breakfast slushy

I had a half full bottle of Gatorade in the fridge and thought it would be wise to grab it for my morning commute. Sadly, it was mostly slush by the time I was 5 miles from home. It still tasted pretty good. Probably not as good as a hot chocolate would have been but still satisfying.

While riding I also thought about another way to enhance the Verge series. See below (#5).

Ways to improve and accommodate growth

There’s been a lot discussion on the New England cyclocross distribution list lately about ways the Verge series can improve the schedule for 2009. Some suggestions are good, others are bad. Adam Myerson, to his credit, has been quick to respond. While I appreciate his willingness to listen, he did open this can of worms, so now he's had to deal with it. As I think about the next ‘cross season, here are my opinions on ways to improve the Verge series
1. Pay attention to those who “fund” the series
2. Reduce the number of UCI-categorized events within the series
3. Eliminate the payouts for all but the UCI categories
4. Force upgrades
5. Season passes

1. The biggest fields at the Verge races are the Masters 3/4, Cat 2/3, and Cat 4 fields. These racers are paying the lion’s share of the entry fees that essentially fund the prize lists and reimburse the promoters for their expenses. I appreciate Myerson’s desire to have a series that is top notch and worthy of the “New Belgium” moniker but not if it means $40 entry fees and 8 race weekends spread throughout New England and never within 45 minutes of Boston where most of the racers live. Let’s focus on improving the experience for those who fund the series. Give these big categories the course and start times they deserve.

2. I am all for a few marquee New England events such as G-stah, NoHo, and Warwick, but I don’t see how keeping 8 UCI weekends in New England is a benefit. Let’s face it, very few cross racers are going to make it to Europe to compete at the highest level and very few (5 maybe in the whole country) can claim cyclocross as a source of reasonable income. If the Verge series put its financial and historical resources towards promoting 3 top tier C1 races, “New Belgium” would be the only destination for top-tier elites in North America on those weekends. Instead of watching Jamey Driscoll ride unchallenged for the last 40 minutes of most Verge races among a field of 25-30 people, let’s raise the bar for a select number of weekends to watch all the best. Perhaps other areas such as the Pacific Northwest, Mid-Atlantic, and OH/WI area can follow our lead and take the same approach with 2 or 3 C1 level races of their own. On the weekends that the top-tier elites are chasing C1 points, our “grass-roots” promoters can thrive off the attendance of local amateurs and second-tier elites. If you are good enough to “need” UCI points or want to always race against the best then pick your weekends carefully and committ to traveling. Us local racers don’t need to fund your “need” for a few UCI points or your 20th out of 22 payout.
Another benefit of fewer UCI Verge series weekends is that multiple "grass-roots" races can be successful on the same weekend. If given the choice between a race in their backyard (relatively speaking) and a race of similar size and quality 2-3 hours away, the vast majority of people would stay local. That means a race in NH should be just as successful as a race in RI on the same day. Don't worry, you'll get to see your friends at the 4 or 5 Verge series weekends and you'll cherish those races even more as a result.
Also, by having fewer C2 races all over the country, the NACT and USGP become much more appealing and powerful races. There is no reason the Verge series events can't account for 3 of those series weekends, right?

3. If the amateur categories are overflowing and the elite field is too small, let’s eliminate rewards for the non-elite fields. I like what I hear about races in the NW giving prizes at random to the non-elite fields. Reward the people who show up every weekend and race for mid-pack because they love the sport even if they don’t excel. Those are the people investing money…for race entry fees, for parts, for clothes, etc. If racers want to be paid for their performance they should do so once they’ve reached the highest level. If you must reward people in the amateur fields, do it randomly so everyone has a shot at it, not just the top 5-10 people who win their amateur field each weekend.

4. If Verge races are trying to encourage competition and excellence at the highest level, then let’s force some upgrades. I’m not trying to say people can’t remain at a certain category level for multiple years, but there seems to be too much of a problem with people staying in a category they have dominated without being told (forced) to upgrade. It is likely that racers will get some pretty good beatings immediately after upgrading but everyone seems to feel the only way to improve is to race against those who are better than you. Once you reach the penultimate step, however, you face a dilemna. It is really hard to tell (force) a person to leap to the UCI level and that is exactly what one has to do to graduate from the women’s ¾ field or from the men’s 2/3 and master’s 1/2/3 fields. If we go back to the second point though, with fewer Verge races being UCI category events, this would be less of a problem. For the 3 marquee C1 weekends there should be a UCI race held separate from the 1/2 race (non-UCI license having people). If you have to start the schedule at 8am on these days, so be it. For 3 marquee weekends it is worth it.

5. Offering season passes seems completely logical. Growing up I was fortunate enough to spend nearly every winter weekend on the ski slopes. Unfortunately it was always at the same mountain because my family invested in a small condo on the slopes. But I digress. I remember pre-purchasing our seasons passes in June or July because the mtn offered a discounted rate in return for the off-season influx of otherwise non-existent revenue. Why wouldn't this work for the Verge series? With 8 (I think) race weekends on tap for next year, why not put together an early season purchase option? Here are some possible offerings:
- pay by May and save the equivalent of 4 race entry fees, plus the bikereg fee you'd have to pay on each individual race.
- pay by August and save the equivalent of 2 race entry fees, plus the bikereg fee you'd have to pay on each individual race.
- pay by September and save the equivalent of 1 race entry fee, plus the bikereg fee you'd have to pay on each individual race.

