Lupine Cramer On The Podium

Lupine Cramer, racing for Robert Hamlin Bicycles, came out of her self imposed short term retirement to race once again at a Utah Cyclocross race in Salt Lake City last Sunday.  Cramer, spinning a 36x22 on her Pake C'Mute singlespeed, easily finished in second place.  For three laps she reamained about 10 seconds behind the winner, often reminding her father in a fiery tone, each time he told her to go faster and move into first place, "no, Dad, I don't want to do that."  OK.  Pushy father.  Pushy, pushy.

Robert Hamlin, on the other hand, quit on Sunday after starting his third lap because he was a quitter, going backwards the entire race, after he said he was going to go to the front of the race.  Right.  Perhaps he has lost his competitive fire, only standing on the podium twice this year after nine races (last year he was on the podium eight times in ten races).  Quitter.

Waiting For The Light To Turn Green

I saw it coming
On the east sidewalk
She rolled fast, south bound

Into the crosswalk
She assumed the right-of-way
And so did the car

She did not get hurt
I hope she'll ride on the street
Legal, visible

Big Efforts

I put in some real work at the UTCX races yesterday, doubling up again racing 45+ and Singlespeed.  I will not bore you with all the race details and placings.  The short story is, when I got in the car to drive home, I felt quite satisfied with my big efforts.  I went about as hard as I could all day.  I left nothing out there.  If there was anything else in my hand, I would have thrown that at my competitors too, but there was nothing left.

Also, Jamey Driscoll, one of the top U.S. cyclocross professionals, showed up to race.  He won easily in front of the likes of Alex Grant.  Yes, I am a big fan, and I got his autograph.  My biggest thrill ever:  right as he was about to lap me, I rode over a huge head-high log pile while he dismounted and ran.  After the log pile, he went right around me like a rocket, but I postponed his pass for a second or two.

Ouch, That Hurts

My arms are really sore from Sunday's races.  In the 45+ race I bunny-hopped two log barriers every lap.  They were only about a foot high.  I was flying over the logs, lifting both wheels at the same time rather than the slower front-wheel-then-real-wheel "bronco" style hop.  I was feeling confident, but I chose to run the two traditional barriers, about 1.5 feet high.  I have always been able to bunny-hop, but in cyclocross races going so hard that I'm usually near the end of my physical rope, I've always been too scared to hop the big barriers.  If you miss and smack a wheel on a barrier at speed you could easily end up on your face.  Also you have to hop the first barrier cleanly because if you don't there is no time to set up your hop over the second barrier.

In the singlespeed race something came over me.  The two large traditional barriers were not too close together, so without really thinking much about it I bunny-hopped them nearly every lap.  I almost always got over the first barrier doing the flying lift without even touching it and doing a flying lift/bronco hybrid style hop to get over the second barrier.  The second one was not always clean, but I made it every time.

The 45+ race had six laps with two hops per lap over the logs.  The singlespeed race was nine laps with four barriers per lap.  That makes a total of 48 bunny-hops.  No wonder my arms hurt.  Here is more than you would ever want to read on the subject with video:

http://www.cxmagazine.com/to-hop-or-not-bunny-hopping-cyclocross-barriers

A Better Day

Today was probably the most beautiful day of the year with a bright blue sky and yellow trees.  I woke up, popped two sudafed and four ibuprofen, loaded up the singlespeed and headed to the race in Ogden.  I stayed at the front all day with Art O'Connor and Jeff Ure.  With one to go I went for the win.  I knew it would be first or third.  Yep, I finished third in a three up sprint.  It was good to get back on the podium.  Here is a nice picture from last week, sporting the new shop colors.

Not My Best

I had a rough outing at the cyclocross race in Ogden today.  I started slow, in 13th position.  On the third lap I moved up four or five spots, a little closer to the fast guys, but then started to drift back.  My power(s) failed me.  Especially on a long section of thick wet grass.  I finished right where I started, my worst result in a cross race since 2007.  I'm getting sick, and had a low grade fever, but I pushed as hard as I could.  Tomorrow I will try again, sick or not.  I'll be on the singlespeed.  The geared bike I rode today is dead.  There is a crack running nearly half way around the seat tube at the bottom bracket shell.

My Schedule

In the shop this afternoon, hot laps at the fairgrounds before dark, on the road by 8pm tonight, in a hotel room in Richfield, UT by 1am, up and at 'em checking cameras at dawn, US 6 in the twilight, and home before midnight Thursday.  Friday?  I will take a nap, ride, and then it's a double cross weekend in Ogden, races on both Saturday and Sunday.  Easy.

Yesterday's Cyclocross Races

The lungs hurt today from too much dirt and dust and two races.  I finished fourth in the Masters 45+ race and fifth in the Singlespeed race.  Here is a video of the 45+ race.  My buddy Jason stumbled getting a foot out before the barriers and let me get around him for the fourth place spot.

Utah Cyclocross #1, 2012

This is the one I missed.  My mountain bike was down.  Really, I wish I would have been there.  I think I would have been just fine on the cross bike in the mountians.  Nice work Adam!


UTCX 1 - Snowbird from Grizzly Adam on Vimeo.

This Week

I should be open Wednesday through Friday in the afternoons.  I'll try to get back from the 'cross race in time to open on Saturday.

I've had a good week of training so far.  I rode Green Canyon easy on Sunday, rode hot laps and ran the steps 10 times on Monday, and did hot laps again last night.  I will do one lap efforts tonight, ride easy on Friday, and tear the pedals off on Saturday.