Tis' the season.....

Tis the Season for CYCLOCROSS!!  It has finally arrived in full force and I can’t wait to do some early season races and plan to do as many as I can throughout the season to race myself back into form.  I don’t expect any real results this year, because I have been away from the sport for a couple of years and I am sure there is some good local talent in the CAT3’s. 

I have finally been able to get a steady training schedule down and seem to be making some good progress towards my comeback.  I set some goals back in January, the #1 goal being to lose some weight and #2 to start riding my bikes again and #3 quit making excuses.  I have dropped a lot of weight (40 pounds), but that has come at a price due to the calorie deficit it takes to get that much weight off.  So, although I am finally at my “race weight”, I don’t seem to intake enough calories to sustain an effort when I am on the bike.  I need to find a balance between nutrition and performance.  I really need to figure out what I can eat before and during a ride or race to give me the energy I need to sustain an effort.  Right now, I can go fast for a short time and climb like a billy goat, but I just can’t sustain either effort for as long as I need to. It’ll come, but I am not as patient as I was 40 pounds ago. 

I met Guru the other night at a secret training facility and he laid out this kick ass cyclocross practice course for us to do some heat laps on.  I brought my portable pvc barriers and we had a great course to race on, with all the necessary elements.  It was a blast and I was putting down some great lap times.  I just hope that I can sustain that kind of effort for 45 minutes.  If so, I should be good to go. 

Speaking of cross, I converted to racing 100% on tubular tires and carbon rims the last season I really raced (2009).  It was a learning curve in many respects.  First and foremost is gluing those bad boys on, followed closely by tire pressure. I won’t go into tire pressure as it is a personal thing and varies by rider weight, tire selection and course conditions, but it could mean the difference between a win and a loss. I learned why gluing is the most important thing to me when I rolled a couple off the rim during the 2009 season (see pic of a tire roll in action) and got heckled by my teammate, I mean the crowd.  So I was talking to a guy at one of the races about it and he said he did all of his using the Belgian Gluing Technique.  He even went as far to say that he had to cut the tires to get them off, so I was immediately sold.  Now, I can’t verify anything yet, because I haven’t raced on the 2 sets that I Belgian Glued, but it looks very promising. I still have one set mounted with just Vittoria Mastik One, that hasn’t rolled yet, but the glue job is getting on in years and I expect it to roll at some time during the season and then I will Belgian Glue those as well. Here is the Belgian Gluing Technique that I used, straight from Stu Thorne:  

 Step 1. After stretching the tubular tire, apply one coat of Vittoria’s Matstik One glue to the rim and tire; let set for 24 hours. Thorne notes that thin coats of glue are key to good setup.

Step 2. Apply a second thin layer of glue to the rim and tire. Thorne then adds tubular tape to the rim (the Belgian Tape from www.cyclocrossworld.com), pressing it against the rim to smooth the tape out.

Step 3. Peel the backing off the tape, revealing the second adhesive side, and apply a thin layer of glue to this side of the tape and a third layer to the tire before mounting the tire to the rim.

Step 4. Inflate the tubular to 80 psi in order to make sure the tire is properly seated on the rim. Thorne then lowers the pressure to around 50 or 60 psi to let the glue cure.

Rolling your own...tire

That’s about it for now. I plan on posting a little more often, once I start racing again this season. Here are some pics of my trusty steeds that are going to get me through the season.  My A-bike is a Lynskey Pro-Cross weighing in at 15.5 pounds and my B-bike is a Ritchey Ti Breakaway weighing in at 16 pounds.  Both are built up with Campagnolo Record 10 speed and a full complement of Ritchey and Crank Brothers parts.  IT’S GO TIME!!

 

 

Race Myself into Form?

I find myself in a difficult place right now. That being totally out of shape. It has been a long time since I was this slow. This year so far has been very bad for me from an athletic standpoint.

My work load became very consuming and I was off the bike completely from September 2010 to June 2011 and I put on about 30 pounds over my race weight. I did a couple of short rides in that time, but nothing you could call training. So, I know why I am in the shape I am in.

My goal is to try to race at least 10 cyclocross races this season and train when I can.
I hope to get back down to my racw weight by January and really put in the time to get ready for next year. I've done 3 CX races this year so far, which resulted in two 4th place finishes and a 14th place finish.

I am not a quitter so, I'll keep at it. I've lost 10 pounds so far and only have 20 more to go. Stay tuned and check out the Cow Town website for race results and reports.

A little motivator.......

It’s been a while since I posted, but I have been away from the bike for so long, that it really didn’t seem a priority. I have finally started training again and hope to gain enough fitness before cyclo-cross season starts September 17th.

