CycloSportif - Cyclocross

Cyclocross season is over.

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:25:00-0700

For me, that is. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the CycloSportif waffle season is over. What do I have to show for it? This year was epic, but also tough. And by tough, I mean expensive. Expensive in ways that almost make me see red. As the bottom line, that is. First, there was the generator. I loved my generator - what a deal it was! A Boliy 3,000 watt inverter generator for about $1,000! That's about half the price of one from Yamaha or Honda. And rightly so, because it's an eastern European knock-off. That wasn't the problem, though. The problem is that I suck at maintenance. Car, bike, tool, all the same. I use a lot, I maintain very little. Cars and bikes, not a problem. I take them to their respective mechanics. Well, that's stretching it with the bikes, but I do try. Back to the generator - I didn't quite make the connection that as a small motor it requires oil. Oil checks, oil changes, oil refills. So I used it for 2 1/2 seasons without ever checking the oil. And amazingly, it lasted that long. Until one day it didn't - at a 'cross race of course. Luckily, Jake the Frites guy came to my rescue with power I could borrow. But I did have to go out that week and buy a new generator. Ouch. Yes, I've already changed the oil twice. Then, there was the tent. I bought one when I first started this little project, and the second race of its little life it chose to touch the sky. In other words, it was picked up and thrown by the wind, coming down on two unsuspecting spectators and rendering itself permanently damaged. So I rented tents for the next two years. This year I finally decided it was time to get my own tent again, so I went big. I opted to forgo custom graphics and choose a quality tent that would last. $600 for a plain tent. the USGP It was great. Was. Last weekend it met an untimely demise, again at the hands of the unforgiving wind. It was a two-day event (the USGP races) and I left the tent up on Saturday night. Lowered it halfway and used a heavy chain to attach it to my generator. Only gale force winds would move it, and it was a perfectly calm evening as I left. Yep, you guessed it. In came those winds and I found my tent 50 meters from where I left it. The wind had flipped it, smashed it and tipped my (new!) generator on its side and dragged them both along. I set up inside the registration tent and salvaged the day, but barely recovered the cost of the tent. There were a few other expensive mistakes - some inventory choices. Selling retail stuff is tough - if you miscalculate interest or size runs, you are sitting on a big waste of time and money. But the season was still epic - almost every weekend the weather was great, or at least decent. And the crowds are absolutely ridiculous. A few years ago I would make five gallons of waffle mix and call it a good day if I went through all of it. I now make ten gallons per race, and usually sell out before the last race of the day. Three seasons - that means kids are growing up with my waffles. I hear stories of kids talking about the next week's waffle, and how waffles are a mandatory part of their cyclocross experience. I had awesome help from a number of good friends. The new kit design was a huge hit and lots of people are out there racing and riding in it. The season takes its toll on me - staying up way too late on Saturday night making the mix by hand, one mixing bowl at a time; getting up well before dawn to finish preparations and packing the truck or drive to a farther race; setting up, working all day; then packing up again, unloading at home and cleaning everything to do it again the following weekend. All during my racing off-season, when I should be resting and spending time with my family. Now it's over. No more kids calling me the waffle guy. Just "lawyer." (Which is my Batman side and which my Bruce Wayne?) I'd say there's an emptiness, but it's already been overfilled with the projects and family time I've been neglecting. No real time to reflect except this little note. I'll see how things feel when August comes around. For now, I give thanks to everyone who made a Belgian waffle and Nutella part of their cyclocross ritual and who ride in CycloSportif. I'll see you next year. Best, Joshua/CycloSportif

