Have you forgotten about the Bicycle Film Festival or the Adventures for the Cure documentary screening in less than two weeks? Shame on you. Get your tickets for the BFF in advance, as they're selling pretty quickly!
Onto racing..
This season has been horribly inconsistent. I have a really bad weekend, complete with crashes and feeling like crap, then I turn around and have a pretty good weekend. Urban Cross was hard, I mean, really hard. That was the bad weekend.
Rockburn was one of my favorite races last year so I had pretty high expectations coming into the weekend, which were met and then some. Schooley Mill and Rockburn felt like very similar courses - technical enough to keep you on your toes but smooth enough to be fast. Both races I ended up riding in small packs, where most races thus far it gets pretty spread out. It was interesting and a lot more stressful, knowing it was a lot easier to lose a spot and a lot easier to gain a spot. Once I settled into a rhythm I think I passed as many people or more, especially today, that passed me. I honestly felt pretty good about my riding both days - didn't feel awful physically and aside from the downhill at Schooley, I felt like I rode pretty smooth. However, I still finished 31st and 27th respectively out of a 60ish person field. Pretty disappointed with where I finished, but not how I rode. If anything it says how tough and talented some of the people in my field are.
Three more races left, then 3 or 4 weeks of rest, and then 3 or 4 more weeks of racing, including the NC Winter Series and the amazing Superbowl of Singlespeed in February.
Seriously though, the Bicycle Film Festival. It's going to rule.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
A few thoughts
In no particular order:
Are you excited for the Bicycle Film Festival yet? What about the Adventures for the Cure film screening? I'd get your tickets for the BFF sooner than later as the venue may sell out.
Is it wrong that when I look at the MABRA calendar for next year I don't really get excited until sometime in July? I'm going to love mountain biking.
The idea of a Gran Fondo is at the same time absolutely terrifying to me and absolutely amazing. Please Dave, do it.
Urban Cross is this weekend. It is the hardest race of the MABRAcross series, the type of race you absolutely hate for the weeks after, then come to like, and eventually love.
I was touched that they put some Tofurky into the suitcase of sausage last week - almost as if they did it solely for me!
The old non-carbon SRAM Rival shifters work so much better than the new ones, and not just for the fact that I've had to warranty two carbon 09 shifters this year alone.
I've ended up racing more than twice as much this cx season than I did last cx season, not even counting the winter series in NC.
Wouldn't you love to be able to go to a shop on a Wednesday night, ride a trainer with other people, and watch TV? I hope so.
No but seriously, you're really excited to see this and this on the big screen on December 5th, right?
Are you excited for the Bicycle Film Festival yet? What about the Adventures for the Cure film screening? I'd get your tickets for the BFF sooner than later as the venue may sell out.
Is it wrong that when I look at the MABRA calendar for next year I don't really get excited until sometime in July? I'm going to love mountain biking.
The idea of a Gran Fondo is at the same time absolutely terrifying to me and absolutely amazing. Please Dave, do it.
Urban Cross is this weekend. It is the hardest race of the MABRAcross series, the type of race you absolutely hate for the weeks after, then come to like, and eventually love.
I was touched that they put some Tofurky into the suitcase of sausage last week - almost as if they did it solely for me!
The old non-carbon SRAM Rival shifters work so much better than the new ones, and not just for the fact that I've had to warranty two carbon 09 shifters this year alone.
I've ended up racing more than twice as much this cx season than I did last cx season, not even counting the winter series in NC.
Wouldn't you love to be able to go to a shop on a Wednesday night, ride a trainer with other people, and watch TV? I hope so.
No but seriously, you're really excited to see this and this on the big screen on December 5th, right?
Monday, November 9, 2009
THE BICYCLE FILM FEST IS COMING TO DC,
As many of you have maybe heard, or even seen this past Sunday at Tacchino, the Bicycle Film Fest is finally coming to Washington DC! The website, complete with a full program and up to date events is up now here! Tickets are $8 per screening but you can buy a festival pass for $20 here! I recommend getting tickets in advance as the fest is likely to sell out!
We've been working really hard on getting this together and it's going to be a great time. There are films (quite great films actually), parties, goldsprints, alleycats, more films, and enough bikes to make a 20 story tall bike (oh the poorly welded horror).
Thursday night there is a special screening of the Adventures for the Cure documentary at Bicycle Stations. We'll be asking for donations afterwards and all proceeds will go to Adventures for the Cure.
Friday we'll be hosting a kick off party at Asylum in Adam's Morgan, complete with our alcoholic friends spinning punk records. If you haven't gotten your fair share of suffering on a stationary bike every Wednesday at Asylum, we'll also be hosting a very special BFF goldsprints with some rad prizes.
