Ritual

Almost everyone I know who races has some sort of pre-race ritual. These rituals can vary as widely as the personalities that they are attached to. From what you eat, and when you eat it, to how you prepare yourself for an event. These rituals can range from how you pin your number on, to which shoe goes on first. We all have some form of ritual, whether we recognize them or not.

As for me, I go one step further. The pre-pre-race ritual for me focuses entirely on the machine. For without the machine, I am merely a spectator. The pre-pre-race ritual involves a top to bottom review of the machine. And the first step always includes a wash. Sure a dirty bike proves to an onlooker that you actually get out and train. But a clean bike on race day shows that you care about what the outcome of the race may be. Showing up to a race with a dirty bike in my opinion is like showing up being prepared to lose. Why? Simple. Someone who looks after their machine on a regular basis knows that it will work for them when they may perhaps need it most.

To start a race being undertrained is one thing. To start a race not knowing for sure if your bike will work flawlessly is inexcusable. I'm sure you have heard the stories post race of how someone would have made the selection or out kicked someone in the sprint if only their derailleur would have shifted better. I have also seen more than once someone lose a crank arm. A crank arm? Yup, had that racer gone over their bike and been familiar with all of its parts a crank arm would have never come off. This is where the pre-pre-race comes into its own.

The most important thing is to start with a clean bike. Get a bucket, a hose, a few brushes, a sponge and some dish soap and water. A good cleaning can go a long way in keeping a bike running smoothly. And a routine cleaning after muddy or rainy events can prolong the life of a drivetrain. Rinse it off, scrub it down, repeat as necessary. A clean bike can also reveal things that a dirty bike may not. With the abundance of lightweight carbon fiber parts on bikes these days, a clean bike can reveal the tiny cracks in stems, handlebars and seat posts that otherwise might not have been noticeable. I would rather discover that I have to replace a seat post that has devoleped a crack in it in the driveway, rather than the crux of a race when the post fails.

Once the machine has been throughly cleaned and dried, take the time to look over the shifting mechanisms from the derailleurs, to the shifters, and cables. A smaller brush and some degreaser can clean out the rear mechanism and a few drops of lube on the pivot points can keep everything running smoothly. At this time you can also check and make sure the brakes are working properly and the pads are hitting the rim squarely. A quick check of the cables and their tensions is also a good idea at this time. The chain should have been scrubbed with a stiff brush during the wash. Now check for any tight links and apply a lube to each roller. Wipe off the excess and the drivetrain is complete.

At this point you should turn your attention to the frame, fork and components. Check the high stress areas first. If there were any crashes recently check for any additional damage. Check the fork crown for stress cracks and make sure the drop outs are in good condition. Seat posts, stems and handlebars are the controls of the machine. Make sure they are secure and are not broken in any way.

Wheels and tires are the last thing to be checked for me. Start with a spin of the wheel and make sure there are no wobbles. A rim that rubs a brake pad not only wastes energy, but could signal a larger problem. Check the tires for cuts, and make sure they are seated in the rim. If using tubulars, make sure the base tape is still firmly attached all the way around and on both sides. Finally check the wheel alignemnt in the frame and fork and make sure the skewers are securely fastened.

One final thing. If you are using white or colored tape, a scrub brush and some soapy water will return them to a new appearance. For the ultimate in PRO cleanliness, also be sure to clean the mud off of the bottom of the saddle.

Doing this all sounds like a lot of work. But so is all of the training hours that we all put in. A little bit goes a long way if you can ensure that you can cross the finish line with a bike in working order. There are so many variables come race day, from the weather, to the parcours to the competition. Why not eliminate one of them and make sure your machine is as ready as you are.

Cross Training

Friday was a good day for the team and me. Damon was able to talk to local Pro Ben Popper, and get him to Come on down to the Southside. We wanted to get his help in setting up our cross training course. We knew that we had a hidden jewel that was just sitting there waiting to be revealed, but I never expected to get what Ben set up for us. The only thing we don’t have is the sand, thank goodness. We now have it all. We have a nice run-up, pave, and long flat sections of grass. Then we get to the Hill, it’s not small nor is it to big, but it will get your attention. You start out twisting and turning your way up to the top, and then you come back down a third of the way to turn hard back to the top to only come the gut check. It’s a strait shot down a off cambered section that we saw Ben unclipping for the descent. I imagine there will be a lot of crashing at first, all over the hill. That’s ok, because if we can master the techniques to conquer Muggers Hill. (Ref to the unjust reputation of the Southside, and the fact that you will feel like you have been mugged after going down a few times for us mere mortals. Ben made it looked easy.) I this will cure my three crashes a race problem.

