Because "Cyclocross 2012" is going to get too full, once the race reports start flowing...

2011 Nittany Lion Cross MAC #1 & #2

The opening weekend for the MAC Series of Races
(MAC = Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross - http://www.midatlanticcross.com/)

registration is currently open
reg link: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12066

About 2 hours from Brooklyn

Event:
Saturday, September 10th AND Sunday, September 11th, 2011
Valley Preferred Cycling Center
1151 Mosser Rd, Breinigsville, PA 18031

race flyer: http://www.bikereg.com/inc/content/flyers/Nittany_Cross_2011.pdf

Having not been there yet, I'll let Eloy chime in on why it's awesome.

schedule on bikereg as of 8/4 7pm
9:00 AM Cat 4 Men (C Men)
10:00 AM sat: Masters 45+ Cat 1/2/3/4 | sun: Masters 45+ Cat 2/3/4
10:01 AM Master Men 55+/60+ Cat 1/2/3/4
11:00 AM Master Women (cat 1-2-3-4) 45+
11:01 AM Cat 3/4 Women (B Women)
11:02 AM U 19 Men (1st timers & beginners)
11:03 AM U19 Women (1st timers & beginners)
12:00 PM sat: Master Men 35+ Cat1/2/3/4 (Elite Master Men) | sun: Master Men 35+ Cat1/2/3 (Elite Master Men)
12:01 PM Elite U19 Men
12:55 PM Little Belgium's (kids)
1:15 PM sat: UCI Women/Master Women 35+ | sun: ELITE Women/Master Women 35+
2:30 PM sat: UCI Men | sun: ELITE Men
3:45 PM Cat 2/3/4 Men (B Men)

B Men already have 25 entrants...

Damn. I'm in.

Oh, I already signed up for both Masters races. I'm trying to get info on the Little Belgians to see if Luka will be racing too.

This race is level awesome in the level of awesomeness level.

Last year this was the least technical cross race of the Mac series. Unless it rains super hard, this year too.

Likely to be stupid hot, which distorts the mood a little, and feels a bit more like you are in an Mountain Bike race. Except dust and roots.

Here's a ton'o'fotos I took last year, after racing.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/groovylab/collections/72157624836614099/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/groovylab/4992369521/in/set-72157624836777017/

I am signed up for Saturday!

After this weekend's first cx clinic, and Irene throwing down some more barriers for us, a reminder that the first race of the season (in the area) is coming up in two weeks!

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12066

Hey all,

I have two spots open in the car headed for Nittany on Sept 11th (Sunday). I'm going to do the 9am race and then stick around for the 10am race, heading back to the city by 11:30.

I'll be leaving from Park Slope at about 5:30am and making a stop in lower Manhattan soon after.

Jim

Jim I would like to ride with you.

Joe's in the bus. Room for one more.

Just wanted to bump this up. I still have room for one more going to Nittany on Sunday. See details above.

I have room for one on Sunday.... but I'm racing the B's at 3:45PM. any takers?

Where is this race and how do I regester? I would like to do it

Nosson...first place to look, always, is bikereg.com. Most races we do are posted there. This event is a cyclocross race, the first of the MAC series:

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12066

Nosson - incase you missed the 6pm cut off - i believe there is day of reg (with a penalty).

There is another thread on the board about the race - check there for more info

(bump)

Nittany is this weekend.

For the folks going Sunday, a reminder that Sunday is Sept 11th, avoid driving through lower Manhattan on your way to PA.

So at first I was planning on driving back after Saturday's race, a 2 hour drive is not horrible - (race at 9, leave at noonish, home at two, bed by 8, up at 4 rinse and repeat).

However, there are rooms around the area for $100 bucks, and thats published rates. There is also a special at a designated hotel (if it hasnt already filled up) - so it may even be a drop cheaper. Anyone want to split a room ?
$50 is probably equal to four hours of saved driving\gas\tolls - and its 4 more hours back in my day !

That, and Sunday is Sept 11th, and all the highway signs are now warning to stay away from lower Manhattan that morning due to the memorials.

Whisper\email\txt me if you would be interested in bunking up.