The screenings will be held Saturday at the Navy Memorial Theater. We've got films that cover all your Campagnolo-specific-Swiss-bottom-bracket-threaded-Italian-threaded-fork-eccentric tastes ranging from great films like Road to Roubaix to Urban Bike shorts highlighting all aspects of cycling culture.
Did I mention there will be free valet bicycle parking courtesy of WABA and the BFF at the screenings?
Check back here or the Bicycle Film Festival DC site for more info. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please email chris@bicyclefilmfestival.com
Check out the 2009 Bicycle Film Festival trailer.
Some more information about the BFF:
In 2001, Brendt Barbur, Founder and Director, was compelled to start the Bicycle Film Festival after being hit by a bus while riding his bike in New York City. Instead of being deterred by this experience, it inspired him to create a festival that celebrates the bicycle through music, art, and film. Now in its ninth year the festival is held in 39 cities worldwide. The BFF brings together many creative communities, including fashion, music and art as well as various bicycling communities including mountain biking, fixed gear, BMX, and road cycling - over a shared passion for bike riding.
Tacchiyes
I'll just get that out of the way, I had a horrible time at Tacchino last year. Despite this, I had no expectations positive or negative on this race, but after yesterday I'm going to have really high expectations. It was a really great race - from the course, the inclusion of cruelty free sausage, the proximity to DC, the free hammer gel, indoor bathrooms (although just as smelly as a portable), and Steve Riskus' vegan cookies, I had a great time. But back to the most important thing, the cookies. They were so good. I've been vegan for 5 or 6 years now, and on his first attempt he blows me out of the water.
The course had a lot of flow. It was the type of race you could stay in the drops and just carve out turns, but also had some pretty dynamic singletrack and some big ups. I thought I raced a pretty good game, with the exception of following someone too closely and taking the barriers very poorly. Finished 20th out of 60 starters, ahead of people that usually finish a few spots ahead of me.
Horribly confused on how to continue training the rest of the season. After having come off a two week recovery period due to over-training that seemed to pay off, not sure if I should jump back into my training plan. Although the plan does start having me taper next week, so that should help.
Urban cross is this weekend. It was my first time doubling up and racing B's last year, and I had to do it on the most brutal course. I hated it, but loved it at the same time. Really, really looking forward to it.
The course had a lot of flow. It was the type of race you could stay in the drops and just carve out turns, but also had some pretty dynamic singletrack and some big ups. I thought I raced a pretty good game, with the exception of following someone too closely and taking the barriers very poorly. Finished 20th out of 60 starters, ahead of people that usually finish a few spots ahead of me.
Horribly confused on how to continue training the rest of the season. After having come off a two week recovery period due to over-training that seemed to pay off, not sure if I should jump back into my training plan. Although the plan does start having me taper next week, so that should help.
Urban cross is this weekend. It was my first time doubling up and racing B's last year, and I had to do it on the most brutal course. I hated it, but loved it at the same time. Really, really looking forward to it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
anyone going to VT CX from DC?
Searching for a way to get a bike out to a friend at the VT CX race this weekend from DC.
Did a whole lot of sucking at All Hallows and any serious ride since.
Are you stoked for the Bicycle Film Festival yet?
Did a whole lot of sucking at All Hallows and any serious ride since.
Are you stoked for the Bicycle Film Festival yet?
Monday, October 26, 2009
all the squirrels had a death wish last week
Almost every time I went for a ride last week a squirrel would jump out in front of me, stop, and run out at the last second. I remember the first time I lived in DC and I was riding through Rock Creek Park on my way to work when one of these black squirrels ran out in front of me. My first reaction was "Holy shit, that squirrel is black!" then "i'm going to die" - fortunately that did not happen.
Cross is good, cross is great. Winchester Apple Harvest Cross was a great race. The course was really nicely done making a super technical small ring sprint out of every turn course. Not to mention the warm apple cider and roaring fire were some of the best things I've seen at a CX race, well until seeing Greg Abbott dressed as Green Man yesterday.
DCCX was awesome. Great race, great atmosphere, great frites. DCMTB definitely knows how to throw a race. I'm always a fan of a race I don't have to drive to as well. Any race you can ride a bike to is a good race. Kind of a bummer to see so many cars in the parking lot though. I did the B race, and aside from getting pushed on the first hill and being forced to dismount and have a chain drop, I felt really good about the race. Spent the last two laps desperately trying to gap the 7 person group ahead of me by myself and was too spent to fight off the guy behind me in the last lap.