USGP Portland Weekend

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:27:00-0700

Heated massage pillow. I have to say it first, because it is the main reason I can sit here and write. It's Sunday evening, and the end of the USGP men's race also marked the end of CycloSportif waffles for the 2008 season. It was quite a weekend - Saturday would have led us to believe that Portland cyclocross was related to Belgium cyclcross only by measure of affinity and not weather. It was another dry and sunny day - so nice, in fact, that we vendors noticed a significant lack of spectating at the races. We hypothesized that Portlanders were gardening at home or out riding on such a beautiful day - outside "doing" rather than watching. That said, it was still a good day for CycloSportif and the scene was quite impressive. Our local Cross Crusade series may be the biggest in the world in terms of participation, but the USGP feels like Formula One. There was an endless row of pro team tents and pro team trailers with pro team mechanics and, of course, pros. Warming up on trainers. Looking rad and fast. For Cross Crusade races, I make a certain amount of waffle batter (usually five gallons) and when I'm done, that's it. Usually that means I'm sold out by 1:30 or so. For the USGP, I had to commit to waffles as long as beer was being served. Saturday I went through about eight or nine gallons of waffle batter. I had just received a shipment of Swiftwick socks and on a whim picked out some of the new 12" cuff merino wool ones. People were totally into them for 'cross and winter riding and I sold a bunch. Check them out, they rock. The Walz wool and corduroy caps were also a hit. At 4:45 we were suddenly advised that we had to have everything broken down and be off of the premises by 5 pm. There is a Christmas lights display at PIR at night and they lock up the inner part of the track. We did what we could, hoped for the best and sped out of there. I went home, bathed our daughter, cleaned the equipment and made another five gallons of waffle mix, and then headed out to the Cyclocross Superstar Seminar (http://superstarcyclocrossseminar.wordpress.com/) presented by my buddy John at Elite Athletics World and Simon Burney's new clothing company, Schlamm. It was rad to sit and talk to such accomplished 'cross racers and, once we got up the nerve, to ask them anything and everything about racing 'cross. Definitely check out Simon's clothing - www.cyclocross-stuff.com. His crossline clothing shows a ton of attention to detail and decades of experience thinking about what 'cross racers need. It was a really intimate setting and I learned a lot - thanks, guys (and gals)! Most people wanted to know about equipment and training. I wanted to know about where these pros saw 'cross racing going and what the reasons might be. Would 'cross continue to grow, with a longer and longer season replacing cross country mtb? Seems very plausible to me - 'cross is very accessible to lots of people because the races are short and the venues are usually closer to home. We think of it as a fall/winter sport, but it doesn't have to be. Is that something these pros would want? A long 'cross season that they could fully devote themselves to as a primary discipline? I heard two interesting answers hitting at the same problem: money. Sounds like the bike industry would only support 'cross racers to the extent 'cross bikes become a larger segment of sales. And therefore a racer would only do 'cross of they are ensured of prize money or start money. I hadn't thought of the bike industry issue - since we don't have big advertising and fee-paying spectators to subsidize racers, the bike industry would have to pick up the tab. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that. For now, it definitely seems like 'cross is the best option for promoters and others looking to grow interest in bike racing. If you race a mountain bike in March or April all the way through July, why wouldn't you want to race a 'cross bike? What do you think? Anyway, I left the seminar at 10 pm and headed to the grocery store for more supplies, then back home to make a few more gallons of waffle batter and load up the truck for the next day. Yep, I was tired. Sunday reminded us that the Portland/Belgium connection runs deep, as deep as the ruts of derailleur-ripping mud from cold, wet rain. At 7 am, it was surprisingly warm. At 9 am, it had dropped 10 degrees. At noon, the rain came and we were once again the muddiest race of the season. As a partial confirmation of the sun/attendance inverse-relationship hypothesis, the crowds were larger and not many seemed deterred by the worsening weather. The waffle lines were steady all day long. 4:30 came and Ryan Trebon rocketed to a stellar win. No surprise that I was rooting for him, but his ability to rise up under pressure is amazing. If he needs to win, he does. When that's against Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers after they worked him over the day before, he still does. And I have to mention our other local, Sue Butler. She's had an awesome season and capped her pre-nationals program with a podium finish today. Yeah, Sue! And then the day was over. There's a big Cross Crusade party tonight, but I'm too tired. And the heated massage pillow feels to nice. I'll deal with cleaning tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who came by for a waffle, or some clothes, or just to say hello. And thanks to the Cross Crusade guys for putting an amazing amount of time, effort and love into Portland cyclocross. Don't worry, waffles will be there next year. For now, check back soon and the website will be fully operational soon. Really. It has to be. I've got lots of clothes, no 'cross races, and you need some stuff. And your friends and family need gifts, too!