Joshua
646-235-2336
jcaesar.bike@gmail.com

an update from the race organizers:
-Dont bring beer, they have it.
-no showering with your bike (save that for home)
-clean up your crap before you leave

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <nittanycross@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 8, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Subject: just some info

FROM: 6th Annual Nittany Lion Cross MAC SERIES Race #1+ #2 also UCI C2 DAY 1 ONLY
-------------------------------------------------

The organization expects cooperation from the riders at the Nittany Lion CX this weekend.

1.Please police your area prior to leaving the facility.
2.Don't bring bikes into restrooms or locker room/shower room.
3.We have power washers located in the pits to clean bikes.
4.Please don't bring beer to the event that is not allowed per country park rules, we have fresh tapped beer available and want to support that group.

The reason for this request we as organizers want to leave the faclitiy in good shape so can have next years event at this location.
Thank you for your cooperation

Andy TAUS - Dave MILLER -Mike YOZELL

Hey everyone,

LONG SHOT: is anyone driving to the Sunday race, and staying till the end of the last race (mens 2/3/4), and has room in their car for me and my bike? my ride just bailed :/

email: bloome.chris@gmail.com

thanks!

Hey Chris,

I'm driving up in the early AM but coming back noonish. Maybe someone who was up there all weekend would have room for you on the way back......

Jim

My first CX race of the... er.. ever? Report?

OMG IT WAS THE MOST TOTALLY AWESOME, EXCELLENT, RADICAL AND HUMONGOUS RACE EVER.

Here is how it went down:

Late yesterday I picked up my be-oot-iful Jake-the-Snake rental fron NYCVelo, and rode it home on what must've been 15 psi. I didn't so mich as adjust the seat; just threw it in the car and set the alarm for WAKE-O-CLOCK in the morning. The drive out was pretty calm; the Bklyn Bridge was closed though; an omen of traffic trouble to come.

Met up with Jeff, Josh C & Rich at the race; I did my first ever practice dismount and promptly got my left foot stuck between the wheel and the frame - ugh, this could quickly become a rough day.

I adjusted my seat and we set off to do a couple of warm (hot?) laps beforehand and about 3 minutes in we hit the first 'mud pool'

SPLAH. I was instantly coated from nose to toes in dripping brown (please don't let there be poo in this...) mud.

"Oh, I see how this is gonna be" I thought: Super wet, super muddy, super slippery.

They lined us up in some kind of rank order that had me at the back and before I knew it we were off...

One thought went through my mind "HOLE SHOT!!!"

I did a pretty good job of fighting forward and managed to catch or pass Jeff before the pavement ended; I did see one ugly pileup on the righthand side, but before i knew it we were off.

I got to the top of the first hill and we turned LEFT.

I tried and failed to pass somebody...

We rode a little farther and we turned RIGHT

I tried and failed to pass somebody on the outside...

We rode a little farther and we turned LEFT again

I tried to pass on the inside this time and promptly slid out, taking about 9 million people behind me down.

"Ok, apparently you can't pass people in the corners" I remember thinking.

I got myself back up and realized that my handlebars were perpendicular to my front wheel. As soon as there was enough space I jammed the wheel between my knees, did a Conan-ala-Mythbusters home repair JANK and was back on my bike chasing.

The rest of the race was a whole bunch of chasing, running through the mud and passing people on every straightaway.

I passed people by running in the mud
I passed people by running in the muddier mud
I passed people by gunning it on the straightaways
I passed people by riding "through" a pine tree grove on the side of the road (Ah, but I smell cleaner for it)
I passed people by running uphill next them as they rode

In short, I passed a lot of people, and other than the wipeout on TURN THREE I don't think I was passed.

Some guy from Rutgers put up a good fight running next to me in the final mudpit but I could hear him breathing and he was blown, so I ran a little harder, passed him and never looked back.

When the smoke & mud cleared, I was 24th.

I haven't been this muddy in 30 years.
I haven't love a race this much in - ever?
I had SO MUCH FUN!!!

