Santa Barbara 'Cross

Elings Park, Santa Barbara... end of last week.

It's a big park with all these trails wrapped around it. A little too technical for cross, but mighty fun at the top, with intersecting trails and whoop-di-doos. I ran into some Platinum dudes riding full carbon mountain rigs. Awesome.

rush hour

Two Blue Trains leave different Santa Monica trailheads heading toward each other. When and where do they meet?

Train Mountain Bike starts from Bayliss and travels 70 mph up the 16% max grade of Westridge Road. Then LG kits look great on dirt as they hit all the notable singletrack spurs and are amazed by the views and open space inside LA.

At the same time Train Cyclocross, traveling 66 mph, starts up Sullivan Fire Road. They spin to win and practice run-ups when a good embankment reveals itself. Sullivan Ridge tests their climbing prowess on their narrow tires but they reach the top with ease.

When do the two trains meet? How far from each trailhead do they meet? More importantly, how surprised are they when the two run into each other? And who was holding the camera?

To solve this problem, we'll use the distance formula:
rate x time = distance,

and then look in the back of the book for the answers...

Train Blue Cross approx. 5.6 miles
Train Blue MTB approx. 6.4 miles
Time of picture: 7:32AM

Thanks to Matty D for holding the camera.
He'd like to remind you that if you aren't on the AM dirt ride, you don't know what you're missing no matter what flavor your knobbies are.

We could all use a little more of this kind of morning traffic.

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Vuelta Ex-Pat

In my opinion, the best highlight of the '08 Vuelta... but since it is not televised and I haven't seen any other highlights I would not rely on my objectivity.

1 day 'til CX racing

THINGS TO BRING
1) A list of insults to yell at your friend while he races
*no insults at the ladies please
2) Fat, yet skinny, tires
3) A dress - if you're into that sort of thing
4) A helmet is probably a good idea
5) Cross bike (or Field bike as they're sometimes called)

Destroy your safe and happy life before it is too late: Race Cross.

Work and life bum me out but not today,
tomorrow is the start of cross season.

The Art of Cross is the official name for the first event and it is appropriate because Cross is equal parts this and this. As dudes will show up in plum smugglers nothing is predictable. I won't be lining up, instead just trying to avoid the bummer life. Just prevent this tragedy called "cross" from infecting your family, otherwise you're loved ones may start wearing costumes to more than just bike races.

2 days 'til CX racing

When you're racing in the Midwest there is one household name who really stands out in bicycle racing. Steve Tilford is an ageless force to be reckoned with. Besides his LONG history of racing in the Pro Tour to riding the dirt for Specialized all the way until the late 90's Steve has yet to hang up his racing shoes. I don't know another soul who lives harder to race his bike. These days he lives in the Kansas City area tending to an apartment complex and rescuing ferrel cats. The rest of his time is spent on his bike.

Besides his astounding ability to keep performing at a pro level with a blonde perm is the legend and lore that follow him to every race. Take for instance an email I received from a friend this year. "I went racing in Kansas City this weekend. Tilford came up on me and I told him if he wanted to go around me to just say the word and I would make room. All I heard back from him was his yelling, 'IF YOU CAN TALK YOU'RE NOT RIDING HARD ENOUGH!'"

BUT PERHAPS, oh sorry I didn't take off the all-caps. But perhaps the highlight of this season was during a breakaway at the Hillsboro Roubiax Road Race when he told the other two he was attacking with that they could get second and third the easy way or the hard way. They could sit back and enjoy the breakaway and take second and third without a care or they could belly up, be forced to race hard and take second and third after a long hard morning in the saddle. The two told Steve, "no, we want to race hard. you're not going to beat us." With that Tilford put his head down and drove them into the ground for sixty miles. And at the finish they still took second and third - the hard way.

However, when it comes to cross racing the four-time US national cross champ has a highlight that should have made ESPN's play of the day for a week. At a race in 2006 Tilford wrecked into a frozen pond getting completely soaked and icy. But he didn't pull out of the race, instead he just got up rode his ice-covered drivetrain to the pit, got a new bike and put it into overdrive. Don't take my word for it, just look at Velonews and Cyclingnews to get the details.

3 days 'til CX racing

December 16, 2007 US Cyclo-Cross Champs, Kansas City, Missouri.

When the riders got 'called-up' and an official says "you taken off them jeans?" A reply of "no" comes while giving him a look that says "what else would I wear dumb ass?" this made me feel warm all over. Number 60 backed up the rodeo look by riding side saddle on the top tube between the two runup sections. Fantastic race.
















The end of Treefarm's Nationals...


The camera work in this snowy vid is neat-o!

4 days 'til CX racing

As the night time temps drop into the 50s and the leaves start to fall all of the sudden I'm looking at single chainring setups on cyclocrossworld.com or the right kind of tires for hardpack. With cross season descending on SoCal this weekend I know a lot of you are gearing up and getting ready. Some have been training for months and others not at all. Either way Sullivan Canyon has gotten a new image over the last month and while the road season is a fading memory I will attempt to take the next few days to regurgitate a few memories from the Midwest. I might not be racing 'cross right away but I might as well help motivate some of the team. Now repeat after me... "I love cross racing! I love cross racing!"

Up Piuma

off season riding routes...who's up for the 405?