random gloucesterness

The smell of burning plastic was ever present in traffic hitting the 180 turn there after the start. Crazy carbon rim people. But hey with that smell no wonder those yellow pads are so important.

Tubulars do really actually work as good as people say they do. Yes I've *known* they are awesome. And I'd been reasonably successful at avoiding trying them during a race knowing that once I do try em, forget it, it will be impossible to ride clinchers again. Yes this is the allusion mentioned earlier. G-ride loaned me an old set of 32 Challenge Grifos. I ran them low. Bottom out good hell of a lot of times, felt the rear tire folding in that flatesque manner hitting the corners but then that was just going into the corner, in it, stuck like glue. Holy crap was it faster.

Skinny white dude rebuked my "I've got too much to work on in cross, so I should save the tubulars" with the salient point: they help you go faster in the corners and thus you learn to corner better and you get faster. Hard to argue that. Cornering is a solid weakness. Running Racing Ralphs at 45 psi on smoothish courses still isn't a very smooth ride compared to those Grifos at ~38 psi. not much pressure difference but if I run the Ralphs lower than 45 they chatter and washout worse. Heck they hook up great, but they aren't as smooth or fast as the tubulars.

Yes. I know. There is a huge reason why people run them. No question. Time to start figuring out how to come up with the cash to get the bikes set up.

Colin's mishap though does give pause, but I guess it goes to show it doesn't take a hot disc rotor to slice open a tubular, just one sharp old school wide add canti brake.

Did anyone else notice that the Pits were absolutely PACKED for the 3/4 Masters and the 1/2/3 Masters races? After the "old" guys were done, the pits were a ghost town. Hmmm. I wonder why.

Jason has an awesome collection of photo's up from the weekend. Check out his Picasa Gallery.

Every time through the sand pit I thought the rototiller was Eyebob, I guess because one lap through there spongebob-sticklegs was sitting there crouched taking pictures. And then I kept thinking, man, I'm glad they didn't run that through there before our race. It was so ridable not even funny. And the one time I ran it I kicked myself for being stupid. Faster? Yes. But after sand legs were rather wishing I hadn't done that.

Lots of folks have some good shots. Ryan Exit17 has a bunch up. Heck there are tons out there. And surprisingly enough, even a couple of me.

To the guy who said "on your right geoff" at the top of the run up one of the days who found me feeling more like not moving over and dropping a spot than moving over, I appologize. I dunno who that was, Morse was back there but it didn't really sound like Steve's raspy voice and afterwards he said he didn't say anything the whole race, so I dunno who that was. But it is racing. I might give ya a push, like I gave Soups when he got taken out in the sand pit (I passed him as he was laying there in the sand) and came past me, I figured I could give that guy a good old push, rocket him forward without affecting my momentum. Now giving someone like Milliman would be like pushing an SUV, totally pointless, dude is one big ass MoFo.

Warming up for a cross race is not to be underestimated. Getting those 1 and 3 minute intervals done after a good 20 minute or so variable cadence spin on the trainer really does actually seem to work. Works better than just spinning on the trainer. I love my iPod on the trainer. Trainer doesn't even bother me any more. Damn digital devices of convenience, making the hard work almost fun. Oh and getting a decent night sleep is wicked important. didn't get much on Friday night and the legs felt it. Got a better night sleep but still not great Saturday and i did feel more rested.

Yes. Talking wicked crazy rambling here today. Or should say right now.

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