Well it has been a little while since I posted something cycling based under a different blog, so here goes once more. New country, new bike, new house, new job, No more fatigue!
So with the move to the UK now complete, the first mission, being sick and tired of dragging bicycles about on planes, was to source a new set of wheels (naturally). Having dabbled very briefly in ‘cross before, and hitting the UK right at the beginning of the season, also in need of a ‘one bike does all’ there was nothing for it but a cross bike. Naturally I also sourced a car, but am pleased to report that it did indeed conform to the rule of being cheaper than ones bike(s).
Back to the bike - for those unseasoned, cross bikes run cantilever brakes. Strangely the best ones are not even current tech ala shimano XTR 1997 spec. Nope these pups are straight from the early 80’s – yep those wide profile buggers. First impressions were not good at all. The brakes have less performance than a 6” disc that has had a full can of WD40 applied (not that I have ever accidently done that!). I questioned the chap selling me the bike about this – his response – it’s cross, it’s on grass, if you are doing it right you wont even need them. I had to take his word, hell he had ridden a world champs in his time!
First race near Leeds, was an absolute baptism of fire – more rain than the UK has seen all summer, and a course which once was a field now more likely resembling a peat bog. The first thing that hits you as a mountain biker about this sport is the sheer pace that can be achieved – cross is like riding a road bike on grass, that also happens to corner better than a mtb (still amazes me how far you can lean on 35c tyres). The course was no where near as technical as a mtb course, however, as it got wetter, the mud just got deeper – trouble on a mtb - but the cross bike goes straight through!
Next lesson aside from the supreme speed one can achieve is how to negotiate the course. MTB is a pretty simple affair –take the most direct route and brake at the last minute. Cross, you have to be thinking miles ahead with the brakes when it gets steep, but otherwise it’s a cinch: the fastest line is usually the widest (and the courses are a lot wider than XC), where you carry speed and try and slide the thing if it gets loose.
So first race down in supremely nasty UK ‘summer’ conditions, and I was hooked – reeling in 18th place of a 50 or so fleet, no ‘training’ in sight for 18 months or so. 2 weeks later and it was time for another – in the more familiar Notts-Derby league. Arriving fashionably late once more (read I had to plead for the last entry 10 mins before the start), I was on the grid with mere seconds to spare in 200th position. The turnouts to these races are epic when the weather is right. 200th place was a familiar position on the grid from my earlier XC outings, so it was game on, and time to call this race a training exercise with many short burts to get to the head of the race. I ended up getting lapped just before the bell, being one of a handful of riders to get lapped – 6 mins or so down in 28th place from 150 men. Not bad given that experience tells me you nearly loose this much time getting stuck in mass starts. Better get there earlier next time I reckon.
The course was even more of a school in ‘cross technique – the fastest way in even the tightest of forest tracks was once again super wide to carry speed. Once I had fought my way through traffic, I counted how many times I needed the brakes – just once to dab the rear through a tight set of ‘s’ bends.
Another lesson for those unfamiliar with cross is tyre pressure. Rocky sections are explicitly forbidden in cross races, so pinch flatting is pretty much not a risk. As a result, tyre pressures go down – as was once told to me “if you are not hitting the rim several times in a lap on a cross bike, you aint doin in right” I ran 35 just to be on the safe(r), as I am not flash enough to own a set of Tubs.
It’s early days in cross yet, but it would seem it has the best of both worlds, the speed and spectator friendliness of a crit / kermesse, but the social atmosphere of a mtb enduro – if you are having an average day you can still enjoy sliding and racing some punter for 120th place –something the road cannot offer. There will be more of this madness to come no doubt!
