO ANOTHER. My PSA is now over.

here are the links to the videos:

gloucester day1, day2, and providence day2

This was the race that Rick, Adam and myself did on Sunday in CT. (Not my video).

It's a fun course, with long straights and lots of pavement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0OmkJE_0uQ

mugwump said:

Local Cross schedule, as seen on bikereg today:

With the exception of the CT races, which are about 1.5 hours, all are within an hour's drive of NYC.  You can take NJ transit to within 10mi of Jamesburg, and probably about that close to bubble cross.   

There are probably races scheduled for december in Long island, but haven't been posted to bikereg yet.

10/11—Veterans Memorial CX, Middlebury, CT

10/17—HPCX, Jamesburg, NJ

10/18—HPCX, Jamesburg, NJ

10/25—Marty Cross, Chester, NJ

11/1—Bubblecross, West Milford, NJ

11/15—SCCX, Augusta, NJ

11/15—Newtown Cross, Newton, CT
11/21--Supercross
11/22--Supercross

bump!  Local cross.

and Westwood Velo on 11/8

Plan to be at HPCX and Supercross. Tentative but likely at bubble and Marty.

only 90 minutes from my place, Whirlybird on 10/24 should be in the list too
https://www.bikereg.com/whirlybird-cross

Can race saturday only this weekend. Bringing both bellies of rage though.

Anyone with intel on Bubble Cross 2015? I feel like someone mentioned it wasn't going to be back to the "beachy" "single track" course of a few years ago. If this is true, anyone do last year's version and have thoughts to share on the course?

this is a truly small local course in Ohio... so pretty sure none of us will be there, but hell, the video is epic. -- Dan R. would you approve?

https://player.vimeo.com/video/141287179

I have to say I am respecting the club's foaming at the mouth CX-passion this year.

JohnMalcolmson said:

I have to say I am respecting the club's foaming at the mouth CX-passion this year.

Is there another kind?

Saw this King Kog video on the FB and it made me think of a few years back when, in order to keep our PowerTap sponsorship, they wanted this kind of "new media" thing. Regardless, it would be cool publicity for us. Some pretty local races are coming up. Anyone with video taking/editing and/or cross knowledge want to make us look all bad ass in slow mo?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P90skQIljtg

Marc Bertucco said:

Anyone with intel on Bubble Cross 2015? I feel like someone mentioned it wasn't going to be back to the "beachy" "single track" course of a few years ago. If this is true, anyone do last year's version and have thoughts to share on the course?

If memory serves (and it doesn't always) there was no Bubblecross last year because Bubble Pond Park was under construction.

In somewhat related news, I chatted with one of the MTBNJ guys for a few minutes at Cooper River. Apparently their team split up with most of the CX racers going to another team so MTBNJ is not putting on a CX race this year (like Horseshoe Scramble from years past or CXMeur last year). I didn't get the full story on who the other team is - anyone know?

We already look good in slomo

https://player.vimeo.com/video/59783698

This weekend getting ready to kick the snot out of the competition at the nearby HPCX the following KCC racers, so far, are signed up to compete on one or both days:

Master's 45+

• Eloy
• Patrick
• Dan
• Jim N.

Master's 55+

• Jim F

Master's 35+

• Marc B.
• Dan

Cat 4/5

• Bruce
• Niall
• Jeff
• Phillip
• Thierry
• Mark T.

I do expect that the next month, with local racing in full swing, KCC will see similar numbers at races like Bubble Cross, Whirlybird, Marty Cross, etc.

Laurel Rathbun puts together a very real list of don'ts for CX.

http://tenspeedhero.com/features/cxing-–-the-do’s-and-don’ts/

Here's a photo I took of her racing @ Providence.

Marc Bertucco said:

This weekend getting ready to kick the snot out of the competition at the nearby HPCX the following KCC racers, so far, are signed up to compete on one or both days:

Master's 45+

• Eloy
• Patrick
• Dan
• Jim N.

Master's 55+

• Jim F

Master's 35+

• Marc B.
• Dan

Cat 4/5

• Bruce
• Niall
• Jeff
• Phillip
• Thierry
• Mark T.

I do expect that the next month, with local racing in full swing, KCC will see similar numbers at races like Bubble Cross, Whirlybird, Marty Cross, etc.

Unfortunately my back won't allow my participation , however I'm bringing my girls to the event and we'll be do some serious heckling.

Thus it is written...

Good news for CX, not so good for our "hometown" returning Canadian national champ...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/10/news/raphael-gagne-takes-on-cyclocross-after-standout-mtb-season_387725

“This is how much I think ’cross is good for me and how much I love it: Two years ago I didn’t have any support and only one bike, and I raced almost a whole season out of my pocket”

Jules said:

Good news for CX, not so good for our "hometown" returning Canadian national champ...

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/10/news/raphael-gagne-takes-on-cyclocross-after-standout-mtb-season_387725

“This is how much I think ’cross is good for me and how much I love it: Two years ago I didn’t have any support and only one bike, and I raced almost a whole season out of my pocket”

Not sure how Kabush is going, but Gagne is definitely the favorite.

Happen to be in Boulder this weekend so I dragged the family and swung by the bike park. Very cool place. Also got this footage of the Elite women starting. 

http://youtu.be/lqUraUv8nPA

Woah, dusty like Gloucester. We were just talking about this at the races today. I think that is the standard surface for their races...loose dirt/dust. What tires were they running?

I wasn't taking inventory of al the tires but I did see someone with a challenge chicane. Also saw Jonathan Page getting ready out of the back of his minivan. 

The Valkenberg world cup will be shown live and on demand on the UCI youtube channel. 

They block it for the US, so you'll need to be versed on using a VPN

Men Elite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl9f2TcME0U

Women Elite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK_mrQ2grw8

Teaser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7LPD6aGjWc