I know I have said this before, but the people in our sport are the best. Where else can you get a local pro’s to take time out of there day to help out other riders. I know we are no pros nor will we probably be. But most of the guys that have made it to upper level of our sport never forget where they started and always seam to give back what they can. That says a lot about them and our sport.

Beep, Beep Beep

So you want to work on your top end speed? Do you need to sharpen the legs to come around the last guy in a sprint? Watch how Gerolsteiner do it. Now if there were only some roads around here that were that smooth.

Signs of a Good Ride

Overheard during our last team ride: "I was about 2 seconds away from puking". Hill repeats, short, hard, fast and all in the big ring. Ouch.

Define Easy?

Tony: Want to go for an easy ride today?
Me: Sure how long?
Tony: about an hour or so
Me: Yeah cool, an easy ride for an hour sounds good
Tony: okay see you soon
Me: Bye
Tony: Bye

An hour later Tony and I are heading out of my driveway ready for an easy ride when Elvis rolls by in his car. We catch him at the next light and briefly chat, it seems we will be heading in his direction for a bit. So it becomes a bit of a game to see if we can catch him at every light, which we manage with little difficulty as we have the benefit of a ever so slight downhill for the next mile or two. After a few times of catching him at the lights he changes lanes and slows just a bit, at which point Tony and I chase like hell to latch on, and there goes the easy ride, after only two and half miles. We bridge up to his car as he accelerates us to 32 miles an hour, as it turns out this is the first time has been motorpaced, and he likes it. Soft pedalling at 32 miles an hour, and a low heart rate to match just don't seem to make sense, unless that is if your are getting pulled along by a two ton SUV. After about half a mile we pull off and go our separate way from Elvis, where we will undoubtedly keep up this ridiculous pace that was set early.

At the turn around point it begins to rain, and the tail wind we were hoping for turns into a nasty cross wind at times gusting into probably the low thirties, at least it was warm enough. Every time I look down at watch I see hear rates from the low 180's to as high as 191, again so much for an easy ride. Although the legs felt okay, having recovered from the 3 mile run the day before, the cardio just isn't where I would like it to be. I know physiology plays a huge role and my heart rate is always higher than those around me, I still have work to do. Whereas others are ticking away in the 160's or 150's I will consistently be in the 180's. Although even though the BPM's are that high, I am still conversational, and I have no problem holding that for a long duration. During races it isn't unheard of for an average heart rate 185 or higher, and that's the average. I would love to find out someday what my LT is, but for no I will have to settle and just keep up the hard work.

One of these days I would love to take that easy ride with Tony, I just don't think it will happen any day soon!

Whose Idea Was It?

An hour and a half seemed like a good idea a few days ago when we set it up. In reality though 2 hours in 19 degree weather with wind and snow, probably not such a good idea. At least we suffered together, all 7 of us including a few new faces. I just hope we see the new guys after today's miserable ride, then again if they were out there with us then I guess they are just as goofy as we are.

The good news is though that my face is as smooth as a baby's bottom after slathering on Vaseline, now if someone could just tell me how to get it back off! So does this make us hardmen or just retarded? Please don't answer that.

Why?

So why do we ride our bikes? Why do we spend time away from our families? Why do we suffer when we should be having fun? We do it because we are chasing a dream. We do it because we know deep down that this is what the PRO's do. They suffer in silence just like we do. They put in the long lonely hours, just like we do. If going out and putting in the time and effort brings me a little bit closer to being PRO, then that is what I will do. If putting in all the hard work brings me just a small bit of glory, then it is all worth it.

If suffering on a long cold group ride together with my team helps me to better understand how each of us thinks, then I will do it. Teams are made of individuals that bring different things to the equation, and in doing so they make the team a better, stronger, more cohesive unit. Maybe someone is a talented bike handler that can passa long tips or techniques. Maybe someone is a great mechanic, or a tactician that understands the nature and nuances of the sport. Whatever it is every person on the team adds something special. Something that cannot be pinpointed, but would be missed if it were taken away. Perhaps the most important element that someone can add to a team is that of a motivator. And in a way we are all motivators of those around us. The rider becomes accountable to the team without words being spoken. None of us wants to let our teammates down in the crux of a race, and so we get on our trainers or rollers and put in the time and effort required.

Dude Where's My Bike?

