Well, this season crept up on me quickly! I have ridden my cross bike twice since the Paris to Ancaster (back in April), and both times have had problems with the rear derailleur, it was problematic in the P2A. So Saturday last week I took off the barcon and put on a 105 9-speed (if anyone has a 9-speed Dura-Ace or Ultregra, let me know) One week and counting. Monday I applied a fresh coat of Latex to my Grifo sew-ups made sure the glue was good FOUR Days to go.
The shifting was good on Saturday but I never adjusted the limits on the derailleur so on Tuesday night before I hoped to ride I worked on the bike and it was dark by the time it seemed OK THREE days to test ride left. Wednesday I went to Pairs Lions park and rode the "cross" course to practice turns and descents (my weakness). Shifting was jumping, so a friend let me barrow his XT rear TWO Days to test ride left. Thursday I put on the less used (never been in a cross race) XT rear and the shifting was nearly perfect, off to Paris Lions Park with tools in the car. Got the shifting smooth as silk. And I was going up the hill quite nicely and beginning to go much faster down the crappy sandy hill. ONE Day to clean and find all my cross paraphernalia (I have a big mean cow bell to be loud!). Friday night everything at the door, directions on the PDA to the More Cowbells Race, which is one of the few true Euro cross style races in Southern Ontario..
Saturday, up and coffee, run the dogs with the bike, back home have a protein shake, pack and leave by 9:00 a.m. ON the road the PDA has a Fatal error (2003-ish Palm) and I had to turn around turn on the computer and print out the directions...
I get to the race, go register, get my numbers, head back to the car pin on three number plates, change inflate tires to 40 psi (seemed a good starting place). and off to the course, rode around about half of it and then off the start line as I see everyone already there! (No real warm up).
Get a poor start, and figure OK I can get warmed up and catch back up and at least get through most the field... First 180 corner I roll my rear tire... snap it back on, the guy in front of me wipes out and I squeak past him. Next corner is 180 so I don't pile around, and of course everyone's been MTB Racing so I'm off the back again. Catch up and another 180, caution again because of rear off goes the pack... OK I'll catch everyone on the strait a ways get ahead and then drop down a bit in the zig-zags... I do pretty good on the technical bit but I'm not warmed up and I don't even feel like I'm racing. I can pull right up to the pack pretty easly but the motor just in warm up mode. This goes through the end of the first lap on through the second lap. Right after the lap mark is a double barricade, and on the third lap I remounted and bounced back on the saddle, and rolled the rear tire completely off... OK I'm not going to get into the pack and take out anyone just take out stragglers. I'm now on a training ride. Lap 3, 4, 5 I'm riding around and on lap six I felt the motor kick in and then I was getting upset I could not hit the corners hard but I flew on the strait a ways. I had no intention of being Lapped if I felt this good, rear tire rolling or not. I ended up not getting lapped 17/20 (w/ one DNF). After the race I felt like I was just ready to start (with fresh wheels of course!). ARGH!!!
I got home and took the Tires off, and cleaned the rims, with lacquer thinner, and went to bed with a headache! Monday I'm buying a can of Victoria glue tomorrow and I do believe I'm going to be doing Tubular Gluing the Belgian Way.
Next week I'm headed for the podium... at the Valley Park Cross Race. I like this race but they seem to put out barricades everywhere, I think every club member makes one and they use them. It won't be easy seems a lot of M1's are racing M2 this year, but that did not seem to stop me last year.
Just a note on Tubular glue, its not what it used to be. I had a pair of wheels in the basement which I took off 25 year old tires about 5 years ago and I had a hard time, my other cross wheels which I glued up two years ago and inadvertently left a home, the tires came off like they weren't even glued on. SO Note to self, next year reglue tires, before first cross race!
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