This way the promoters get money earlier than usual to reduce any out-of-pocket money they may otherwise have to front. Also, if this is a series and the promoters are working in conjunction with one another it will boost revenue to be shared among them. It also creates an incentive for racers who may not otherwise make the trip to VT or ME or down to RI late in the season because they can save as much as $100 with the early buy in. I'm not trying to say this is the only or best scenario but I do feel strongly that a season pass could work to everyone's benefit. Oh, and just like the ski resorts, all sales are final. If you break a wrist in pre (summer) season you don't get a refund. Yeah, it's harsh, but to make something like this work there has to be some rigidity.

I attend the Verge races because I like competing with and socializing with a great group of amateur cyclists. It is my strong feeling that the series would not suffer by eliminating the UCI status at many of its events and would in fact grow like the NW series if the emphasis were put back on growing participation, especially if the races were held in strong cycling based communities like Boston (why are there no Boston venues?) and Providence.

satisfy the itch

Today I got out on snow for the third time this season. So far, I have had nothing but powder days! I'm in Montana for the holidays and we skied the best "unknown" lift serviced powder in America. Seriously, I've never not had powder here. On the way to Lost Trail Mtn we passed half a dozen big horn rams licking up the road salt and paying minimal attention to the cars creeping by. Not likely to see that in New England, or even Colorado.


I didn't want to hassle with lugging my skis through the airport so I rented some at the mtn. $16 for skis and poles (I brought my own boots)! Either New England is way inflated or Lost Trail Mtn has no ambition of making money.

We were on the slopes when they opened at 9:30 and we skied until almost 2. Powder stashes were easily found all over the tiny mountain. Despite temperatures in the low teens, we had a blast floating through champaign powder that rivals any place on Earth. Oh, and did I mention the lift ticket was only $32? Try finding that in New England.

my morning coffee

Most folks know (and probably despise me for it) I don't drink coffee. I just never developed a desire for the stimulant. Instead I rely on scenes like this to get me going in the morning. What a great way to start the day.

It just feels better

I motivated enough to ride the 15 miles to work on Monday. The roads were wet but the temperature was warm and the air was dry. I got a late start and didn't get to my desk until after 9:15 but I felt great. I've realized that the 40 minute drive which usually includes fighting traffic along Rt 9 and I95 leaves me in an anxious, distracted, and unsatisfied state of mind. I much prefer riding to work and I end up being more productive and less distracted as a result.

Now if only I was motivated to gear up at 7am when the temp is still below freezing. I'm going to make more of an effort to do so though. Anyone got tricks to help them motivate in the morning when the weather turns cold and wet? I hate driving in the Boston area.

just because the shoe fits does not mean you should wear it

Sometimes I feel like a woman when I look at my mtb shoe collection. I have a pair for really crappy weather, a pair for really cold weather, a pair that looks like sneakers so I can blend in when I ride to the bar, a pair for 'cross racing, and a pair for cross racing when the conditions require toe spikes. I've also used and passed along a number of other mtb shoes in recent years. Since it is (er, was) cross season for the last three months I've mostly been using two pair. The first pair is a super light pair of Specialized S-Works with the silly ratchet system. I bought them for a song on ebay so I don't mind abusing them. Here's a recap on the shoe

Specialized S Works BG MTB shoe
- Fit: The BG fit that Specialized advertises is nice. The shoes conform nicely to my feet without any hot spots or pressure points

- Stiffness: With the carbon reinforced sole, the shoe is stiff enough to satisfy me without being too stiff
- Durability: I'm glad I didn't pay much for these because they simply do not hold up. Friends have gone through multiple pairs with Specialized warranty due to treads delaminating (at least they stand behind the shoe) but frankly I don't want to deal with sending back my damaged shoes every 3 months. Also, mine are wearing out on the inside of the heal (probably from striking my chainstay or crank) which is a problem I've never had with other shoes. My suspicion is that the lame carbon-like material is just not durable enough for a shoe of this caliber. My other shoes have either hard plastic or tougher fabric in that area.
- Weight: These things are darn light. They are half the weight of any other mtb shoes I've had.
- Grade: I'd give these a B- if you buy them for $100 or less. If I had paid the retail price ($200+) I'd give them a C-

My other primary shoe of late is the Adidas Marathon mtb shoes. I've had these for over three years now and they just keep ticking. Too bad I can't find them in stores or online anymore. Here's a recap

Adidas Marathon mtb shoes

- Fit: These shoes took some time to break in. After a season of fighting the flimsy stock footbed I upgraded them with the black Superfeet inserts and they are much better.
- Stiffness: These suckers are as stiff as any mtb shoe I've ever owned and stiffer than many road shoes I've owned. If you like stiff soles, these are worth a try.
- Durability: These shoes have held up to two seasons of cyclocross thrashing as well as a season of mtb riding and racing. Earlier this fall I noticed a toe tread starting to rip lose (maybe from kicking a barrier at Suckerbrook). Two and a half months later that tread is still hanging on! Also, the velcro straps are holding up just fine despite repeated adjustments.
- Weight: These things are not the lightest out there. Being the middle of the line offering I don't suspect Adidas was trying to keep them super light but they are by no means the heaviest either. Given their durability, I'm willing to accept a bit of extra weight.
- Grade: B+ They'd get an A if they were lighter.