I have felt lost these last two weeks, just sort of wandering around and feeling like I am forgetting to do something. Since the season ended on the 7th I haven't even looked at my bikes, and I have still have a an assortment of race clothing in my backseat, just in case right? I'm not even sure I have a complete bike anywhere in case I wanted to go for a quick spin, wheels and frames are just haphazardly strewn about in my basement, its actually quite sad to look at.

Here is looking forward to January 1st and plenty of time spent on the rollers!

Snow Or Mud?

While the hill isn't this steep at Montrose, it does appear that we will either have a fresh layer of snow, or several inches of mud to deal with come Sunday and the series finale. Might I suggest a pair of toe spikes. Either way work on your running while you can, you will definately need it.

Playing In The Sand

Tony, Elvis and myself went out and did an hour of intervals in the sand today. Our techniques have definitely improved in the last few weeks, and for the most part we cleared the sand pit which is probably 50-60 feet long.

By the time we left our drivetrains were sounding pretty crunchy and the sand had scoured the sidewalls of the rims to a bright shine. We worked on a few more skill drills then called it a day.
From what I have been told, Lansing will be a much more technical course this year, which should make up for the lack of elevation change. Only three races left in the series, so make sure you don't miss out on any valuable points!

Sand Pit Practice on Thursday

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Since the Carpentersville race will feature a sand pit we have decided to move our practice on Thursday to Commissioners Park in Alsip. The park is located at 12600 S. Kedzie Ave.

The park is equipped with lights so we will be able to stay longer than we have been lately. The course will feature a short steep hill that we can utilize a few different ways. Most importantly, there is a double wide sand volley ball pit, much like we will see on Sunday. If you haven't done the Carpentersville race in years past, expect a flat, fast course with a huge sand pit.

We will be bring both flags and barriers to the park, so expect a high quality training session with all of the feeling of a race. We will plan on between 30-40 minutes of "racing" with some skill drills immediately following.

On Form

We held another team practice today at the Dan Ryan Woods. In my opinion the parcours that we ride here is on par if not better than some of the races we will see this year. Everyone seems to be absolutely flying this year. Tony is just an absolute powerhouse, Elvis is as smooth as can be showing perfect form especially on the run-ups. Jorge is our sleeper, if you don't keep an eye out for him he WILL beat you. And Bob made a discovery today about gear inches and chainring sizes, give him a few days to adjust and he will be finishing top 20-30 no doubt. I feel good as well, lateley I have been able to really get on top of big gears and suffer no consequences doing so. In fact, I seem to recover a bit while pushing a 38x13 on the grass sections.

I hope to contact Ben this week to see if I can glean any inside info about DeKalb this Sunday. We have incorporated some singletrack as well as off-camber sections into our course in the hopes of preparing us for the race. I would love to find out what we can expect though as far as how technical it may be. Since I come from the dirt I am not that concerned, but the more we know the better.

As always we will be holding our weekly practice sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 5:30 pm at the Dan Ryan Woods.

MUD

Based on the current weather patterns, it doesn't look like we will be blessed with the same weather we were last year for the kick off to the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series at Jackson Park. With the hurricanes rolling in off of the ocean down south, the weather pattern seems to be stuck on repeat. And all of the record setting rain can only mean one thing MUD.

For those of you who don't already own a set of mud tires might I suggest you pay a visit to your friendly local bike shop and pick up a pair. You may have just enough time to learn how to use them effectively before Sunday.

There is only one good way to learn how to race in the mud, and that is to train in the mud. Very small deficiencies in technique can become amplified when racing in bad conditions. Using your front brake in the corners becomes a very bad idea, subtle weight shifts and trusting that your tires will work takes a lot of practice, but the time saved in each corner can be the difference between sprinting out of every corner or simply carrying your speed through it. If you do have to brake when entering a corner, make sure you do so before getting there. Almost any amount of front wheel braking in a wet corner will cause the wheel to wash out. Instead, brake before you get to the corner, lean the bike, weight the outside pedal, then accelerate out of the corner. Following this technique will almost surely keep you upright and in the race.

Learn to love the mud and inclement weather. There is nothing more to fear about bad conditions than there is about good conditions. In fact, if you have the attitude that you can race better in the bad weather, you just may be able to capitalize on someone else's fears. And besides, the way this weather has been lately, we may be seeing our share of sloppy courses!

Tuesday Night Smackdown

As the days grow shorter and the leaves begin to fall, we have now switched our focus to cyclocross. In doing so, we have also begun a Tuesday night training series now officially dubbed the "Tuesday Night Smackdown". We will hold at least two practice sessions per week, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting at 5:30 pm. Each session will include 30 minutes of "racing" followed by skill drills, which can range from hill repeats both running and riding, start line sprints, low and high speed cornering and anything else we can think of.


