Well, shit, I couldn’t ignore ‘cross nationals in my own damn state. And after seeing the course, man, am I ever glad I’m retired.
I was never any great shakes as a racer, but I’d have dropped about eleventy-seven places on the first descent, the one pictured above. I’d have lost another few dozen spots on the following off-camber section, which looked like a velodrome corner, if tracks featured mud and grassy bits.
Not even the running sections could save me on a course this tough. The cowbells would fall silent and faces turn away as I lumbered past.
Have fun. But, I still don’t get it, the course difficulty that is. As you said in a post a few months ago, a privateer wouldn’t have a chance on that course judging from the part you showed us. It’s more spectacle then race. Would I go watch if it was in Tuscon? Oh, yea.
I just did a quick out-and-back, Patrick; I got back to the ranch around dinnertime. It would’ve been nice to hang out for a couple of days but I have some deadlines to meet, and it’s easier if I’m hunkered down in the BarkenBunker.
Given the conditions — mud, ice, snow — this would be an exceptionally tough course for anyone who didn’t have at least one spare bike and/or a buddy working the pits.
That said, it is nationals, so it should be challenging as all hell (which it is), and there were a lot of Very Serious People® out there. I saw more than one RV and a whole bunch of plastic wonderbikes. The sport has certainly gotten more expensive since I last partook.
That’s what it’s all about POG – selling ever-more stuff to people who usually already have plenty of stuff. Back-in-the-day the ‘cross vibe was friendly and laid back, kind of like MTB racing once was. I wonder with all the industry-sponsored hype if the sport will end up like the typical local roadrace or criterium? Nationals are probably not the place to determine this, as those folks should be plenty serious and equipped with all the newest-latest-most expensive stuff, but let us know anyway – has ‘cross lost it’s friendly mojo?
We have a local Sioux City boy out there getting muddy, John “Woody” Nelson – “In bocca al lupo Gianni, dai, dai!”…uh…where’s my cowbell?
The race crowd down my way periodically looks for local venues to set up a cross course. I’ve thought about trying it, but that would mean stripping off all the commuting stuff from the LaCruz, which seems like a lot of trouble for someone who hung up his set of safety pins back in Honolulu, circa 1999, with very little in the way of trophies to show for it. I was always better at sitting at home and discussing politics over too much wine, which has a problem: weight gain. I had the Large Italian Ass back when I should have looked more like Il Pirata.
Actually, I never was that skinny. Did sprints (100/220) in high school and was better winding up on the flats than climbing, but never even very good at that, at least when someone suddenly jumped. I’m sure some was mental.
Glad that you took the opportunity to go. Watched Nats in Rhode Island in Dec. 2006. Saw collegiate, cat 3 and Elite races over Sat afternoon and Sunday.
Looking forward to more from you.
Mad Blog Media 
Antwerp?
Looked kinda like it. But fewer drunks and smokers.
The bug gotcha, eh, Patrick?
Well, shit, I couldn’t ignore ‘cross nationals in my own damn state. And after seeing the course, man, am I ever glad I’m retired.
I was never any great shakes as a racer, but I’d have dropped about eleventy-seven places on the first descent, the one pictured above. I’d have lost another few dozen spots on the following off-camber section, which looked like a velodrome corner, if tracks featured mud and grassy bits.
Not even the running sections could save me on a course this tough. The cowbells would fall silent and faces turn away as I lumbered past.
Ahhh, 🙂 I can smell that crisp air—sliding at sangre?
Have fun. But, I still don’t get it, the course difficulty that is. As you said in a post a few months ago, a privateer wouldn’t have a chance on that course judging from the part you showed us. It’s more spectacle then race. Would I go watch if it was in Tuscon? Oh, yea.
I just did a quick out-and-back, Patrick; I got back to the ranch around dinnertime. It would’ve been nice to hang out for a couple of days but I have some deadlines to meet, and it’s easier if I’m hunkered down in the BarkenBunker.
Given the conditions — mud, ice, snow — this would be an exceptionally tough course for anyone who didn’t have at least one spare bike and/or a buddy working the pits.
That said, it is nationals, so it should be challenging as all hell (which it is), and there were a lot of Very Serious People® out there. I saw more than one RV and a whole bunch of plastic wonderbikes. The sport has certainly gotten more expensive since I last partook.
That’s what it’s all about POG – selling ever-more stuff to people who usually already have plenty of stuff. Back-in-the-day the ‘cross vibe was friendly and laid back, kind of like MTB racing once was. I wonder with all the industry-sponsored hype if the sport will end up like the typical local roadrace or criterium? Nationals are probably not the place to determine this, as those folks should be plenty serious and equipped with all the newest-latest-most expensive stuff, but let us know anyway – has ‘cross lost it’s friendly mojo?
We have a local Sioux City boy out there getting muddy, John “Woody” Nelson – “In bocca al lupo Gianni, dai, dai!”…uh…where’s my cowbell?
The race crowd down my way periodically looks for local venues to set up a cross course. I’ve thought about trying it, but that would mean stripping off all the commuting stuff from the LaCruz, which seems like a lot of trouble for someone who hung up his set of safety pins back in Honolulu, circa 1999, with very little in the way of trophies to show for it. I was always better at sitting at home and discussing politics over too much wine, which has a problem: weight gain. I had the Large Italian Ass back when I should have looked more like Il Pirata.
Actually, I never was that skinny. Did sprints (100/220) in high school and was better winding up on the flats than climbing, but never even very good at that, at least when someone suddenly jumped. I’m sure some was mental.
Larry, I was on an another cycling site this morning and saw this. This bike must the “good shit.” Wonder who the ad is aimed at?
Glad that you took the opportunity to go. Watched Nats in Rhode Island in Dec. 2006. Saw collegiate, cat 3 and Elite races over Sat afternoon and Sunday.
Looking forward to more from you.