The ride home was a total mess with the 9/11 stuff; tomorrow is likely to be worse; I may not be able to spend the DAY away from home for a 45 minute race, but even if I can't... you can BET I'll be back on a knobby tired bike soon enough.

Rich, Jeff & Josh rocked out like it was 1999; Rich made top 15 look easy and Jeff terrorized those around him by (apparently) randomly screaming "My Balls!"

Random?! I balled myself on a remount!

http://www.cyclingcaptured.com/share/2011-NittanyLionCross

Galleries are empty for now. I got this link from Facebook.

A most inspiring report, Jules! Good racing!

Having raced a virtually mud free cross season last year (except my sojourn to Portland) I drove out to T-Town this morning with some trepidation, wondering if I still had any mud skills. And it was muddy.

I did the C race and they lined us up by order of registration rather than the scrum it was a last years Nittany. I ended up in the 6th row out of probably 9 rows. Not a great start. The light turned green and we were off for a few moments of pavement and then a long grass hole shot stretch that ended not in your typical tight corner but rather a huge unrideable and really smelly mud bog. I drilled it in a big gear and passed more than twenty guys before the swamp. Everyone jumps off and starts running, bikes are flying everywhere. The mud in some sections was literally up to the bottom of my calf muscle and it was a serious consideration that you could possibly lose a shoe. We ran for a good 50 meters before the ground became hard enough again to get back on the bike. By this time I've made up even more ground and was up to about 20th place when I realize I've made the biggest mistake of my race. I forgot to shift into an easier gear when we hit the mud and now I'm trying to get started again in a huge gear and the bike just won't go. I can't turn the pedals over. Guys are passing me and I have to get off and run with the bike for another 5 meters before I can hop on and get up enough speed to pedal.

Now I've lost about 20 places and I'm not happy about it. Here's where both our recent morning workouts and some anger fueled aggression played in my favor. I settled in for what basically amounted to a 20 minute hard time trial with sprints every minute. I started picking off guys by taking inside lines on corners and forcing them outside, passing on the straights when they had settled into a rhythm, and dishing out some good old elbow to elbow jostling. As we came through corners I could see I was gaining on Rich and considering he had a 13th place yesterday I figured I was getting back near the 20th place I had lost with my mishap. Finally about 2/3 of the way through the second lap I got within about 10 feet of his back wheel at the exact moment when I felt myself crack a bit from the effort I had been putting in. Rich put in some accelerations and I faded a bit. Two guys passed me, I passed one, but I basically focused on keeping good lines and the power on as best I could for the remainder of the race.

Afterward Rich said he did good but didn't place as high as yesterday. He was right as he got 14th today. I ended up 24th, a minute back from him but only 20 seconds out of a top 20. Considering I got 66th here last year, I'm happy with the result. James G looked good considering he raced on no sleep after working till 2am last night. Josh battled it out and told me he got the better of his nearest rival.

Hung out, drank a beer and watched Jim F and David S race the 45+ and 55+ races respectively. Didn't catch Jim's result but David scored a 7th place.

All told it was a very fun day and a great way to start the cross season.

Bring on the mud.

Sounds awesome. You guys rocked it!
I'm green with envy - ENVY, not some gangrenous byproduct of drinking that foul mud by the pint yesterday.
Was the trip back as ugly as the mud?
Was the course the same today as it was yesterday?

@ Jeff W: are you sure you balled yourself on a remount and din't accidentally swap the embro for the chamois cream? Just sayin...

Trip back was as fast as the trip out. All the warnings scared folks off the roads I expect.

Course was reversed and changed somewhat.

My report is that I hate running through the thick sticky mud (50m is a looooong way). I loved riding through the soupy bog on the back field. I hated not being able to ride up the run-up (much less bunny-hop the log that lay at the top). I loved swooping the turns, but I hated crashing hard on a slippery turn after the bog (the Michelin Sprint on my front wheel was a bad idea and I bought a Michelin Mud 2 for next time). I had a good start and it occurs to me that all the things that we practiced went well. Unfortunately, there were plenty of things we didn't practice and those led to too many technical problems. Once I sort those out, I'll place higher. Oh, and I loved taking a shower, but the beer was weak.

What do we need to practice?