State CX Championships at the Washington County Fairgrounds

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:34:00-0700

We drove out early, partly because I thought it was farther than it actually was, and partly because there is no real sleeping in our house anymore with a six-month-old daughter and a sixteen-year-old dog. It was good that we were early, because the Fairgrounds were blanketed in a thick fog and no one knew exactly where the registration/expo area was. After two bad guesses and one error, we finally found the "dirt road just before the Max stop." Still shrouded in fog, the Fairgrounds were beautiful and set an Ardennes-like stage for racing. The fog and low light silhouetted riders as they passed under rows of tall, barren trees. Very nice. I thought it would be an average day. I should stop lowering my expectations - generally, but definitely for cyclocross races in Oregon and especially the state championships. There were 100 racers in the single speed category alone. Uh, wow. And this course was a mess. A big, sloppy, flat, yes you are going into that cesspool of a 4H horse/cattle ring mess. So, I sold out of waffles by 1 pm. And I sold a lot of socks. Insert small advertisement here: Do yourself a favor - if you ride in the cold and the wet (and the mud), buy some Swiftwick merino wool socks. They rock - awesome, warm, soft foot and tall supportive cuff. You will not be disappointed. And the opportunity to purchase them on this website will be coming very soon!

PIR and the SSCXWC

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:16:00-0700

I should have written you sooner, but it's been pretty busy around here. Where do I begin? PIR and the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (SSCXWC). There are lots of posts and videos, and I suggest you read and watch all of them. It was a ridiculous and fantastic day, both for racers and for CycloSportif. Halfway through the day one of my waffle irons died. Not with a bang, but a whimper. With a waffle half-cooked inside. I assume it was the heating element, the very heart of the iron. This happens about once a year. Unfortunately, it's sudden, unexpected, and can only happen while in use at a race. I could lug an extra one around with me just in case, but that would be way too risk averse for me. So I roll the dice. Bad decision, when the massive heat element infarction occurs on the busiest day of the year thus far. I knew it was going to be crazy. The location was PIR - close to town, so no traveling excuses. The weather was decent - overcast, but no rain, and relatively warm. And the events - a normal Cross Crusade race (with it's 1100+ participants) and then the much-heralded SSCXWC. Did I mention free beer all day for the low purchase price of a $3 mug? So it was madness, and I was down to one iron at 1 pm with 3-4 more hours to go. First I went through the 5-gallon main waffle batter supply. Then the 1 1/2 gallon back-up supply. Then I had to tell everyone it would be 15 minutes and I made the emergency waffle mix. Then it was over. No more batter. Vegan batter gone, too. And the SSCXWC had just started, or maybe it had not even started yet. Thanks to everyone for their voracious waffle appetites and their patience! Yes, I got a new waffle iron the next day.

Barton

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:37:00-0700

Barton is distinct from other cyclocross races. First, it includes a gravel pit. If you don't think that's a big deal, go find a gravel pit and try to ride your bike around in it. It's a strange feeling. The drop into the pit and the climb out can be pretty difficult, especially if the course designer likes to put sharp turns at the bottom. And it's harder if you include gravel. Second, largely because of it's place on the calendar this year, Barton put the North in Northwest cyclocross. Up to this point (except for the opener at Alpenrose), most of the races have been California cyclocross style. No offense to California - those guys race hard. But they do it under warm, sunny skies. And so did we until Barton. Barton gave us a taste of what's to come and why many people love cyclocross: it was wet, cold, and muddy. Sven Nys Koppenberg Cross muddy. Find-a-large-puddle-of-dirty-water-in-the-parking-lot-and-use-it-to-clean-the-mud-out-of-your-eyes muddy. Wet, muddy gravel-strewn downhills are dangerous. Not if you fall but when and triage from there. Face-lacerations-and-separated-shoulders dangerous. Many love Barton for the reasons above. Many hate it. They still come, though. Over 1,000 participants I'm told. I sold out of waffles, a bit later than usual, but I still sold out. And hats, gloves and socks are getting much more popular. It's been raining all week and is supposed to lighten up for this Sunday, another Cross Crusade race and the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships. Last year was the inaugural race and it was outrageous - I can't wait for the second coming.

