Skankingbiker

Did my first cx race ever today. Rode Cat 5 newbie race.

I rode my single speed commuter geared at 36x19, because that is all I had. Came into the race not feeling good after I twinged my hip flexor at practice earlier this week. Oh, and I weigh 215 and did not get to get much riding in this year except in the last two months (mostly mtb biking and then 3-5 cx practices).

......needless to say, I finished DFL....in fact, I may have even gotten a DNF, because I was lapped 50 yards before the finish line, so I did not get to do my 4th lap.....not that I had anything left in the tank for a fourth lap anyhow.

First lap felt good. Sprinted out of the box. It was an uphill sprint into a bunch of ziggy zaggies....did really well here. Even did well on the barriers, first run up, and off camber descents. Then we had a small flat area. I was completely spun out and got passed. First steep hill was singletrack. I got knocked to the side and needed to walk up.... passed a lot again. Up two more sets of hills...still feeling "ok" but sucking air big time. fast descent into a hairpin turn with frost on the ground = fishtail and wipeout. Next big hill I had to walk the whole thing.....my legs felt like lead weights at this point. Was still hanging in there ...even passed some people on the twisty turnies...as roadies dont seem to know how to corner and brake inside the turns instead of before. Then, those big hills just killed me on the second lap. Got passed by the last Cat 5 guy, then started to get passed by the juniors. Barfed on the third lap.

The finish, like the start, was uphill. Even with my low gearing, I just had to legs. Cardio-wise I was ok....legs just left like lead..they wouldn't move. Barfed again at the end (just mucus). Got lapped on the last hill 50 yards before the finish. Coughed for 2 hours after due to cold air in lungs. 5 hours later, my legs just wont move.


20141012_101522_1-1 by T_MB, on Flickr


Badger prairie cross by T_MB, on Flickr

Rollfast

I think you raced okay, but when do you know to stop with the golf ball? I don't know if insurance covers that...

Keep your head up and your hind end down and pedal hard

Black wallnut 

Sounds like you did it right to me. Even though you were lapped you finished, sounds like one lap down but that is the way it goes.

garagegirl

Any chance you have asthma?

It's not really normal to cough for two hours after exposure to cold air, no matter how bad a shape you're in. I always thought that I was just in horrible shape- no matter how much I had been riding. CX training races would do me in- and I was terrified of racing for real. Then I finally got an asthma dx and an inhaler and things have gotten much easier. It was difficult getting a dx though, because my symptoms were very subtle.

Congrats on the first race! As long as you finished you won't get the DNF, it doesn't matter if you were lapped. Keep at it, it does get easier. Always pre ride the course if you can- ideally at least one race before yours (i.e. not in the 15 minutes just before your race)

Andy_K 

Feeling like you're going to barf is normal. Actually doing it is extraordinary. Nice work!

Seriously though, CX on a singlespeed is hard, and when the course is hilly it's really hard. 36x19 is pretty low gearing for a CX race, but it's not so low for riding up hills offroad. You need to be really strong to race singlespeed on a hilly course.

Is it possible that you bonked? On a long road ride having your legs suddenly refuse to cooperate is generally a sign of mismanaging your calorie intake. It's not as common for a short event like a CX race, but it can happen.

Or it could be that this was just more mashing than you're used to. Either way, keep doing it and you should see steady improvement. Maybe next time bring the mountain bike in case you want gears after you see the course.

Did you have fun?

Skankingbiker

I had fun until I "bonked" and it became obvious I was barely going to finish.... But, in retrospect, what could a short, fat, out of shape guy riding a single speed on a hilly course expect......

Skankingbiker

Also, in retrospect, while it sounds silly, I may have "overtrained." I had been doing 2-3, 1 hour mtb rides per week all year...usually "social" rides, with only brief intense hills. When I decided to jump into cross a month ago (also, coincidentally the same time as I had the "change your lifestyle speech from my doc and my 2 yr late physical), I started doing nightly sprint hill repeats on my single speed, 30 sec. wind sprints, and long uphill slogs 5 nights a week.

My legs felt dead the day before the race on my commute to/from work. I thought I was just dehydrated and so guzzled tons of water Fri night and sat morning, hoping that would help.

I think I am going to rest for the next three days, and then re-evaluate whether to do next weekend's race

RISKDR1

Sounds like great fun. NOT!

2manybikes

The important thing is you did it. We all have to start somewhere. Now you can learn lots of details. Maybe a multi gear bike?

caloso

Are you kidding? You did awesome! SSCX is the true stud class. As far as I'm concerned, the last place SS rider is way above every other geared rider.

And no shame finishing a lap down. It happens. You know what really sucks? Being the last guy to go through start/finish before they start pulling riders. That means you've got no chance at a high finish but you still have to suffer as much....

Andy_K 

...and way, way above the people who stayed home and watched football.

Personally, I'd try next week's race on a geared mountain bike and see what you think. Also give some thought to how your pacing went. Everybody talks about going all out on the first lap, but if it doesn't leave you with enough in the tank to finish then you don't gain anything by doing that.

