Tim helped us out yet again with some reviews of a couple of our favorite shop videos. The 9ball Diaries is a documentary about Tim Johnson, Transitions is about the Kona guys heading over to Europe and racing 'cross.
It’s 90+ degrees outside!! That must mean Jackson Park, the first ChiCross race of the year, is just around the corner, right? Unfortunately not. Chicago is experiencing its first heat wave of the season and Palos is STILL un-rideable in mid-June. I needed a distraction to keep from going crazy, riding so much pavement, so I picked up "The 9 Ball Diaries" and "Transition2 - Cross the Pond" cyclocross vids from Iron Cycles to get into a “cool” state of mind.
I expected a mildly entertaining recap of top domestic pros racing in the US and Europe. After finishing both films I realized that there were a lot of good pointers for a cyclocross enthusiast to gain from watching these movies. Bike racers aren’t the most interesting folks to film, so race footage is what I was really interested in, and these movies have a lot of it.
Last year I had the opportunity to watch a few UCI races in person and was awed by the power that the pros put out. When watching the DVDs I noticed more of the finesse and the little things, in addition to raw power, that the top pros have also refined. Cyclocross rewards the complete rider. These people have worked on their bike handling, dismounting and remounting skills, CX starts and the full range of power zones starting with Freaking Hard!!! and then increasing. Many of these skills require just practice with minimal suffering (compared to intervals) which I appreciate.
I enjoyed 9 Ball Diaries a bit more than Transition2, but both are definitely worth watching. 9 Ball is short, only about 50 minutes, but I think that it has better race footage. It follows Tim Johnson during his ’08 USGP of Cyclocross and CX Nats campaign. The movie starts with Tim riding his cross bike through singletrack as he explains how it helps him with handling. At times during races we see him carving tight corners and using those handling skills, incredibly in tune with the cornering ability of his tires. Most people who race would benefit from spending more time practicing ripping around on grass and dirt during the week like they race on the weekends. Testing the limits of their equipment and improving handling ability.
Transition2 has a broader focus and more footage of the lifestyle and travels of US EuroCrossCamp racers. It also shows some cool euro courses with pumptracks and a lot of run-ups. Bike shouldering (picking the bike up and carrying it with the top tube on your shoulder) isn’t as vital of a skill in Chicago, but it is still easy to work on and good skill to have.
When watching the films or any races notice the little things other riders do that add up over the course of a 30-60 minute race.
-Finding the pedal and getting clipped in immediately at the start
-Getting the hole shot.
-Taking corners like they are on rails
-Fast dismounts and remounts
-Immediately finding the pedals on remounts
-Digging deep to hold onto a stronger rider’s wheel to draft and recover
Hopefully Palos dries out soon so I can take my CX bike out and practice these skills.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Superweek is here!
Tim sent me this today to recap his weekend of racing:
Superweek - Blue Island and Elgin Race Recap:
Superweek - Blue Island and Elgin Race Recap:
Blue Island: When deciding my race schedule I almost skipped Blue Island. Some people complain that it is a “boring” rectangle crit. I decided the course, which almost a guarantees a large field spint, is what most Chicago area crits are about. Learning how to sprint and win out of a pack is a necessary skill in Chicago.
We start almost on time and get rolling for 25 one mile laps. I’ve raced here the past three years and knew exactly what to expect. The first few laps had some break attempts, but they never gained more than a few seconds on the field before being reeled back in. The racing continued that way until mile 13 when I made a jump. I had a few people come with, but they didn’t stay for long and I was out front alone. I had a decent gap and felt good so I committed to it and put my head down. The gap grew to nearly 20 seconds and I kept pushing. After 6 miles out front I saw that the pel was getting organized and I would be caught. With 5 laps left I backed off the pedals until I was caught. 15 minutes in a solo break, let’s see what’s left in the tank.
With 2 laps to go a South Chicago Wheelmen rider was on point and did an awesome job setting a good tempo. Usually there are people swarming to the front and then hitting the brakes, not wanting to do any work once they get there. He is setting a great pace and the pack is kept at bay. I’m sitting 2ndwheel coming into turn 3 on the final lap when the swarm finally came. I was pushed back to about 8thplace. Turn 4 I took an outside line as I hear pedals skidding across pavement to my inside. Thankfully I stay clear and look ahead to choose a wheel to follow. The riders ahead separate into a right and left group, so decided to go for daylight and shoot up the middle. I’ve been working on my sprinting and it felt great to actually pull ahead! I thought that I was clear, until I saw the wheel of Ernie C. closing and nip me at the line by about a wheel length.
