Drive so good

Here's the deal. I'm a terrible bike handler, can't turn, can't do much of anything good. Or at least fast (enough). But.

I can say the bike makes a huge difference.

Riverpoint Park CX these last two weeks have been insanely fun. Bike has been absolutely perfect. The only time i've had issues were from not carrying enough speed into the off camber up hill 180, or stalling in some super deep loam and falling over because the bike just completely stopped.

The super scary PRO level down hills? No problem. And yes, most of these downhills make NoHo's pro only section look pretty tame. Hate to compare because terrain dictates course but man this place is CRAZY.  Fun.

And intimidating. The sections that scared me at first I don't even think about now. The sections that really bothered me, fuck it roll through. There's that big square concrete light post base that still is kind of worrysome but that's it.

Riverpoint is legit.

Cool thing, if that scary stuff just overwhelms you mentally? Go ride the grass sections, it isn't any easier but it is flat and you can work on your cornering and sprinting out of corners and stuff.

Tonight was an intro two laps, then a couple hot laps, get some water cool down, couple more hot laps, make sure crashing people are okay, more hot laps, final hot lap where i fell over in slo-mo trying to ride the long stone stair run up.

Does this place have it all? Yes. Is it tight? Yes. Is it well suited for 200 rider fields? Not so much. But is it world cup CX ready? Assuming we can get the camera positions sorted, absofuckinglutely.

Do we 'race'? Nope. Do we chase each other and push each other for a couple laps in a row? Absofuckinglutely.

Does it cost money?  Nope.

Should you be there if you're w/in a 45 min drive? no question. It will make you a better cyclist.

Bike position. It is crazy how fucking slow i feel on this bike on the road. But then those super gnar downhills or the tight twisty shit or the deep motherfucking sand. The Roots. So absolutely in control it is just this weird feeling. I just wish the bike didn't weigh 23 pounds. But then I'm a pound over 200 lately...  yeah but i still fit in 34" pants so i don't think it is ALL fat weight. Maybe the core work is actually working.

I felt at the limit aerobically but then I haven't been racing and have only been chasing Eian. Time for some intervals i guess. January is a long way off. But the season starts soon.

Clincher wheels are sorted out. Picked up two rears, used one tonight with total success. The other will likely get the clincher and become a dedicated SSCX wheel, and since it is nearly as wide as the commuter wheel that's actually an ideal thing.

Front Tubular sorted. That fell into place today and I now have an alloy mud set of wheels (that still need to be all glued up and stuff). So we play the game of which race will the Zipp's break a spoke in this year. And we play the game of 'at what point will i wear through the braking surface' but i have to say despite the rear wheel riding like a sponge and flexing/winding up more than any wheel i've ever owned (okay the 200 was worse) they've done well, as a race only CX only wheelset. They certainly shave some weight off the White Blue. But those PDS tires are pretty much slicks at this point, or more functionally acting like a fango. Kind of wish i had my S-Works baldy tires for the clincers. I loved those things (my fault - it is true - don't loan anything you want to get back). Wish i could get them back. Oh well. My OG gen 1 racing ralph clincers are pretty close to slicks with good side knobs.  They are what i've been riding at Riverpoint. Riverpoint don't care what tire you bring. You're fucked with knobs or w/o knobs. It teaches you to drive the bike and go with what's there and push it as hard as you can.

It is still way hot, too hot to do more than two laps without overcooking. If we had to do a whole race in this heat we'd all have to dial it back a bit. I'm heat acclimated, more than most, I can deal with it and I still overheat in CX. I can dial it back but I can't go at the limit that CX demands. MTB for a couple hours? No problem. CX at the sprinty 2 lap max pace? It isn't easy.

But it is fun.

There's no rest at Riverpoint. Unless you just give up and say fuck it i'm going slow now. Which you can do if you want to and no one is going to be negative. Why? because the people who are doing this thing. Who've poured themselves into it...  they are good people. They are supportive people. They aren't assholes, they aren't wealthy, they know having something that doesn't cost anything with this level return is huge. they get the struggle, and they care.

Good people deserve support. How do you support when it doesn't cost money to participate weekly? You show up early, you stick around late, you sign up for Dude Smash and make a vote for the most technical course in the USA. Yeah Pretty much after hearing from people who've raced globally comment on this course that Bobby Stine and Corey have set out, it is not just tough for NECX, or USA, it is tough for the world. Holy week with the Beard is gonna be AWWWWWWESOME.

So yeah. We'll maybe see you at Dude Smash. Or not. You have a choice. Life is full of them.

Okay - i'm still in kit, still covered in dirt. But dinner is in my belly and kid 2 is tucked in.

Time to wrap it up and scrub out the black powder dirt.

I think they only way that place will not be super soft is if it is actively raining. Too much drainage otherwise.

Train in August, don't race CX in August. ALso. anyone up for all day ride on Sunday?

heddwch
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