Skankingbiker

Good advice...already resurrected the old 2001 Gary Fisher Yahoo.

koolerb

I did my first CX race last fall because a friend of mine said "It's all for fun", "Its bring what ever you have hanging in the garage", "it's not serious." I showed up with mountain bike from 1993 only to find all my cat 5 brethren decked out in full race kit and almost all had super serious looking CX bikes. Needless to say I got my butt handed to me. I know its feels crappy finishing toward the back of the group but CX isn't easy, and doing on a single speed doesn't make it any easier. At least you did it and got a little experience under your belt. You'll be tougher next time.

Skankingbiker

Yeah, I was surprised by the number of super skinny full kit, carbon frame guys in cat 5..... was expecting cat 5 to be a bunch of dunb beginners like me....seemed like a lot of sandbaggers

caloso

Hah. Come to NorCal. I lined up for a C45+ race next to guys with Stars and Stripes cuffs and collars.

Andy_K 

Here we call our groups beginner, c, b and a. The beginner and c races always have people who could be finishing in the top 20 in the next cat up. That's just how it is, and there's really nothing wrong with it. They want to win races, so they have to learn how to do that in a cat where they aren't struggling just to stay in the top 10. I have no expectation of ever winning so it doesn't matter to me what group they race in.

This Sunday I finished 127 out of 135. It was a great race for me and I was happy with my result. I beat a few guys I really had to work hard to get ahead of and had been going back and forth with most of the race. I also lost to a couple of guys I was working hard to chase down. For most people it's not about winning.

Skankingbiker

I have no delusions of grandeur. Just trying to get in shape, try something new, and have fun.

Thanks for all the support in the thread. This was all foreign to me 4 weeks ago. While i was bummed after the race, I now have a better perspective and am determined to improve.

Andy_K 

Yeah, I didn't figure you were particularly upset because you didn't win. I just wanted to emphasize how completely normal that is. The races I did this weekend had over 1000 participants each day and only 28 winners. It's important to figure out what you personally want to get out of the race. There are some races that I go into knowing I'm going to finish last. As long as I make peace with that ahead of time it can still be fun, though not as fun as fighting tooth and nail for 127th place.

By the way, don't assume that because somebody is in full kit and has a nice bike that they're fast. I'd bet some of the roadies you were passing in the turns were in full kit and riding nice bikes. Joining a team is one thing that can add to the fun of a CX race, and that usually leads to kit wearing.

Having a nice bike can also make it more fun, though the point of diminishing returns is a lot lower than most people seem to think. I was talking about that this weekend with a friend. The difference between a $1500 (retail) bike and a top of the line $5000 carbon machine is pretty minuscule. I bought my Major Jake used about four years ago for $900 and have done something like 75 races on it since then. It's a great bike. A good rider could win elite races on this bike. I routinely lose to guys on heavy mountain bikes. I've also beaten guys on sweet full carbon Ridleys. I'm rambling, but there's a point in here somewhere.

Skankingbiker

I think this is what I will ride this weekend. Even though the course this weekend is "faster" and flatter; it has a lot of hairpin turns, slaloms, and a few short, really steep climbs and off camber turns. I am still not used to the handling on the pompino off road. I am sure I will be slower with the wider commuter tires (2.1 all terrainasaurus), but hope the gears, ability to push the corners, and decend with some confidence will make up for it. I need to get a better chain keeper than this DIY hack though. And yes, that is a thumbie shifter

fotooutdoors

Hey, this is Andrew, the guy you were talking to before the race, and apparently one of those sand baggers, though one without a full carbon bike At any rate, I thought I would pop in to congratulate you on throwing up. Seriously, you finished a race, and having raced ss and geared last year, I can decisively state that ss is about 10x as hard as geared. Also, and you likely know it, you race differently than when on a geared bike; you can't get as fast, and you need to push harder on hills if you don't want to run them.

You planning on riding at Sun Prairie next week or a different race? If sun prairie, I will see you there.

A side note, if you return to riding the Pompano, try practicing with lower tire pressure, and see how low you can get before to pinch flat. It won't make the hills easier, but it makes a huge difference in the turns, which can let you carry speed into a hill. My rule this year is to not use my brakes except at the barriers. of course, as a result, I went otb on the off camber jog on the little ridge south of the main spectator area on Sunday...

Good luck, and hope to see you on Saturday!

Skankingbiker

Hey Andrew! Congrats on your top finish. Yes, I am planning sun prairie this weekend. I am still debating between the pompino geared at 40x19 and the MTB. I don't know which is more of a disadvantage---no gears on a proper cx bike, or gears but a heavy frame (that cant be shouldered) and fat tires (2.1).

I feel like a *should* race the MTB, but want to race the Pompino. It looks like a difficult course for ss in that there are flat paved, rolling grass, and a few very steep hills (though not nearly as long as Badger Prairie). [I couldn't make it up that back end hill at Badger Prairie on a good day, but by the third lap, I had no gas for the first singletrack uphill after the road crossing]

I will try fooling around with the pressures this week. at 45 psi..it felt like I was sinking in the ground...but at 215 lbs on tires rated at 50 psi, I am a little reluctant to go lower.

That's for the advice and encouragements

Skankingbiker

2nd race under my belt. Not last. No puking. Had a blast. I did get passed by a 10yr old girl though.... 38x19 gearing was perfect for me.

Andy_K 

Awesome! Congrats.

Huffandstuff

I started racing this year and was surprised at how fast the Cs were. Swapping to SS was the best idea though, I know for a fact that I won't win so I get to just have fun instead of working to hold my position.