Despite not winning, I was really happy with my performance. Soloing for 15 minutes and then having enough left to take 2ndin a sprint is nothing to be disappointed about. Well, it would have been nice to finally get a W, but I can tell that my form is improving and hopefully it will come soon.
Elgin Road Race: This recap will be short. 25 mile road race that was more like a narrow crazy crit course. One long stretch of road was used twice, for out and back, with metal fencing set up to divide the road. The back in portion was ridden in the left lane which led into a left turn (foreshadowing).
I was riding well floating between 1stand 10thposition most of the race until the “back in” portion of divided road on lap 4. I took the left turn too fast and my wheel slid out. I had a bad feeling about that turn before the race, and now I know why. I ass and elbow skidded until running into the curb. I jumped up, worried that someone else would make the same mistake and run into me. I was a bit shell shocked and had trouble getting my chain back on until the SRAM support gave me a hand. Everything was in working order, so I decided to try to chase and finish strong. I chased for the final 5 mile lap but wasn’t able to make up ground.
During the last lap, after making my way past that same left hand turn, there was an equally questionable right corner that dipped into poorly patched asphalt. Off to the left of the street I saw a Tower Racer laying in the grass being attended to by medics. Coming into the final turn I saw 3 more people off to the left in the grass, taking stock of their wounds, and a bit farther up the road a Bicycle Heaven rider was shouldering his bike and walking away from the course. There must have been some real carnage on that last lap.
Give me a “boring” race on good roads any day over attempting to stage a race with questionable pavement and too narrow courses. Now I have to replace my shorts and jersey. Actually, I think I'll patch it up and wear it for the next few races until I end my road season. Why risk it with nice new stuff. Give me dirt and grass. Bring on Cyclocross season.
It's the first of our race recaps for the newly formed Iron Cycles Racing team. Thanks Tim for getting us going!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Lynskey Cooper tested
I received my M/L Lynskey Cooper about 6 weeks ago. Built with SRAM Force which was leftover from my cross bike last year, DT Swiss RR1850's, 3T Ergonova aluminum bars, and Thomson stem/post, it came in at about 17 lbs. Not bad for a road bike with nary a wieght weenie part in sight. I couldn't help but to dress her up for the photo shoot with some Zipp 808's, so enjoy the eye candy:
Initally I was blown away by the finish more than anything else. The hand brushed Ti just does it for me. With the white decals the frame just screams class.
Background: The Cooper is a new frame for Lynskey. If you can do without custom sizing, the Cooper may be a good idea for you. It comes in small, medium, medium/large, large, and extra large. Geometry can be found on the site, but with this kind of size run, there's a Cooper for most everyone.
My initial rides are hardly something to base a review on. Not because there was anything wrong with the bike, quite the contrary. The rides were short and very spirited, so I was able to test the stiffness of the bottom bracket for power transfer.
From a near stop at a light and jumping on the pedals at full-force (which for me right now is less than impresive!) showed a very stiff bottom bracket and no flex. At the same time, while tooling around Chicago I noticed the frame did a very good job of keeping the harshness of the road at bay.
Flashing back to the finish, after a somewhat wet ride which included a couple of not-so-nice roads, I got back to Iron Cycles with a very dirty bike. I threw my bike into the stand, wet down a shop towel with some Green Fizz from Pedro's, and about 4 minutes later I had a bike that looked brand new. You can't beat Ti for durability.
As the weather gets better I plan on putting some more miles on my Cooper. With such spastic weather in the Midwest in the spring, you never know when a good day is to ride, so she'll be ready when the time comes.
Initally I was blown away by the finish more than anything else. The hand brushed Ti just does it for me. With the white decals the frame just screams class.
Background: The Cooper is a new frame for Lynskey. If you can do without custom sizing, the Cooper may be a good idea for you. It comes in small, medium, medium/large, large, and extra large. Geometry can be found on the site, but with this kind of size run, there's a Cooper for most everyone.
My initial rides are hardly something to base a review on. Not because there was anything wrong with the bike, quite the contrary. The rides were short and very spirited, so I was able to test the stiffness of the bottom bracket for power transfer.
From a near stop at a light and jumping on the pedals at full-force (which for me right now is less than impresive!) showed a very stiff bottom bracket and no flex. At the same time, while tooling around Chicago I noticed the frame did a very good job of keeping the harshness of the road at bay.
Flashing back to the finish, after a somewhat wet ride which included a couple of not-so-nice roads, I got back to Iron Cycles with a very dirty bike. I threw my bike into the stand, wet down a shop towel with some Green Fizz from Pedro's, and about 4 minutes later I had a bike that looked brand new. You can't beat Ti for durability.
