Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

Very much enjoyed the team race at Great Walstead today. I was never going to be competitive starting behind 100 riders with a lap that tight (and short) but it was a good technical course that seemed to fare quite well in terms of mud for the time of year. Will have to find a team so I can start up front next year.

Now to watch the elites at Tabor.

also, @Howard, which jockey wheels are you using in your X9? I went to oil my chain last night and found them completely seized. I switched to some cheap Shimano wheels but had some trouble getting everything to index properly.

also, @Howard, which jockey wheels are you using in your X9? I went to oil my chain last night and found them completely seized. I switched to some cheap Shimano wheels but had some trouble getting everything to index properly.

I have XO and X9. I use the stock SRAM jockeys. I believe one of them is directional, which is why the shimano ones might not play quite right.

They always seize because they have sealed bearings in them that can't cope with the amount of water and gunk they are subjected to. To fix them I just pop the wheels out, pry off the seals, blast the gunk out with brake cleaner, dry, spin them, then pack with Phil grease and re-install everything.

A bit like BB30 bearings now I come to think of it...

Need to replace all the bearings in my Novatec hubs, too. yay!

Are you insinuating doping?

I doubt CX is devoid of it, but if you can't be good when you're young without suspicion then when can you be? All three of today's podium finishers have been winning cross races at the junior and u23 categories before moving to the Elites, so I doubt anyone who follows CX is surprised they've carried that habit with them.

Van der Poel isn't short of a bit of genetic help either, is he?

Will have to find a team so I can start up front next year.

I'd be surprised if a few teams aren't thinking of approaching you with a view for riding for them next season, given how well you've done this season.

(this wasn't on tv but shows) where Van Aert lost his chances of getting close enough to Van der Poel to make it an even more exciting race

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/sportwereld/cnt/dmf20150201_01504745

Good analysis as usual, but doesn't fully explain Powers' curiously dismal performance.

http://cyclocosm.com/2015/02/how-the-race-was-won-mens-cyclocross-world-championships-2015/

He's not the best on tough, technical, muddy circuits.

Unusually, he's very, very quiet on social media today.

Yeah - I expect he was a bit gutted. Was probably targeting a top ten, which may have been a bit optimistic.

Ian Field crashed on the last lap battling for 15th apparently, and even his 21st place seems like a fair result.

I think top ten on that course was optimistic.

I know he's heard this a thousand times, but if Powers wants to get into the world top ten he needs to move over to Belgium for 6 months of the year. Cherry picking races from the US calendar and racing World Cups plus one or two other races a year isn't enough.

Blast of GT85 and packed with grease and they're turning again. From the look of the bearings those seals don't do much.

In other cross related woe I hit some rubble/bricks underneath mud on Sunday and have put a large divot in my (tubular) rim. Is pressure from a vice and two pieces of wood either side of the rim the recommended course of action?

Twist it back into place with mole grips?

Kill it in the face with fire

This year has been hard on my bike - rebuilt it last night and pretty much every bearing is shagged

Nice interview with two of the Canuks who raced on Sunday. Hopefully Mark hasn't broken his nose, but it doesn't look promising!

http://pedalmag.com/?p=231254&preview=true

Best shoes for watching the cross!

Interestingly i've been joking when I half-slip walking across fields to the sign on that my file tread trainers are the wrong pressure. Never goes down well in a crowd

These look perfect, if not in an anti kind of way.

What a waste of the original Michelin Muds.

I think Wout Van Aert was riding a pair of them on Sunday, obviously a pair of tubs but with this tread.

yes he was. that and the switch to a single ring on the front didn't do him much good unfortunately

I think he was riding CX1 for most of the season. Just unlucky on the day. https://www.sram.com/news-articles/wout-van-aert-s-sram-force-cx1-hrd-race-bike

I see, cheers. the Belgian Sporza commenters were hinting that he made 2 major changes to his normal set-up, being the tyres and the CX1

funny though that it should happen to him and so unlucky on that day indeed.

since I switched to a single narrow/wide ring and a short cage Zee derailleur with locking mechanism (on my 29er) the chain has not come off once

@andyp got one a few weeks ago. For the price you get a great return. As you say, the geom is quite upright. On my commute set-up running 700 23 grand prix its top notch.

Yeah the front fork does take a mud guard looking at getting these for mine.
http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/accessories-c11/mudguards-c146/pdw-full-metal-fender-set-p11122

and heres a pic of the beast...

From your standard bb to the eccentric bb is a mind blower... chain line and chain tension is easy peasey.

I've just literally hit it with a hammer and that seems to have flatted out the worst of it. Mole grips just ended up denting the other side of the rim.

Now to find the slow puncture that means I lose 10 psi every race and end up dinging my rims.

Fame @J.Dennis from today's Metro.

http://www.londonxleague.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/mterocx2015.pdf

see also...

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/08/cyclocross-off-road-bike-racing-skinny-tyres-mud-obstacles

Rotor bsa cranks - are these a good chocie for cx? I want to replace the FSA ones that came with the Giant (purely out of vanity) and there are a couple on here for good prices.

The main issue with cranks in CX is that they get scratched to fuck. Black cranks are especially prone to this.

I've just fitted a pair of Rotors to my Giant, but have invested in some crank skins from the aptly named crankskins.com to try and delay the inevitable for as long as possible.