Miscellany
Got a bunch of assorted stuff kicking around. Might have reached the blog-able threshold...
1) Where the hell are Eco Cross results? I realize I might be biased, but I'm not the only guy out there who craves results after the weekend. There's a reason crossresults traffic is out of control on a Monday.
I'll try not to get into trash-promoters-without-understanding-anything mode here, but the last step in running a successful race (from a racer's perspective) is getting results posted in a timely manner. Somebody is dropping the ball, that's for sure.
2) I have a new bike. This was made possible by the good folks at International Bikes, who moved this carbon fiber, Rival-equipped machine into my price range. I will try to repay them for this generosity by winning some races (ha!), or at least crashing with my jersey logo prominently displayed in front of Richard Fries.
The bike is so radically different from the old compact-frame (not that there's anything wrong with that) Giant that the jury's still out on how much better it is. The top tube is a good 4 inches higher than the old bike, which means relearning how high to lift the bike over barriers. It also means easier shouldering (whee) and a much tighter standover height. Is short standover an issue, though? This seems like one of those things you worry about when you're buying a Huffy. You should never straddle the bike while racing anyway, so if you do -- you're doing it wrong.
The steering is also different, probably because of the head tube angle, or straight-blade fork, or gratuitous amounts of carbon fiber. Damned if I know. It took like 10 seconds to get used to.
You might think this sounds like a lukewarm review -- and that's because I'm trying to be objective instead of just acting like a teenybopper at a boy band show. Make no mistake -- that's exactly how I feel when I look at this thing. But if the entire content of this blog post was "OMG RIDLEY!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *gasp* EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE," that would be a departure from my usual standards. I think.
3) A dude I almost kind of know has been racing some cross at the end of triathlon season. His account of Sucker Brook B's was pretty amusing. Cross is hard. If you enjoy people from other painful sports commenting on how hard your sport is, you should read it. If you don't enjoy knowing that you're getting worked over in 3/4's by a triathlete who knows nothing about cross, you might not like it so much.
4) The Hup United rumor mill says there's going to be a new runup off the seawall at Gloucester this year. Now, add someone raking the sandpit between races (would this be UCI legal?) to make it actually difficult to ride and you've got yourself a proper cross course instead of a grass crit, I say.
I have a front row start in B men at Gloucester, thanks to Vermont Day 1. If you want to see what pure f-ing terror looks like, watch my face when they give us the 15 second warning.
1) Where the hell are Eco Cross results? I realize I might be biased, but I'm not the only guy out there who craves results after the weekend. There's a reason crossresults traffic is out of control on a Monday.
I'll try not to get into trash-promoters-without-understanding-anything mode here, but the last step in running a successful race (from a racer's perspective) is getting results posted in a timely manner. Somebody is dropping the ball, that's for sure.
2) I have a new bike. This was made possible by the good folks at International Bikes, who moved this carbon fiber, Rival-equipped machine into my price range. I will try to repay them for this generosity by winning some races (ha!), or at least crashing with my jersey logo prominently displayed in front of Richard Fries.
The bike is so radically different from the old compact-frame (not that there's anything wrong with that) Giant that the jury's still out on how much better it is. The top tube is a good 4 inches higher than the old bike, which means relearning how high to lift the bike over barriers. It also means easier shouldering (whee) and a much tighter standover height. Is short standover an issue, though? This seems like one of those things you worry about when you're buying a Huffy. You should never straddle the bike while racing anyway, so if you do -- you're doing it wrong.
The steering is also different, probably because of the head tube angle, or straight-blade fork, or gratuitous amounts of carbon fiber. Damned if I know. It took like 10 seconds to get used to.
You might think this sounds like a lukewarm review -- and that's because I'm trying to be objective instead of just acting like a teenybopper at a boy band show. Make no mistake -- that's exactly how I feel when I look at this thing. But if the entire content of this blog post was "OMG RIDLEY!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *gasp* EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE," that would be a departure from my usual standards. I think.
3) A dude I almost kind of know has been racing some cross at the end of triathlon season. His account of Sucker Brook B's was pretty amusing. Cross is hard. If you enjoy people from other painful sports commenting on how hard your sport is, you should read it. If you don't enjoy knowing that you're getting worked over in 3/4's by a triathlete who knows nothing about cross, you might not like it so much.
4) The Hup United rumor mill says there's going to be a new runup off the seawall at Gloucester this year. Now, add someone raking the sandpit between races (would this be UCI legal?) to make it actually difficult to ride and you've got yourself a proper cross course instead of a grass crit, I say.
I have a front row start in B men at Gloucester, thanks to Vermont Day 1. If you want to see what pure f-ing terror looks like, watch my face when they give us the 15 second warning.
Comments
2. Speaking of carrying bikes, last night I managed to nail my bike on a barrier and send it flying. Thus ended my time in the front group at the training race.
3. I can't wait to watch your race at Gloucester. Hell, I may even be able to watch a majority of the elite race!
4. I'm glad you have blogging standards.
5. I just had a cup of coffee.
6. Your site is in my rss reader, hence my immediate response.
... and when that happens I will prob call you a Babby.
i hated my ridley
couldn't figure out how to turn it
but then i could just suck, but i don't, the ridley did
this is by no means a lukewarm review.
xo
m