As the weather gets better I plan on putting some more miles on my Cooper. With such spastic weather in the Midwest in the spring, you never know when a good day is to ride, so she'll be ready when the time comes.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Continental Mountain King 2.2 Supersonic tested!
After my last little trail ride on semi-slicks in the mud, I decided I needed something with a bit more bite. After reviewing some catalogs and getting some suggestions, I placed an order for some Conti Mountain King 2.2 Supersonics.
Out of the box they were weighing in at a hair over 500g each. Not the lightest tire out there, but in line with other tires. The rubber also seemed really thin-walled, but nothing that some Stan's sealant won't take care of.
Now, 2.2 isn't normally my style. But these things measured under a caliper at 1.96 at the outer-most part of the casing. I was surprised, but that's what I was looking for.
Installing them wasn't as east as my Stan's The Crows, they didn't want to seat very easily. But, after throwing a tube in, getting one side into the bead and removing the tube, I was able to get them mounted. They did seem to leak air until the ride was actually under way, so I must have not gotten the Stan's Sealant to fully cover the inside of the tire. But once underway they held air just like they should.
More prepared this time with Matt (spare tubes, CO2, etc) we set out on the same loop as Sunday. Today was just as muddy as Sunday, maybe more so since we had some rain yesterday. Out on the road the Continentals didn't roll quite as fast but they were a long way from slow.
Once we hit the trail I saw the advantage to carrying the extra weight and suffering through slightly more rolling resistance. I was really able to lean in the bike and was really surprised with the grip climbing the small, muddy climbs we have here in the Midwest.
The Mountain Kings didn't seem to shed mud as quickly as I was hoping for, but then again I didn't get to ride far without plowing through more mud.
I won't go too far with this review since I only have about 2 hours on the tires on the trail, but initial impressions are good. I'll keep rolling these tires for a few more weeks and see what happens.
Out of the box they were weighing in at a hair over 500g each. Not the lightest tire out there, but in line with other tires. The rubber also seemed really thin-walled, but nothing that some Stan's sealant won't take care of.
Now, 2.2 isn't normally my style. But these things measured under a caliper at 1.96 at the outer-most part of the casing. I was surprised, but that's what I was looking for.
Installing them wasn't as east as my Stan's The Crows, they didn't want to seat very easily. But, after throwing a tube in, getting one side into the bead and removing the tube, I was able to get them mounted. They did seem to leak air until the ride was actually under way, so I must have not gotten the Stan's Sealant to fully cover the inside of the tire. But once underway they held air just like they should.
More prepared this time with Matt (spare tubes, CO2, etc) we set out on the same loop as Sunday. Today was just as muddy as Sunday, maybe more so since we had some rain yesterday. Out on the road the Continentals didn't roll quite as fast but they were a long way from slow.
Once we hit the trail I saw the advantage to carrying the extra weight and suffering through slightly more rolling resistance. I was really able to lean in the bike and was really surprised with the grip climbing the small, muddy climbs we have here in the Midwest.
The Mountain Kings didn't seem to shed mud as quickly as I was hoping for, but then again I didn't get to ride far without plowing through more mud.
I won't go too far with this review since I only have about 2 hours on the tires on the trail, but initial impressions are good. I'll keep rolling these tires for a few more weeks and see what happens.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Stan's Notubes ZTR Race wheelset
I'd rather not write a full review on one ride, so I'll give you a basic rundown with specs and initial impressions:
First, out of the box my wheelset came in at 1,180 grams. Yes, 1,180. That includes valves and rim tape. I couldn't really wrap my head around it either, so you're not alone. I got them built in standard form, with black DT Swiss spokes (I think Revolutions), red alloy nipples, and American classic hubs.
This is my first experience with American Classic disc hubs, and so far I like them. I have heard a number of stories about older models from AC having bearing trouble, but from what I understand those issues have long-since been worked out.
Back to the wheels. Out of the box they were perfectly true vertically and laterally. Not a single nipple needed to be turned which is nice. Matt has gotten me used to building wheels, so grabbing a pair out of a box was nice.
After a quick shot of air from the compressor the tire bead set in. I decided to give the Notubes The Crow a shot since I liked them some much last season on my 29er. Once the bead was a filled the tires with some Notubes sealant and was on my way.
Today's ride started out with about 20 min on the road to warm up. I was shocked on fast those wheels spun up. A hard burst of power and I was rolling down the road at 27-28mph!