During the women's race I felt like I wanted to get back in the mix so I signed up for my first Elite race. I knew it wasn't going to be good when I was still tired warming up, but my goals were simple - finish and do not get DFL. It was definitely the hardest race I've ever done and felt like I could barely pedal. When I got lapped the leaders were going so much faster than me. I completely bonked with two to go, seeing double and was so thankful the race was over. I saw the results today saying I finished 15th, which I don't think is right. Unless people like Patrick Blair and Stu Louder crashed out really badly, I think I finished 25th and still not last. It was nice seeing all my friends cheering for me despite being wayyyyyy off the back and getting a root beer hand up. I rode more or less by myself but the few times I was near other riders I actually picked up a lot about good lines to take and just took lines I would never feel confident taking, but following someone else through them made me feel good about it. I have a long ways to go before ever seriously belonging in an A race, but it was great experience and the simple fact I finished made me feel pretty good.
Regardless, since this week is a rest week and there is only one person signed up for the A race, I think i'm going to double up at All Hallows Cross. I don't understand why there are so few people signed up - it's about an hour away. Like I said in my last post, support your local races.
Speaking of support locals, I started at a new shop, Bicycle Stations. We're still getting the store filled, but some awesome stuff could be coming in and I think we're the only shop in the area that even stocks embrocation. Are you ready for Paris-Roubaix and UCI World Cup viewing parties? So come by and support a local, me, while I fix your bike and spend half the time showing you videos on youtube. Also willing to trade bike work for massages, plz.
Oh yeah, there is this little film festival I'm putting on the weekend of December 5th. More to come.
Cross is good, cross is great. Winchester Apple Harvest Cross was a great race. The course was really nicely done making a super technical small ring sprint out of every turn course. Not to mention the warm apple cider and roaring fire were some of the best things I've seen at a CX race, well until seeing Greg Abbott dressed as Green Man yesterday.
DCCX was awesome. Great race, great atmosphere, great frites. DCMTB definitely knows how to throw a race. I'm always a fan of a race I don't have to drive to as well. Any race you can ride a bike to is a good race. Kind of a bummer to see so many cars in the parking lot though. I did the B race, and aside from getting pushed on the first hill and being forced to dismount and have a chain drop, I felt really good about the race. Spent the last two laps desperately trying to gap the 7 person group ahead of me by myself and was too spent to fight off the guy behind me in the last lap.
During the women's race I felt like I wanted to get back in the mix so I signed up for my first Elite race. I knew it wasn't going to be good when I was still tired warming up, but my goals were simple - finish and do not get DFL. It was definitely the hardest race I've ever done and felt like I could barely pedal. When I got lapped the leaders were going so much faster than me. I completely bonked with two to go, seeing double and was so thankful the race was over. I saw the results today saying I finished 15th, which I don't think is right. Unless people like Patrick Blair and Stu Louder crashed out really badly, I think I finished 25th and still not last. It was nice seeing all my friends cheering for me despite being wayyyyyy off the back and getting a root beer hand up. I rode more or less by myself but the few times I was near other riders I actually picked up a lot about good lines to take and just took lines I would never feel confident taking, but following someone else through them made me feel good about it. I have a long ways to go before ever seriously belonging in an A race, but it was great experience and the simple fact I finished made me feel pretty good.
Regardless, since this week is a rest week and there is only one person signed up for the A race, I think i'm going to double up at All Hallows Cross. I don't understand why there are so few people signed up - it's about an hour away. Like I said in my last post, support your local races.
Speaking of support locals, I started at a new shop, Bicycle Stations. We're still getting the store filled, but some awesome stuff could be coming in and I think we're the only shop in the area that even stocks embrocation. Are you ready for Paris-Roubaix and UCI World Cup viewing parties? So come by and support a local, me, while I fix your bike and spend half the time showing you videos on youtube. Also willing to trade bike work for massages, plz.
Oh yeah, there is this little film festival I'm putting on the weekend of December 5th. More to come.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Winchester Apple Harvest Cross, sign up!
For those of us who long for cross season from the beginning of Tradezone, through the most god awful boring industrial park criteriums, and hot summers we only have a precious 3 month cross series (what's this I hear about a winter series?).
Take advantage of it, because when you're on the line at Tyson's in April praying to whoever that someone does not put you into the gutter, you'll regret the cross races you skipped. Winchester Wheelmen are putting on a race on Sunday. The prizes look amazing (Jet Blue ticket giveaway?!?) and we always see people from their club at our races.
I mean, as much as I am not going to mind guaranteed money in the 1/2/3 field, I'd much rather have this race go on next year. I'll even make it easy for you - just click here to register.
So many awesome projects coming up soon. Hope you like films about bicycles.
Take advantage of it, because when you're on the line at Tyson's in April praying to whoever that someone does not put you into the gutter, you'll regret the cross races you skipped. Winchester Wheelmen are putting on a race on Sunday. The prizes look amazing (Jet Blue ticket giveaway?!?) and we always see people from their club at our races.
I mean, as much as I am not going to mind guaranteed money in the 1/2/3 field, I'd much rather have this race go on next year. I'll even make it easy for you - just click here to register.
So many awesome projects coming up soon. Hope you like films about bicycles.
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