Quick balance

Too much jubilant praise is being tossed around for Nats. Yes, it was off the hook and fun and all that.

But for me that didn't start until I rolled Chips Tubular in the parking lot just rolling around lamely trying to pedal in an attempt to warm up. The fun didn't start until I rolled a tubular. Yup. Unlike Linnea (fun ended with a rolled tubular - not a spec of glue in the whole stretch was stuck to the rim - glue job fail - new this season too) my fun started with a rolled tubular.

Getting there wasn't bad. But I was tired. More on that later, staying up for 24 hours straight is a great way to start a National Championship race, thanks big stupid winter storm.

Getting there checking the sweet pad that ROB KRAMER scored doing a quick build of the intact from the air handlers bike wasn't bad. Dressed to the nines (photos somewhere) for a quick noon open course ride.

It was so cool how close the venue was. Being able to easily just roll over there totally rocked. So awesome.

But then getting on the course. WTF? You serious? Power straight turn power straight turn weird icy off camber shit, after icy turn after icy turn. Little flow, little rhythm was to be found. NBX day two had fucking AWESOME rhythm, as did Sterling Day two. Non to be found here. The course was two sided. One was landscaping field. Ya know a big field where the city crew moves shit around or takes fill from one place and puts it another and then buries trees for the winter or until they are ready to put in a hole, it sucked. Then we went across the road. and bouncing around on this grass. here and there. good stuff for fans but it was like they packed the flow and twist into small sections and left the rest wide open. Sure it took a wicked intense effort to close some gaps on the wide open stretch but there was no where to regain losses to the cyclists with no skills. People were eating shit on the pre-ride there at Noon left and right.

It was lame. I was un-enthused. Pits were totally absolutely a deal breaker. You pit, you're fucked. seriously. The only person I saw who came in and pitted and didn't pay a price was Katie Fucking Compton.

It was lame. That's how I felt. It was short AND lame, or and aside from a really short power hill thing it was absolutely FLAT.

Single speed race was up next but they'd added a wrinkle in the snow between pre-ride and the next pre-ride. Unfortunately it was off camber in the snow and it was a nightmare - totally unrideable in traffic unless you hit it first. it sucked good and made the course only slightly slower. But that didn't do much to make it less lame.

Tried picking gearing. I'd never done a SS race before, no idea what gear I should run. It was advised that I go with the 46x21. I went with it. WAY TOO EASY. seriously. I wasn't spun out but by the time we'd hit the double left after the finish my HR was pegged and I was cooked, less of a gear and I might not have had to spin at 200 rpm to stay with the guys infront of me (no - it wasn't 200 but it was pretty fucking high). Anyway. Then the course turned to ice on the last couple laps. And riding it with a 32 fango on front and a Racing Ralph Clincher in the back at 45-50 psi sucked on the ice. Sucked. I wouldn't have been over geared in the 46-17.

It got better when the course turned to mud, but if they can change anything for next year, the course. Really needs something.

Put some BMX woops in, a sand pit or two, some better placed barriers, less of a bottle neck at the start (if possible) at least make it much wider or something.

It was, definitely worth going to again, despite the abysmal course. Yes. I'm calling the course crap. Half of it was perfect (the Clydesdale race half), the other half just sucked the life out of you, ice, rocks, ruts, boring straights of soul crushing madness. Then it turned into a super highway for the Pros. It was actually fun in the mud on Saturday. But Friday? SS race? and Pre-riding? Totally absolutely shitty suckfesty poop. Not that it seemed to slow down JONNY BOLD, paul curley, or Kevin Fucking HINES. Stars and Stripes coming home next year!!!

There were some really really cool things about Nationals. the whole Planet Bike Squad, corner cycles going nuts, clydesdale race, drum corp, beer, parties, friends, the list goes on - BBQ - i mean it had it all, except an exciting course.

We're spoiled in New England. But then cross, even with a boring, lame course can be fun if the conditions are right. But then they stop being lame under certain conditions. And from watching it, we had those conditions that weekend in one race, and one race only. The 35-39 race. I guess I was lucky afterall.

But don't go thinking that just because it was awesome and Nats was off the hook (I seriously dare anyone to think IWC was a better time than the Nats weekend) that the course totally ruled. It didn't, the course sucked (hell IWC was probably not a whole lot shorter). But I hope that Colin gets his skinny fast ass in gear and makes the trip to Bend next year and is forced to do IWC the weekend after. Because we all need one more bash after Nats. Just think, if he'd done it after nats this year JONNY BOLD and crew could have had the Stars and Stripes on racing in NE right away.

The lack of sleep hit me hard today - this may be one of the most unreadable pieces of shit written (meaning it is right up there with my standard quality) - and it may piss off people - i'm too tired to give a fuck, and after a week of hanging out with potty mouth adults my fucking language is scatted with f-bombs. Or was i the only potty mouth adult. Hard for me to judge as the week fades into a sleep deprived fog.

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