I've outgrown my Sidi lust faze as they are simply not stiff enough for my liking and there are plenty of less expensive options with similar or better features. Oh, and the adjustable top strap mechanism tends to rub on my crankarms which is not cool.

I'm interested in trying the new Shimano shoes when the Specialized finally die (or when I find a screaming deal on them). Lots of people seem to be enjoying the Shimano shoes these days so they seem worthy of a try.

mud and guts

Wednesday night was the highly touted Superprestige event in Allston. With mild December temperatures I expected a reasonably sized turnout but was disappointed to see only 6 or 7 folks on the start line. The once fantastic stadium lighting has been shut off for the last 6 weeks so we were relying on our memories and the strategically placed blinky lights at the corners.

Our race promoters set up a beautiful barrier section with knog lights that doubled as a nativity scene (although I didn't see the baby Jesus anywhere).

The usual Le Mans start was fueled by the first lap preme and the "uncertain" whistle of race director RMM. Somewher inside of 15 seconds we were given the green light and the foot race started. The course is a flat (as a board) spin with minimal need for shifting that wraps around the fields before darting across the mandatory running sandpit and into 3 tight turns that were punctuated with wet gooey grass and mud. With 15 laps projected I was not optimistic of taking the first lap preme but did want to give a few hard efforts so I jockeyed back and forth as I put in efforts and then eased off to recover a bit.

The mud in those 3 turns made for such a filthy and poor shifting bike that I almost wished I had a pit bike! We have been blessed/cursed with mostly dry conditions in New England this fall so I was surprised at the end of the event to see just how filthy everything was.
I should have known it was bad because my shifting stopped performing somewhere around lap 9 or 10. It was nice to get a little handling challenge in the sloppy corners since the course is otherwise tame.




As I circled the .5 mile loop over and over and over again while PVB
and I chatted about how lackluster the season has seemed as he agreed with my previous post. We also endured some good natured heckling from the fans at the nativity scene/barrier section. After the race I was invited for burritos (too bad it was Chipotle and not Anna's) by RMM. We discussed the potential to grow the Superprestige into a more challenging, larger event for next season with some prizes and added shenanigans in exchange for a small entry fee to cover those prizes and shenanigans. That gets me excited for next season. I like the idea of a weekly event at home that is designed to share the fun and rewards with everyone, not just the winners. Those who have attended the Middleboro training races put on by Union Velo last season can attest to how much potential and fun there can be for a mid week race.

So tonight I have to clean up the 'cross bike, replace my chainrings (they've been overdue for months) and chain, and get everything together for one more weekend of races. Hard to believe it is December and 'cross season is almost over.

Thanks to Craig Roth for both racing with us and snapping the snazzy pictures. Thanks to the Quad Cycles guys (mostly Ian Sutton I think) for getting the Superprestige started and to RMM for keeping it going. Next season it will return in a bigger and better format I hope.

missing

Since returning from my cross country adventure, I am once again gainfully employed and making quick work of yet another 'cross season. As I pedaled into Boston on August 6th, it seemed like cross season would never arrive and yet now it is almost gone. Somehow three and a half months and 16+ races later there is little to look forward to. The days are shorter, the temperatures are staying lower, and soon enough the roads will be littered with sand, salt, ice, and snow reducing my bike commuting opportunities.

As I rode in to work this morning I was thinking about why this year's 'cross season hasn't really thrilled me quite like years past. The results have been good and there certainly hasn't been a shortage of racing. I think the biggest difference this season compared to years past is the lack of camaraderie and the almost routine feeling of doing some events for the 4th or 5th year in a row with the same dry conditions as last year. The last two years I was fortunate enough to travel to some big events (USGP in CO in 2006 and USGP in PDX in 2007) and enjoy a lot of time with new and old friends in the process. This year I missed out on the travel partly because I couldn't justify the cost after 4 months without a paycheck and partly because it is not fair to my family after being away for 2 months this summer.

It's rare for me to be looking forward to road or mtb racing with 'cross races still on the schedule but I've found myself doing so this year. Most of all I'm looking forward to the return of my buddy. His presence was sorely missed this fall. He and his wife have been the glue that holds together so many New England friendships and they are without question the best teammates I could ask for. Without Mr and Mrs Zanconato I would not have met great people like Kenny and Matt. Heck, without Mr. and Mrs. Z I might still be in the Cleveland IHOP. I'm looking forward to the triumphant return of the Zanconatos and the revival of our band of 'cross racing misfits. They will uplift the spirits of the whole New England racing community.

Is it time for the 2009 'cross season yet?