As a motivator, I decided to build up a second set of carbon tubular wheels for the upcoming season. Since I use Zipp 404 tubulars for my primary racing wheelset, I prefer Zipp Tangente Cork brakepads to help slow me down. It is a pain to switch brakepads anytime you want to roll aluminum rims, so in all my infinite wisdom, I decided it would be easier to just build a backup set of carbon tubular wheels. Not a lot of sensible logic there, but I had a set of my favorite DT 240S hubs that needed to be built. The front is a 20 hole 240S radial hub and the rear is a 24 hole Ritchey design with oversized flanges and 240 internals and cassette body, that DT built for them. I would have liked to build the front with a 24 hole as well, but I would have had to purchase a new hub (remember this is a budget build). I sourced the rims from offthefrontracingsystems.com . They are 50mm Asian made carbon tubular rims. There are so many different Asian carbon rims now, that I thought I would let someone else do the research for me and I didn’t have to wait a month to get them. They cost a little more since I didn’t buy them direct from Asia, but I thought it was worth the extra cost to have the option to return them if they were not what I expected. I decided to build them with black DT Revolution spokes and black aluminum Sapim nipples. I have had great success with Revolution spokes in the past and they are only $1 each versus the $3.50 each they get for the DT Aerolite or Sapim CX-Ray spokes.

I have built a few sets of wheels in the past, but this is my first set of carbon hoops. I laced the front up radially and the back is 2 cross non-drive side and crow’s foot drive side lacing. Crow’s foot, you might ask? Well, I wanted to make sure the rear wheel would be nice and strong for cross, so I did a little research on the internet and found an interesting article on Crow’s foot lacing (http://spokeanwheel.110mb.com/lacingcf.htm). So, I decided to give it a shot. Both wheels trued up nice and round with equal spoke tension all around.

I thought I should include some details about the wheel components. Through a little research, I found out the carbon hoops are manufactured by Xiamen Sonata Composites Technology Co. and came in at around 380 grams each, so not super light, but not boat anchors either. They are about what I expected quality wise, with a 3k weave, matte finish and machined braking surface. Definitely not in league with Zipp rims, but they were about $600 cheaper each than the price of individual Zipp rims. We’ll see how they hold up to the rigors of cyclo-cross. The front DT 240S hub weighs in at 105 grams and the rear DT/Ritchey hub weighed in at 238 grams. Spokes and nipples for the front came in at 99 grams, while the rear total came in at 126 grams. I’ll save you doing the math, the front wheel weighs 584 grams and the rear weighs 744 grams. Now I have a 1328 gram wheelset to put to the test for the upcoming cross season. I’ll be finishing them off with a 10 speed Campagnolo Record 12/25 cassette, Turner TI Skewers and a pair of Vittoria Cross EVO-XM-II 32 tubular tires.

I am back!

Not much to say except that I have all but given up this season. I came off of my best winter training season ever to being able to only ride every now and then. I have almost hit rock bottom and I am hoping when I do, that the jolt snaps me out of this quandary. As my old buddy Chris says, you have to make the time. The passion is still there, but what drive I had is gone. I’d like to place the blame on someone else, but everybody knows that the first rule of leadership is that “everything is your fault”. I have nobody to blame but myself. So, instead of walloring self pity, I am starting my comeback tonight. It will be a long road of recovery and rediscovery, but I love cycling and everything that has to do with it. I refuse to give up because I temporarily lost my focus and I am writing this to say that – I AM BACK!

Lynskey R340 Review

Thought it was time to post a review of my Lynskey R340. In case Lynskey is a name that you are not familiar with, the Lynskey family founded Litespeed Titanium Bicycles in 1986. They sold Litespeed in 1999 and in 2006, formed Lynskey Performance Designs. I like my custom Lynskey Pro Cross so much, when it came time to get a new road bike, it was an easy decision and I called up Lynskey.

I talked to my trusty sales rep, Jack, about what I was looking for. Going in, I was convinced that I was going to get the top of the line R430. I talked to Jack about what I was looking for in my new ride. I wanted something criterium stiff, but all day training comfortable; less than 3 pound frame weight; quick handling, but not twitchy. He said that although he would like to sell me the R430, I had just described the R340 to him. Jack proceeded to explain that they were both top of the line frames, but the R430 uses 6/4 TI which is more time consuming to manufacture and work with; as opposed to the R340 using butted 3/2.5 TI. Jack explained that the 6/4 TI, although a great material, tends to ride a little harsher than a traditional 3/2.5 TI frame. Lynskey shapes and butts the 3/2.5 TI tubing used in the R340 to race tune the ride. Although I was planning to purchase another custom geometry frame, like my Seven Axiom, I ended up going with a stock size medium. I did a lot of careful measurements of the Seven and took into consideration the dislikes I have about the custom Seven geometry and decided that the stock Lynskey size Medium is exactly the same geometry I would come up with if I were designing a custom frame for myself. So, I placed my order and 2 weeks later, the frame was delivered as promised. The welds, the tube shapes and the weight were everything I expected from Lynskey. With my build kit of Campagnolo Record 10-speed, Zipp 404 Clincher wheels, Speedplay X-1 TI pedals, Easton EC90 carbon bar, Easton EC90 Superlight fork, Ritchey WCS stem, Chris King headset, Selcof Carbon seatpost, Fizik Aliante carbon rail saddle and a full complement of titanium replacement bolts; the bike came in at 16.3 pounds (slightly heavier than some of the current ultra-light carbon bikes, but this bike won’t need replaced every time a rock hits it or an unforeseen crash occurs). So far, so good!

