My Tour de France

[mikesbytes]

Is your bike purpose built for cyclecross? Or have you done something to one of your roadies like wheels?

[toolonglegs]

No it is a 100% cyclocross...but bear in mind the only difference between a cx bike and road bike is the frame/ forks/ brakes/ tyres ... Everything else is the same. I bought a frame set and transferred all my cannondale bits across. Put on the compact cranks with smaller rings (48/38)...got some canti's off eBay and knobby tyres and that's about it.

[twizzle]

No it is a 100% cyclocross...but bear in mind the only difference between a cx bike and road bike is the frame/ forks/ brakes/ tyres ... Everything else is the same. I bought a frame set and transferred all my cannondale bits across. Put on the compact cranks with smaller rings (48/38)...got some canti's off eBay and knobby tyres and that's about it.

Sure, almost no difference.

[toolonglegs]

Really the only difference is the frame... More clearance, longer rear triangle ( so much longer that when I took the drive chain off my old bike 50/34 11-28 onto a 48 big ring I thought I would have to shorten the chain a bit... In the end it was nearly too short!) and canti brake mounts... Apart from that there is no difference.
And all I can say is I really love it... Best winter sport ever!!!.

[ft_critical]

And, as only can happen in Aust, where they just can't work out what to race in what weather, we have..............





Summer Cyclocross!!!

[toolonglegs]

Summer Cyclo Cross ...I hear Mr Both is smashing it though .
Today, New Years Day 2012 ... 2 hours at this time of the year on the bike is usually a pretty big effort, but two hours with out gloves,with out beanie, only two layers on the core and needing to wear sunnies is freakin insane!.

[toolonglegs]

Got told today that I will have to start this season in cat 1 again...eek!.
I can possibly go down to cat 2 around the end of march ( around about 4 races into the season ). This rule is for everyone though... Not just me. Bloody hard call though... Last proper race was on may 8th 2010!.
No chance of ever getting burglars in this country!.

[Redbull]

Toughen up princess

[toolonglegs]

Yup I will be hearing a lot of that!

[toolonglegs]

Raced today ... early start to dump the kids and get to other side of Lyon.
Fort du Bruissin cyclocross was as you would expect at a fort...but we actually raced through tunnels and over gang ways . Awesome technical course with lots of mud, loose gravel, cobble stones, tree roots and footpaths... and best of all was that even though it was on top of a hill it was nearly flat !.
Got a crap start after getting stuck behind someone who couldn't clip in. I haven't done much training of late so was not expecting much but ended up feeling ok.Had a good race with three other guys...two of us managed to crack the others but then my chain dropped and got stuck on my pedal spindle and I had to stop and refit... thought that had blown it but after a lap I was back on the other guy...rested there for a breather then went to work breaking him which I did in the final lap.
No idea of my position as I didn't hang around but was probably my normal mid pack... good thing was I didn't fade. But I did get lapped by the first 3 place getters in the last lap...but they were certainly not going that much faster than me...shows that a good start in cx means a lot. Although I am not saying I would have been up there if I had got one!.
My technique needs work... very tight corners I suck at...but when I got them right the speed difference was huge.
Ran the single chain ring today for the first time...apart from the one chain drop it was OK... I hadn't test ridden the bike since last race when I ripped off the derailleur hanger and as such gear changes could have been improved a bit.Was skipping a bit latter in the race especially when out of the saddle...but there where loads of crashes and mechanicals out on the course so I reckon I faired pretty well.
Until next weekend....man they are addictive!.



Bike weighed a good 3 kilos more at the end ...and I haven't checked wheels yet but I did hit a hidden tree stump pretty hard...lucky not to pinch flat!.Also need to shave my legs because add another kilo of mud stuck to my legs!!!.

[MichaelB]

Hmmmm, mud !!!!

That'll take a while to clean off !!!

[Redbull]

and I thought my bike needed a clean. Maybe in another 8 months then.

[toolonglegs]

Hmmmm, mud !!!!

That'll take a while to clean off !!!

nah, 5 euros in the jet wash and it was sparkling

[toolonglegs]

Recovering from two days of gastro!..least I got a good ride monday morning before getting sick in the arfternoon .
Mid pack as usual...still don't know my results.
Shame they didn't walk around a bit, the racing through the tunnels etc inside the fort was great!.
This will be my favourite race next year....FLAT!.

[Marty Moose]

Holy crap TLL thats a good test for ultegra

[toolonglegs]

Finally published the results for the weekend...have me down as a DNF ... I worked out I came 21st out of 45 (as I know who the guy who came in just behind me was and he was marked as 21st)...c'est la vie... best result so far and not recorded!.
Not sure if I can race this weekend...last CX race for the season and I have been sick .

[Chuck]

Not sure if I can race this weekend...last CX race for the season and I have been sick .

