Cyclocross, anyone?

Discussion in 'Cycling' started by Michael K., Aug 13, 2010.

  1. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I 'm not up on cross. What's wrong with Nys?
     
  2. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
    Club:
    Club Brugge KV
    Once sold a WC title to Rabo!
     
  3. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
    Club:
    Club Brugge KV
    This Nieuwsblad column shares many of Vannieuwkerke's arguments.
     
  4. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--


    Gotta put this in two places here.
     
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  5. Dead Fingers

    Dead Fingers Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jan 22, 2004
    St. Paul, Minnesota
    Club:
    Minnesota United FC
    Someone get me a waffle.
     
  6. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
    Club:
    Club Brugge KV
    http://www.nieuwsblad.be/sportwereld/cnt/DMF20130206_006

    Some of these are hilarious! (Unfortunately in Dutch)
    The gist of it: Twitter users mocking Roger De Vlaeminck for his exaggerated reaction at the notion that Nys is the GOAT.
    Having said that, he is factually 100% correct. A guy with two world titles can never be the greatest ever, not if there is another guy who has seven of them. Even if you factor in the different eras.
     
  7. johan neeskens

    Jan 14, 2004
    It's a Dutch-Belgian thing, let's leave it at that.
     
  8. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
    Club:
    Club Brugge KV
    It's not even about Holland, it's about putting the interests of the team above the nation.
    I have no problems with Nys not being able to forget his team allegiances, but he should then not have accepted the invite for the WC team.
     
  9. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    I think I may give this a shot next week. Thinking about attending a clinic on Monday night.
     
    Dead Fingers and aveslacker repped this.
  10. Michael K.

    Michael K. Member

    Mar 3, 1999
    There or Thereabouts
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Is NYCross holding another one in Troy? I did one there a couple years ago - gave me a pretty good primer on the basics.
     
  11. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    It was this morning. It is always the first week of the rec soccer program that I run, so I can never go. They have Monday night rides at the local park that you did that race here is a couple of years ago.

    They are running a Thursday night race series in Troy right now. Next Thursday is the last race, but look at these shots. Sorta cool looking.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/dannygoodwin/sets/72157635404778784/
     
  12. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Well that was interesting first experience. Spent 45 minutes with my heart rate in the zone 4/5 border, a pretty hard feat. And this was a 'casual' ride.

    So I show up and I know a few people there. One of the guru's of local cycling comes up to me shaking his head at me already. Apparently water bottles and holders are frowned upon (if you are going to carry your bike over obstacles). Oh well, I've been riding this bike on the street for two years. Next my tires were set for road riding with 80psi. Should be around 40 for off road riding. Took some air out but I quickly found out what over-inflated tires do in a tight turn, and its not good. We won't even mention the rack on the back of the bike for my paniers for commuting. I knew that was probably bad, but this was advertised as a casual ride. I was casual.

    Anyhow, I stayed to the back and went through a series of twists through trees and up and down little hills taking a full tour of the park. Did a series of practice dismounting and remounting the bicycle. Really sucked at that, especially has your heart rate gets up into the red zone. Survived the fitness trail in the trees only having to dismount once when I hit a patch of thick rock on a steep uphill where my bike sank and came to a complete stop.

    Did two laps. It has my interest. Still not sure if I want to race yet. I have two months to decide. Anyway, for 45 minutes, covered 7 miles, average HR in the 160's and nearly 600 calories burned. Definitely a good workout. Since I have to play goalkeeper this Sunday for my O-40 soccer team, I'm thinking of heading over to the park early in the morning for a couple of laps to get a good workout in.

    And @Michael K., that 'kid' that past you in the race going up the hill, he was there last night. He is now a 19-yo Junior National Champion at Cycle-X. Does pretty much everything effortlessly. His little 12-yo brother was riding with us.
     
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  13. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Awesome story. Very jealous!
     
  14. Michael K.

    Michael K. Member

    Mar 3, 1999
    There or Thereabouts
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's been almost 2 months - are you in? This morning I finally got around to de-commuterizing my bike and just signed up for Saratoga this Sunday. Looking forward to it - after introducing myself to the pain a couple years ago, being both very busy and very broke kept me from ever racing last year. It's easy for me to say this now, when the weather is autumnally glorious and I'm not creaking in pain, extracting cold mud from derailleurs and parts of my body, but I'm looking at racing somewhere almost about every weekend between now and December.

    Oh, and I had several of the same experiences at the clinic (no rack on my bike, but I was running @75 psi until someone helpfully pointed out that that was not going to work.) I'm way too cheap to buy a tubular wheelset so I can run around at a cushy 28 psi, but thinking about going tubeless at some point. Maybe.
     
  15. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Watching the National Championships from Austin TX right now. Muddy mess.
     
  16. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Season is coming up. Took the water bottles and rack off my commuter bike and went for my first group training ride of cyclecross season last night. Practiced a lot of mounting and unmounting on a moving bike. Only landed on my nuts once. Now I just gotta figure out how to fit in a couple races in during soccer season.
     
  17. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pics of your rig?
     
  18. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
  19. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Awesome. I'm looking to buy something like that next time I move to a bike-friendly place for my commute.
     
  20. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Cross bikes are great for short commutes in urban areas. Fast enough. Strurdy enough.
     
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  21. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    I am now committed to race. Signed up for two upcoming races. First one is Columbus weekend, second one in mid-November.
     
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  22. KCFutbol

    KCFutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 14, 2001
    Overland Park, KS
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
     
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  23. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This.
     
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  24. cleansheetbsc

    cleansheetbsc Member+

    Mar 17, 2004
    Club:
    --other--
    Well, that was ugly, hard, fun, crazy.

    38 minutes of my average heart rate at 171 in my zone 5 (My max is around 185, but must really be 4, since you cannot hold 5 for that long).
    Finished 19th out of 20th. Done in by an early crash with a tree root. That left a mark. In addition, turned in my right hood (fell on the left) and popped my front ring from small to big. When I remount, I'm like WTF? I didnt change that! Followed shortly by a crash on a technical downhill the 'arena' section of the course. About 100 people yelling "oooooooh" as I go down. Lots of razzing from the peanut gallery, and to make matters worse the sound system at that moment was blasting 'Yakity Sax.' And then the junior racers who started a minute after me began passing (including one kid I used to coach in soccer about five years ago). Good times.

    What I am good at: Starts, dismounts and obstacle hurdles.

    What I am bad at: Fitness to race cyclecross carrying bike uphill (on morning dew grass).

    Legs are still like jelly, big bruise forming on the side of my upper thigh. Sitting back with advil and coffee watching EPL match.

    Looking forward to mid November's race
     
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  25. aveslacker

    aveslacker Member+

    Ajax
    United States
    Apr 2, 2006
    Old Madras
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Tough luck, but sounds like a great time. I'm amazed at your heart rate stats. That's a hell of a long time to be at that rate.

    Good luck with the next race.
     

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