I knew from the looks of the massive bi-axial ovalized down tube helix seatstays and oversized force specific chainstays that this thing was going to be stiff. The almost complete absence of flex in the top tube and down tube is proof of the superior knowledge that Lynskey possesses when designing and tuning a titanium frame. There's no twist or give in the frame and that enables you to concentrate all your power to the pedals and that power is mainlined right to the rear wheel. Defining the ride of the R340 is pretty simple. It’s fast; real fast. It thrives when being pushed hard and keeps asking for more of the rider. It’s not a demanding bike, but if you’re willing to put a lot in, it rewards you. Braking hard and late into corners reveals the bikes excellent cornering ability and exiting corners reveals how those shape specific stays amplify any power input into huge forward velocity. Climbing, thanks to the low weight, is effortless. This is a fun bike to ride. It’ll make you twice the rider you actually are, which a lot of bikes aren’t able to boast. The downside is that if you are not fit, you won’t be able to push it to its limits.

All of that classic sought after titanium ride quality is there, but you also get a frame that snaps from corner to corner and there’s no unwanted flex in the rear triangle which can hinder some titanium frames. If you like to be able to feel just the right amount of road underneath the tires, the R340 will be right up your ally. In fact, if you want a classy bike that is as fast as you’ve got legs for, the Lynskey won’t disappoint. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, but I was. The Lynskey R340 is effortless to ride, it blasts through corners and skates up climbs. You can't help but ride it fast. It is certainly as 'stiff' as they promised but what I liked was the way the rear end held the wheel to the road as if it had traction bars. The head angle and Easton fork combine superbly for quick handling and smooth steering. You would be hard pressed to find a better bike anywhere. Lynskey offers an unconditional lifetime warranty on all their frames which is unusual for a racing bike. For me, the fact that they pride themselves on their ability to make cutting edge frames and stand behind them is a rarity in today’s market. I know that there are a lot of frames to choose from for racing, but I think you will have a hard time finding a better titanium racing 'superbike' for the money. Actually I know you won't find one, I've looked.

BEWARE OF KMC CHAINS

NEVER buy a KMC chain. I have broken 2 in less than 17 miles. The second one destroyed the outer cage on my Campagnolo Record front derailleur. Use them if you dare, but they are dead to me.

Going Nowhere

I can’t even remember the last time I posted, so I thought I would update on my winter training. I started a spin class at work the first week of January, do to all the cold weather we have been having (no relief in sight). It started out as just me, then after a couple of days, another guy joined me. We are now up to 5 strong on most days. It is great having the opportunity to “ride” at lunch. We generally follow along with one of the Spinervals videos or the Carmichael CTS Training Series. The favorite one of mine is the original Cyclerobx video that was the precursor to the Spinervals series. I’m not sure if I am getting anything out of the spin classes, other than the fact that I am maintaining my cyclocross season fitness. I guess we will find out when I do my next Threshold Test on February 20th.

Although I planned to participate in all of the Gravel Grinder Series, I only made it to one of them. I went to the Paola, KS ride with Guru. The ride itself was a blast, but the aftermath is what has kept me from going back. The conditions that day started out cold and then as the day progressed, it warmed up enough to thaw the gravel roads into a gravel mud mess. I was covered in gritty gravel mud by the day's end, as was my bike. This is where the aftermath begins. I get back home and my garden hose is frozen, so I can’t spray my bike clean. I had to Spray-N-Wash all of my clothes before throwing them in the laundry. Ended up having to wash them twice and they still ended up being slightly stained (strike 1). The next day, my hose was thawed after throwing it in the garage, so I sprayed my bike as clean as I could get it. My chain was in really bad shape, so I soaked it in paint thinner for a couple of days and then soaked it in synthetic motor oil for another 2 days – it works, but still needs replaced (strike 2). I noticed my crank was a little rough, so I pulled it and the Non-Drive side bearing is trashed (strike 3). I also noticed that my brake pads didn’t fair so well and will most likely need replaced as well (strike 4?). So, that ride is going to end up costing me close to $75 in parts to recover. I don’t mind regular mud, snow, rain or even the cold for that matter, but you can keep the “gravel mud”. I don't want to discourage anybody from doing the gravel grinders, because they are a blast, but I think I will stick to the pavement and my trainer this winter.

Speaking of trainers, I’m using a Kurt Kinetic Pro and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is quiet, smooth, stable and has a great progressive resistance curve. Don’t let the sticker price scare you away, as this is a one time investment (lifetime and crash replacement warranty) and will actually help to make riding indoors just a little more enjoyable. All the manufactures talk about simulating road feel, but I don’t know what that means, quite honestly. I have never been on a trainer that feels like riding on the road. The only thing that feels like riding on the road is, well, riding on the road. So, if you are seriously considering a trainer, check out the Kurt Kinetic Pro. I’m not sponsored by them or getting kickbacks, but I hate riding on the trainer and this one works so well, that it is actually not that bad to ride indoors anymore.