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Cyclocross’ popularity increases each weekend it seems. Check out page 28 of the Nov./Dec. `09 issue of Chicago Athlete Magazine to see yours truly.

I spent an amazing weekend racing in Toronto (not in those races — I’m way to slow…). Props to all involved there for making it a world-class event that I’ll return to yearly if possible.

Check out my team’s sponsor, El Duke Degreaser, as it removes embrocation from my legs after 2 races in the dirt. There’s not many things this stuff can’t do.

And, never fear, the Cuttin’ Cruiser will always be here (or there — at the races). Glad to be of assistance and glad to see the support to get the bus back on the road.

More races/rides/ rad stuff coming soon!

I really like the forum on Cyclocross Magazine’s website. A lot of really good questions get asked there and they’re almost always answered well. A couple recent discussions I participated in over there brought up the issue of bike-fit. I really can not stress the importance of a good bike fit enough. If you think you like riding/racing now, after getting a professional fit you may find it hard to get out of the saddle day in and day out.

You can fit your bike yourself. In fact, I’d say that if you haven’t at least followed the steps found here, you are doing yourself a dis-service. However, to fully garner all the benefits of the process you should have outside input.

There are several processes that I’m somewhat familiar with. A popular one is the Retül Fitting and you can also have  high-precision fittings done locally using the Fitmaster; made in Wisconsin by Waterford. Both, if done by a qualified professional, will make your entire riding experience a better one.

Personally, I’ve had Wobblenaught fitting performed on my road bike. It also allowed me to take the same numbers generated by its measurements and apply them to my cyclocross bike. I will say that mountain bikes are measured totally differently than road and ‘cross bikes, so if you’re an MTB enthusiast you’ll want a separate fitting for that particular bike. (If I wasn’t so currently soured on serious MTB riding, I would be bringing mine in ASAP.) If you are interested in this fitting, please email me and I will give you the number to set up an appointment.

The measurements taken of riders’ physiques then applied to bike size and set-up create not only a newfound level of comfort but of performance. I was floored at how improperly I was setting up my bikes before I was fit. I’m also amazed by how small an adjustment can be to make a huge difference in your fit. I am lucky to be able to go back to my fitter to make these adjustments, and others should follow suit.

I’m also kinda skeptical (or jealous?) of people who can get by based on the Competitive Cyclist fit, or by just ‘experimenting’; with their set-up. Either way though, it makes a huge difference in your performance and comfort on the bike.

…ride it.

A recent post on the Cyclocross Magazine forum and our recent weather patterns have had me out on my ‘cross bike (in ‘commuter-form’) way more than my road bike lately. it’s the bike i ride all winter (aluminium) but by now I’ve usually switched over to my road (steel) bike. beyond the differences in the potential corrosion of the frames from moisture and rock-salt, there are alot of factors that effect a bike that’s on the road almost every day for 15-30 miles. i do highly recommend a cyclocross frame for a commuter bike, but there some things that you need to take into consideration if you’re going to race it as well.

1) drivetrain wear is imminent. you can wash your chain twice a week and brush the cogs and rings too, but all the road debris that gets stuck to the chain is going to eat the teeth faster than if you’re just training/racing. like i said, you can be diligent, but you’ll need new parts. i keep several different cassettes — usually of higher quality — in the tool box for race days. i also save my “good” chain rings for the race season. a brand new chain goes on the bike at the end of September too.

2) brakes break. especially if it is wet. this also makes dirt, etc. stick to the pads which in turn wears them down much faster than normal. again, you can clean the pads (and rims!) often but they’ll still wear down and effect stopping. it’s arguable that this doesn’t really make a difference in a race but, i mean, they’re your brakes… i replace the pad cartridges with sets of higher-quality ones for the first race too.

3) the same applies to rims. the braking surface gets all scratched up from that debris and the junky pads that stay on there. a race-only wheelset is pretty much a necessity if your using a ‘cross bike for double duty.

4) bearings, etc. the same little bits of grime that mess up all the above mentioned are going to work their way into all the bearings too. and, if your ever “power-wash” a bike after a muddy race or because you just commuted through monsoon season, you risk damaging them by stripping them of their lubricant. again, race-only wheels will help this but you’ll really have to break the bike down and clean/re-lube/re-adjust for racing after commuting. I’ve completely re-built a complex freehub, complete with loose needle bearings, that had been raced/commuted — no one wants to do that; trust me. it was also shocking to see what had accumulated in there…

So; you have to take the good with the bad. It is worth it due to the typical ‘cross bike’s versatility, etc. however, if you’re serious about racing use a diffrent bike during the season and get another pair of wheels. I’ll be gluing up these (pretty affordable tubulars) real soon.