Once Matt and I hit Labaugh Woods since it was the only thing that wasn't closed because of mud. We dropped in from the road and tore through the first mile or two of single track. This was my first ride offroad in months now and my training has really been lacking, so I happy to have some super light wheels and my new ride.
Matt ended up flatting just a few miles in, so our ride was cut short, but the ZTR Race wheelset held air that was put in last night without losing pressure, which is something I noticed on previous Stan's wheelsets. Left overnight, I always saw a couple PSI lost.
I'm going to be spending as much time on these wheels as possible to see how they hold up. Any light wheelset can spin up fast and impress off the bat, but how will they do after months or even a year of riding under me? My technical skills are not going to impress anyone, I hit things hard and I'm not super smooth. We'll see how they do!
First, out of the box my wheelset came in at 1,180 grams. Yes, 1,180. That includes valves and rim tape. I couldn't really wrap my head around it either, so you're not alone. I got them built in standard form, with black DT Swiss spokes (I think Revolutions), red alloy nipples, and American classic hubs.
This is my first experience with American Classic disc hubs, and so far I like them. I have heard a number of stories about older models from AC having bearing trouble, but from what I understand those issues have long-since been worked out.
Back to the wheels. Out of the box they were perfectly true vertically and laterally. Not a single nipple needed to be turned which is nice. Matt has gotten me used to building wheels, so grabbing a pair out of a box was nice.
After a quick shot of air from the compressor the tire bead set in. I decided to give the Notubes The Crow a shot since I liked them some much last season on my 29er. Once the bead was a filled the tires with some Notubes sealant and was on my way.
Today's ride started out with about 20 min on the road to warm up. I was shocked on fast those wheels spun up. A hard burst of power and I was rolling down the road at 27-28mph!
Once Matt and I hit Labaugh Woods since it was the only thing that wasn't closed because of mud. We dropped in from the road and tore through the first mile or two of single track. This was my first ride offroad in months now and my training has really been lacking, so I happy to have some super light wheels and my new ride.
Matt ended up flatting just a few miles in, so our ride was cut short, but the ZTR Race wheelset held air that was put in last night without losing pressure, which is something I noticed on previous Stan's wheelsets. Left overnight, I always saw a couple PSI lost.
I'm going to be spending as much time on these wheels as possible to see how they hold up. Any light wheelset can spin up fast and impress off the bat, but how will they do after months or even a year of riding under me? My technical skills are not going to impress anyone, I hit things hard and I'm not super smooth. We'll see how they do!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Welcome!
This will be the new spot to catch up on everything bicycle related in Chicago. We plan to have reviews of new drive trains, components, frames, clothing, and anything else we can get our grubby hands on.
So far we've played with a Campagnolo Super Record 11 kit, the new Lynksey Cooper and Ridgeline 29 models, the DT Swiss XRC100 fork and XR Carbon shock, some white Nokons, Zero Gravity cyclocross brakes, and Scrub Components brake rotors to name just a few.
Now, don't get the idea we'll only cover super-high-end parts. We'll cover some Endura clothing made with the commuter in mind, some tires made to last longer than your legs ever will, and everything in between.
Finally, we'll be posting some good info on bike fit. As I write our WAterford Fitmaster is on it's way to the shop. In about 60 minutes we'll be ready to fit anyone to anything and we'll be sharing those experiences and some good tips as we go.
Please follow along with us through the trials of opening a new shop dedicated to everything that cycling and triathlon has to offer. We've takenour passion and (hopefully) turned it into a business so we can share what we love with others, and if we're lucky learn a few things along the way.
Stop in at see us at 2860 W Montrose in Chicago. Maybe you'll be geeked over bike stuff just like us!
So far we've played with a Campagnolo Super Record 11 kit, the new Lynksey Cooper and Ridgeline 29 models, the DT Swiss XRC100 fork and XR Carbon shock, some white Nokons, Zero Gravity cyclocross brakes, and Scrub Components brake rotors to name just a few.
Now, don't get the idea we'll only cover super-high-end parts. We'll cover some Endura clothing made with the commuter in mind, some tires made to last longer than your legs ever will, and everything in between.
Finally, we'll be posting some good info on bike fit. As I write our WAterford Fitmaster is on it's way to the shop. In about 60 minutes we'll be ready to fit anyone to anything and we'll be sharing those experiences and some good tips as we go.
Please follow along with us through the trials of opening a new shop dedicated to everything that cycling and triathlon has to offer. We've takenour passion and (hopefully) turned it into a business so we can share what we love with others, and if we're lucky learn a few things along the way.
Stop in at see us at 2860 W Montrose in Chicago. Maybe you'll be geeked over bike stuff just like us!
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