Last night we were joined by Mike Seguin from xXx who fresh off of a 2nd place finish at the palos Meltdown had no problems tackling our technical course. While we did make a few improvements to the course in the previous few weeks, we will be making changes this Thursday to make it even more challenging.



We plan on adding a single barrier to the bottom of the toboggan slide hill in order to force a run-up, and may also include a singletrack section to bridge between two sections of the course. The discovery of a set of stairs last night was quite intriguing as well, but after a brief discussion they were deemed a bit too dangerous as they would force a dismount on cement which can be slippery at times. Perhaps we could leave that section as a riders choice section letting them choose between the grass slope and the stairs. Incorporating the stairs would make for a very European style course, and perhaps this year we will see some stairs in the series.

As for last night, the racing was fast and furious from the start. After taking the holeshot (sorry Julie) and working through the first section of trees, I was dismounting for the double barriers when I nearly got taken out by what seemed like a flying bike. Turns out it was only Tony who I think missed grabbing the top tube or something. Memories of Montrose sprang back into my head and after remounting and standing the barrier back up, Tony and I chased back to the group. This wouldn't be the only problem Tony would see unfortunately. Somehow both he and I managed to get flags caught in our rear derailleurs, luckily no damage was done.



Everyone else was riding clean and had no problems with the dismounts or the off camber section. Tony did manage to rub wheels with me through that section and I won. He took a quick tumble, but as usual got back on and was able to regain his former position. Had it not been for Mike, that postion would have been first , but tonight it was only good enough for second .


Everyone looked good and strong, and the technique seems to be coming along great for both Jorge and Bob. Having only been on their 'cross bikes for the last few sessions, they both looked great and show a lot of promise for the upcoming season.

As always the practice sessions are open to anyone and everyone. We almost always have the park all to ourselves. The course is located within the Dan Ryan Woods Forest Preserve at 87th St, just west of Damen Ave. If you have any questions or would like more info feel free to call (312) 617-8663.

How To Race Smart This Season

Rest. It's easy to overtrain, particularly in 'cross. There are so many aspects to work on--running, power, technique, starts--that you could go hard every day of the week. Tip: Don't. Take a day off, frequently. Cyclocross is so intense that most people will do fine with just a weekly race plus one other hard workout during the week. If you rest up for your next race you'll feel the improvement on race day.

Practice technique. All your fitness is wasted if you burn energy fruitlessly with bad technique. Following up on tip #1 above: instead of going for a hard ride Saturday before a race, go for an easy spin and then work on some dismounts, runups and remounts, focusing on smoothness and efficiency. Remember that feeling of smoothness when you are in the race the next day.

Pre-ride the course slowly. When you get to the venue, you may be in the habit of suiting up and going for a couple hard laps of the course for a warmup. Tip: Try a lap or two, slowly. Examine each section carefully and look for ways to go faster. Get off the bike and walk difficult spots forwards and backwards. Watch other racers (the leaders, hopefully) to see what they do. Get on the bike and practice each section a few times, trying different approaches, dismount points, etc. Then go and do your hard laps.

Check your tires. At every race, there is an optimal tire pressure for your body weight, your riding style, the course and the conditions. Chances are that's not the pressure that's in your tires when you arrive. Take a couple laps at different pressures to check the performance in cornering, on the bumps, pavement, etc.

Guzzle water before the race. Handups are awkward and a waste of time, and you may not have someone there to give you a bottle. Instead, drink a bottle's worth of water just before the race, and that should be enough to get you through. Remember to try this in practice to acclimate to drinking so much water, before trying it in a race.

Don't panic at the start, especially if you're not a sprinter type. It's far easier to come back from a too-slow start than to recover from a too-fast one. Know your body and don't try to over-reach in the early going. Instead, stay alert and watch out for the inevitable crashes and jam-ups--you can gain plenty of time just avoiding those. Later you can find your best speed and pick your way through the field.

Attack the difficulties. 'Cross is hard work. It's easy to hit your max on the course and just stay there. When obstacles come up, it's tempting to coast a little before the dismount--and that makes it easier to dismount too, right? Don't do it! The real hard work in a race is all the accelerations after you slow down for those obstacles. So, if you need to rest a little, do it in between obstacles where the penalty is less. When you come to the dismount it's time to go hard and carry your speed over the barrier. This is especially true of uphill dismounts or rideable hills.