Astoria - Halloween Cyclocross Weekend

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:45:00-0700

My first double-header of the season. We drove up to the Clatsop County Fairgounds early on Saturday morning (note - taking I-5 this year was much faster than Highway 30 the whole way last year), grabbed a tent and got things going. Although Sunday was the Halloween race, there were a few racers who decided that Saturday was fair game for costumes as well. After a long day, we chained everything big to the generator and hoped it would be there the next morning. I headed down to Gearhart to an amazing house right on the beach (much thanks to HUP United, and especially Lisa May Olson!). A huge family dinner of lasagna and salad was served, and we hung out until very late. At some point I had to clean everything and make another five gallons of waffle batter and some vegan batter, too! Luckily, some of the crew pulled up some floor and chatted with me as I poured mix, cracked eggs, added oil then added water, whipped, poured, and repeated again. No eggs for the vegan mix - silken tofu instead. Sunday was ridiculous. Costumes were in full effect - from a perfect life-size Marvin the Martian replica to twenty guys and girls dressed as Tron. Our tent was still there, although the overnight wind had shifted things around a bit. In fact, it had blown away one of our neighbor's (Bob's Red Mill - http://www.bobsredmill.com/ - awesome oatmeal) tents and they had pulled their truck into that spot to try and block the wind from their other tent. And Chris King pulled their huge truck behind their setup. And so we had to move all of our stuff to be in line with those guys instead of a lone tent behind a bunch of trucks. So scramble we did to get everything moved. Meanwhile, the children of folks who had spent the night in Astoria were slowly gathering and chanting for morning waffles! They did not want to wait for anything. It was hectic. I had made a lot of mix and we blew through it by 1:30 pm. There was a constant line. Pretty amazing since we were next door to Chris King's tent where they were giving away FREE pancakes (as they do every year for the Halloween race, and it's awesome), and on the other side of Chris King was Bob's Red Mill, where they were giving away FREE oatmeal. Of course, I had forgotten something at that house in Gearhart, so we had to drive back down to Gearhart and then back to Portland. It added about 45 minutes or so to the trip, and I was already dead tired. No worries, though. We made it back safely and it was a great weekend.

Rainier Follow-up

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:09:00-0700

Rainier was a beautiful course and a beautiful day. A buddy has signed up to help me at the CycloSportif tent, and it made all of the difference on Sunday. It was especially helpful because of my self-inflicted quad soreness (see fixed gears and DOMS post). My legs felt better on Saturday night after icing and Arnica gel and as much stretching as I could handle, but it was still tough to walk normally, let alone load and unload lots of boxes of clothing, a 3000 watt generator, 5 gallons of waffle mix in 5 bags of ice, and all the rest of my stuff. Ah, I'll have to continue this a little later - I hear my five-month old daughter waking up from her nap. In the meantime, here is a little treat: http://www.blackbirdsf.org/cx/christopheoncx.html

Rainier

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:13:00-0700

Next stop on the traveling CycloSportif circus route is the Cross Crusade race up in Rainier tomorrow. Funny thing about Rainier - it's actually faster from Portland to drive through Washington up to Kelso, then take the Lewis and Clark bridge back into Oregon. It's a nice bridge and once you cross over, you take a right directly into a beautiful climb. It's probably a mile or so, straight up. No switchbacks. Precipice on your right completely dropping off below you. I always want to stop the car, grab the bike, and ride it. Even better if I just rode out there from Portland (you can take Highway 30 all the way out there), did the climb and rode back! Maybe next year. The Rainier course last year got great reviews. If you like climbing and descending, that is. My spot was at the start/finish line, which was halfway or so up the climb. It was a perfect location to let the smell of fresh waffles waft over the racers as they sat and waited for the start, and as they came through on the climb each lap. And they had plenty of time to take in the smell as they came through, because that climb looked long and steep and they came crawling through!

Cross Crusade 2008: Alpenrose

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:50:00-0700

Alpenrose was the perfect opener for the Cross Crusade season. Over 1200 participants - a new record! The weather was perfect. Just warm enough with intermittent sun (in the forecast, at least) so that everyone would commit to coming out, both participants and spectators. Each year, the Crusade keeps getting bigger and is evolving into a real event, with vendors and exhibitors making it family and spectator-friendly and creating a real festival atmosphere. It was a great day for CycloSportif, too. I sold out of waffles (sorry!) before the women's and men's A races and the new CycloSportif kit was super popular. I didn't realize the demand for non-team skinsuits! I had ordered a few as replacements in case any of the people who had pre-ordered ones accidentally destroyed them while racing. I wound up selling all of them retail (skinsuit picture below - in action!). CycloSportif is about bringing apres-bike style to everyone, and everyone responded - lots of great clothing purchases were made as well. The best part of selling out of waffles is that I could close down and watch the races! It was awesome, although it's hard to cheer when you want to yell everyone's name. Special thanks to everyone on the day who raced in CycloSportif kit!