View Full Version : Racing Official Unofficial Cross Nats in Connecticut?


team_sheepshead
12-10-2007, 10:25 AM
Race outside of Providence this Saturday, 12/15. Looks like a cool course with a couple of covered bridges and a steep run-up. I just talked to the promoter and he needs racers. To be selfish, I'll be in Rhode Island this wknd and would dig this race. Check it out.

http://bikect.com/events

colinr
12-10-2007, 10:58 AM
BikeReg Signup (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=5493)

If you don't race this (or go to Nats) your season is now over and you are doomed to 8 months of hanging out on this forum talking about equipment minutiae instead of RACING CROSS.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

team_sheepshead
12-10-2007, 11:11 AM
Did you notice the prize list? In four of the six races it's one word: BEER

BikeReg Signup (http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=5493)

If you don't race this (or go to Nats) your season is now over and you are doomed to 8 months of hanging out on this forum talking about equipment minutiae instead of RACING CROSS.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

Doc Hollywood
12-10-2007, 11:16 AM
Did you notice the prize list? In four of the six races it's one word: BEER

I'll bet if you show up and race, or hell, just show up and ring cowbells, you'll be rewarded with the same winner's prize.

Doc

team_sheepshead
12-14-2007, 07:13 AM
Called the promoter today. Race postponed until at least January. I was too po'd to ask why. He had at least 40 confirmed riders and would have gotten race-day sign-ups, too. Argh.

Anybody want to ride the Owen Bell Park course anyway Saturday morning? The park will be open.

CrossWorkOrange
12-14-2007, 07:20 AM
Here's the promoter's reasoning:

Course - 1.5 miles, Snow -10in deep - Width - 2ft. - Shoveling in 1 day = impossible
POSTPONED TO SUNDAY JAN 6TH

Props to him for extending the CX season in New England.
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=5493

colinr
12-14-2007, 07:25 AM
Yeah, seriously. Not much reason to be pissed, the only solution would be a 4-wheeler with a plow or something to clear it (which would be awesome, btw). I mean you can't ride a cross bike in 10 inches of new snow, and you can't expect 1 guy (or several guys) to shovel a 1.5 mile course wide enough to race bikes on in a day.

It's not natz... it's natz schmatz!

surfamtn
12-14-2007, 08:05 AM
Why shovel?

colinr
12-14-2007, 09:18 AM
Yeah, we should just race our cross bikes in 10 inches of wet snow! That would totally work!

No, wait, it would be a 10k running race.

surfamtn
12-14-2007, 09:24 AM
We just had State Camps in 8 inches last weekend. It was a serious question smart ass. I thought you guys were tough in New England, now I understand.

colinr
12-14-2007, 09:31 AM
Yeah, and I gave you a serious answer. You shovel so it's not a 10k running race.

It's a small postseason event with a whopping 40 prereged riders, not a state champs race with a big promoters and big fields. You can't just expect the 10 people in the first race to preride a few laps and magically make the course rideable.

I though you guys in Colorado were smart, now I understand.

See how that works?

Kram
12-14-2007, 09:44 AM
Nice! Comeback?!

PeanutButterBreath
12-14-2007, 10:48 AM
I think 10" of snow would have packed down pretty quickly. I guess we aren't much smarter in Utah.

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iuxnUZyzs30&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iuxnUZyzs30&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Not that we had a full 10" here, but what was there plus what continued to fall for the entire morning was plenty rideable even in sections where the dirt never showed.

colinr
12-14-2007, 12:39 PM
I think 10" of snow would have packed down pretty quickly. I guess we aren't much smarter in Utah.

Not that we had a full 10" here, but what was there plus what continued to fall for the entire morning was plenty rideable even in sections where the dirt never showed.

Nice video!

How much snow fell before that race? Did it just get packed down from people riding on it?

The thing is, right now the course in Connecticut is under 10 inches of new snow... and it's not exactly light and dry Utah Powder (tm) either. If you were given a bike and told to do a lap.. you'd have to walk the entire lap, at least in my snow-riding experience (especially with narrow-ass cross tires).

myette10
12-14-2007, 12:51 PM
In addition to anatomic bars and top mount levers, add number plates to things that should never be seen on a cross bike. great video though... that looks like a wad o' fun.

colinr
12-14-2007, 12:54 PM
In addition to anatomic bars and top mount levers, add number plates to things that should never be seen on a cross bike. great video though... that looks like a wad o' fun.

That top mount comment is gonna cost you 20 points on crossresults.com, you know :)

myette10
12-14-2007, 01:02 PM
That top mount comment is gonna cost you 20 points on crossresults.com, you know :)

myette10 shoots: scores.* the top mount comment was more or less directed at you.

now.... would that be 20 points off the 2 week old scoring you have up there or 20 points when and if you get around to updating things?

kachow!!

*courtesy Richard Fries

PeanutButterBreath
12-14-2007, 01:05 PM
I don't recal how much was on the ground. I'd say there was at least 8" in spots slightly off the beaten path. It seemed like it dumped another 4 inches during the first 3 races an then finally stopped.

Basically, the entire course cog packed down for a 2-3 foot wide strip. There was already a well worn path by the time I started checking out the course, which was before any races had been run. In some spots it got beaten down to the dirt and grass underneath. In others it was packed snow that dropped off suddenly into 3" of powder if you got too close to the edge.

Props to rich caramadre for posting the video. If he is around he might know more about how much snow there actually was. I'm a recent CA transplant, so any race on snow seems like an epic.

PeanutButterBreath
12-14-2007, 01:08 PM
In addition to anatomic bars and top mount levers, add number plates to things that should never be seen on a cross bike. great video though... that looks like a wad o' fun.I'm not sure why they have the plates. We did an pre-season race and had pin-on numbers. On that particular day some racers were calling out their numbers because the plates had so much powder stuck to them.

cyclofran
12-15-2007, 03:13 AM
I agree with Surfamtn, CT is not really part of NE

Doc Hollywood
12-15-2007, 06:27 AM
I agree with Surfamtn, CT is not really part of NE

Huh? Since when? New England = CT, RI, MA, NH, VT, and ME.

Doc

myette10
12-15-2007, 09:33 AM
Huh? Since when? New England = CT, RI, MA, NH, VT, and ME.

Doc
I think he meant it isn't part of the spirit of New England. I tend to agree that CT is more "metro" than Mass, VT, NH & ME... at least from Hartford south and west. The rest should just be annexed by Mass.

RI is like an entirely different country altogether. Passports should be required.