Watch your opponents. If you're fortunate enough to be duking it out with someone for a place in the top 10, top 20 or whatever, watch them throughout the race. Look for their strengths and weaknesses that you can exploit. Are they hesitant at the obstacles? Plan to attack them on a difficult dismount. Are they strong on the runups? Make sure not to let any gaps open. Do they have poor technique? Relax--they'll probably burn out without you having to do anything. Meanwhile, know your own strengths and weaknesses, and don't be tripped up by them.

Make a plan for the end. This is a follow-up of #8. Once you know yourself and your opponents, do something about it. Don't wait for them to make the move if you are capable of attacking. The race isn't won by the one who rides the fastest all the time; it's won by the one who goes fast at the right times.

Engage your brain. If you didn't pick this up already, it bears repeating. Cyclocross is not a sport of just fitness, it's also one of skill and focus. Ride dumb and you will perform the same. Keep your wits about you all the time and you'll do well.

'Cross Training Tip

This is why you need to lace up your running shoes now and start working on your running skills. With several new courses this year, the Chicago Cyclocross Cup may be throwing a bit more running at us then previous years. You don't want to find out race day that the most difficult section of the course is on foot, so make running an integral part of your training this year.

In my opinion, working running drills into your 'cross routine will make you not only faster on foot, but also on the bike. The high intensity needed to hoof it up the run ups balances nicely with the high intensity work outs required to be competetive in 'cross. Running also has the added benefit of helping to correct some of the muscle imbalance that most cyclists are prone to by building the hamstrings. Plus at this point in the season, long endurance rides are no longer necessary. And the short intense efforts required for 'cross are a nice break from the monotony of grinding out long miles on the road.

So get out to your favorite park this weekend, preferably one with a run-up of some sort or even a sand volleyball pit and spend some time on your feet. These are the last crucial weeks before the longest and most most competetive 'cross season we have ever had in the Chicago area. Time spent running now will pay dividends in the upcoming weeks as you are able to trot past those who didn't feel the need to cross train.

'Cross Practice Thursday Night

As half of the team prepares for the upcoming races at Downers, the other half have started preparing for the upcoming 'cross season which kicks off on September 21st at Jackson Park. In order to train and prepare our bodies for the rigors of cyclocross we have begun training at the Dan Ryan Woods . We will be starting practice around 6:15 or so and spent a good portion of Tuesday evening laying out the course.

Even without the barriers, the course can be quite a challenge. 100 meters off the start line you find yourself working through a chicane of trees followed by a nice power section along the tree line. We will eventually break this section up and include a single if not double set of barriers. After the power section and a quick dismount over a parking barrier, there is about 300 meters of asphalt with another transition back onto grass. At this point you power through the grass and get onto pavement for 75 meters before diving back into the grass and a power section before the hill. For now we are only using half of the hill, so only about 35 feet of climbing after which you dive back downhill for the last power section before the last chicane section and back into the start finish chute. The total distance for each lap is about a kilometer, if not a tad bit longer.

Jim and I sprayed the course to mark the route to follow. After a few weeks last year we started to have a nice groove going through the grass. The grass was a bit long in places, so hopefully the FPD can keep the grass nice and short like they did for us last year. Everyone is encouraged to join us for practices, and it looks like we will be holding at least two sessions per week. For more info on our practices or anything else 'cross related you can also check out the new 'Cross Forum put together by Ben.

'Cross Practice Tonight

We will be out at the Dan Ryan Woods tonight around 6:15 for the first cross practice of the season. We won't have the barriers out tonight, but will have them out very soon.

Racing Returns To Matteson June 10th!

After nearly a one month hiatus, the Tuesday Night Criterium Series presented by the South Chicago Wheelmen will return on Tuesday, June 10th at 6:00 pm. Due to the recent construction there is quite a bit of mud and dirt, and Michael Kelly is offering free racing for the evening to those who bring a broom and lend a hand. Do your part if you can, the more of us that help out, the faster we can get racing again.

Matteson Series Put On Hold

The Tuesday Night Criterium Series presented by the South Chicago Wheelmen will be put on hold for the forseeable future. The race on May 20th is definately off, but racing will be held whenever the course is in a rideable condition.

If racing is not to be held a particular Tuesday, then there will also be a group ride leaving Yankee Woods. Failing that ride, we can also step up and host a ride on Tuesdays and take a group out for 30-40 miles. For up to date info on the series check out the Wheelmen's webpage