I forgot to bring a camera… (I wish I had a shot of the IndyFab “crown-jewel” carbon lugs… ugh.)

That glaring oversight aside, this year’s NAHBS was amazing. The exhibitor list consisted of a good blend and the show floor was about as full as it could get. There was something for everyone, really; from art-conscious commuters to arduous roadies, and from cyclocross legends to mountain bike start-ups. All the bases were covered.

Beyond the show’s namesake – the hand-made bikes, there were plenty of other exhibitors displaying new components, clothing, fit-systems and everything in-between. It was these exhibitors that caught my attention most. I do love some bike eye-candy, but I’m a bit partial when it comes to custom bikes… hoping to call Brent for a Eurocross someday soon…

The first new “concept” that I got to demo at NAHBS was SRAM’s new Hammerschmidt mountain bike “front derailleur.” I “quote” it because it’s hard to explain. Also, with my very limited MTB experience I didn’t except to be as blown away as my fellow attendee and friend who is a dirt-bag from way back. Well, it is unbelievable. The shits are so crisp and its ability to positively engage both an up or down-shift while the rider isn’t even pedaling is mind boggling.

The other item that I was extremely impressed by was the electronic Dura Ace Di2 group. I got on the demo bike and the sales-rep kinda led me through it. Again, I didn’t expect much but ended up blown out of the saddle. At first I couldn’t figure it out, so he asked me if I’d used Shimano controls before. I have, but still couldn’t up-shift. The guy just pushed a button right above the paddle and viola! It was amazing and a lot of fun. The noise it makes is almost sci-fi film-like. I still like SRAM and can in now way afford Di2, but the future looks cool as hell thanks to Shimano.

Back to the bikes; the two Portland-located builders really stood out for me: Vanilla and Courage. If you love bike porn and had been to any UCI ‘cross races this past fall, there’s no way you could’ve overlooked the Vanilla team. I can confidently say they’ve got the hottest bikes in the Elite men’s field. Equally hot, but without an Elite squad – for now – is Courage. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with Jonathan at Chicago Cyclocross Cup races. His bike is the classiest in the city, hands-down. They’ve got big things in the works for Midwest CX racing, and I hope to remain in contact with them.

It’s a bummer, for sure, to come back to another snowstorm after dreaming of decadent days in the saddle on my bike, but I can look back fondly. Scour the Web for pics – there’s some really cool stuff to look at. Don’t know where the show will be next year but if it remains as well-attended as it was Saturday, it should be a success.

On Sunday, December 7, I raced at Montrose Harbor for the final installment of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup. It is a race that I and many others try to have a peak performance at, and this year’s race was no different. With a layer of snow over ground frozen by winds nearing sub-zero levels and several highly technical sections of race course, it proved to be a great challenge.

From the beginning the atmosphere was charged. There was a palpable seriousness amongst those who toed the line in the first few rows. At the whistle they exploded away with an intensity not seen in the races prior to this one. And, as a result, there was a spectacular crash less than 75 yards into the race.

I was able to escape the tangle of bikes and bodies unscathed, and was actually in a very good position due to the fact that many series leaders had gone down. I took that opportunity to push harder in hopes of developing a gap I could work with. In my haste I took a corner too fast and did a textbook “high-side” (in motorcycling terms). I got up fast, ran and remounted my bike, but when I pedaled I went nowhere – I had thrown my chain.

After getting my chain back on, I had fallen to the tail end of the pack. I wanted to get back up to the front, but soon realized I’d be unable so I conserved energy and passed about a dozen people as well as I could. This put me into a place I was familiar with – roughly the top 15 racers.

From here on out I played it cool where I needed to and gave it all I could intelligently give when it came time to put the hammer down. I was specifically able to gain ground on what I’ll call a “step-up” right turn. A ledge of frozen sand stood before a 90 degree right turn and I was able to ride over it every lap while other racers ran or floundered with their bikes.

Other than in that particular section, the race was physically just like any other for me. I was able to give some fellow races a run for their money and it was an intense display of pure sport and competition. So, despite not being able to beat one particular opponent and getting passed at the finish line by another, I was totally pleased with my race (after 5 minutes of trying to get my breath back).