You know what's required

[toolonglegs]

I know

[toolonglegs]

Last cyclo cross of the season ( I think )... Cold!... -2 to zero ... Not enough to freeze the ground though. I was at a huge disadvantage today on the damp grass sections... Big boys sink in mud!. Oh well next season may be different!.
Terrible start... Way too big a gear ( idiot) . Great course... Only one hill, it hurt though. 3 sections of barriers... Rode all but one biggie.
Ran double chain rings again... Fast road sections so it was good idea.
Crap result though... 24 out of 40 and 12 in age. Tired from being sick and yesterday's ride.
Can't wait till October!!!.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2LVGy1ZRBY&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/youtube]
3.48 & 5.05

[toolonglegs]

Dusted off some winter boots...dressed up cosy and installed heat pads everywhere (toes,fingers,butt cheeks,groin,lower back,chest) and took 4 spares unopened in my pocket.
Aim was Col des Portes... about 102 kms all up with a 16 km climb up to 1000m.
Sun was out...but I decided to leave about 9.30am so it was cold (about -8C).Ride all up should have been between 4 to 4.5 hours.
But from the start it was cold...bitterly cold with a good wind,mainly a tail wind to the base of the climb.But before I got 10km's my hands were feeling it...I have new Look mittens and they are good,but the fore finger is on it's own and so is the thumb.It wasn't long before all my fingers (and thumb) were in the center section trying to keep each other warm!. That worked for a while but in the end I opened a couple more heat pads and wrapped my fingers up.
I was glad once the climb started to slow the speed down (and wind chill!) and build some heat climbing into the sun.But after about 8kms of climbing my hands were getting cold.In the end I had to stop and warm up and eat my 3 bars.My bottle was starting to freeze as well even though it was in my back pocket, so I took one of the socks I had wrapped around my bits out and put the bottle in that.
About the 10km mark the ice waterfalls started appearing...didn't take a photo as I was going to stop on the way down,they were pretty impressive.Also about that point the road started have pretty big patches of ice.At the 4km to go mark the road wasn't cleared anymore,had had plenty of traffic though which had compacted the snow well.The 23mm tyres were fine as long as you stayed in the saddle and in a biggish gear, otherwise you would just wheel spin.It was really beautiful ridding in the sun and everything white including the road.No records were being made and the last 4kms took a long time.
Photo stop at the top lasted one frame before the iPhone died. 2.5 hours max out of the battery.
So turned around and headed down...it was unbearable, at least on the snow it was fun controlling the two up slides and trying to brake.But once you hit the clear road it was about 40kmph max and agony. I stopped twice on the way down to try and get some feeling in my fingers, didn't have much luck. 16km's of descent and only a tiny uphill in the middle was testing my metal...in the end I just gave up and rolled down losing all feeling in feet and hands.
The snow on the bike took about hour after getting down to melt...which even included a 15 minute stop out of the wind to try and warm up my hands,I had given up on my feet.I felt rather ill as my hands started to get feeling again.I don't know if others have the same but for me thawing out my hands is agony!.
Back on the bike, ride should have been over by then but I still had 75minutes to go... so had run out of food and drink.Was nearly another hour before I found a bakery and went in looking like death... Expresso and two croissants and a seat on top of the heater. I started feeling like I was going to vomit so got a coke for the sugar hit.It made me feel a bit better.I sat there quietly for about 15 minutes warming up.I had lost a lot of feeling in my legs and realised that I was probably getting pretty hypothermic.Once I had feeling back I headed off...the cold hit me again instantly and as the sun had gone it was about -9C.
The last 15kms were not too bad and apart from the big head wind went by pretty quick.
To be honest I really over and under estimated a lot of things... never again ...well until next time!.
If I had had a mechanical I would have been stuffed...I looked like an idiot trying to get the money out of my pocket for the cute girl at the boulangerie, no way I could of changed a puncture, my body just stopped producing heat.

[MichaelB]

Man, that is crazy in capitals.

Great read, and makes me think I'm soft about some days when I choose not to ride.

Looking fwd to more great tales of those cold rides.

A mate bought me the Mountain High book for Xmas, and flicking though that has awakened my desire to actually do some of those big hills, and Stelvio is at the top of the list. Only still a dream at this point ...

[toolonglegs]

If I had just gone out for a ride I would of been home in two hours... But when you have a destination in mind!... Mind you I had another destination in mind that was 500 m higher, glad I opted out on that one!.
Going to be a lot of snow next week so if I wanted to try a big winter run it was now or never... Next time I will be better prepared

[toolonglegs]

Today I discovered FIRE cream at cheap arse decathlon of all places... Didn't really feel it on my ride as it was -7 and rather windy. But after getting home my legs are on fire ( and my butt cheeks!) ... I also used about 20 heat pads in various positions and still had frozen toes and fore fingers and thumbs.
Only a couple more days till the temps warm up a bit !!!!!!!!!!!.

Poor club président came down today, touched wheels while trying to get a bidon out of his pocket!.

Also got told I only need to do one race before asking for a down grade... But I am having 2nd thoughts and may just swallow a huge pile of htfu's...

[foo on patrol]

Today I discovered FIRE cream at cheap arse decathlon

Foo

[toolonglegs]

Ribble has transformed from shi**er winter hack to Cat1 crit velo
Hunted out my Steve Hogg measurements... hmmm...saddle was right height, but 5mm too far back... and front of saddle to bars was 4cm too long.So chucked a shorter stem on but it is still a bit long but will have to do!. Gave it a whirl in training, 4 laps of the course for next weeks race... don't ask me how I outsprinted everyone twice on a long climbing finish . Maybe I won't be asking to descend to Cat 2... tomorrow will tell ... 72km crit...been a LOOOOOOONG time .
Yup no warranty bike yet...maybe next week!.