Skinny tire day

Just, like, ow.

Starting with warmup laps today, I so noticed the lack of suspension in my 'cross bikes after riding Big Green yesterday (see previous post): it was another lumpy bumpy dusty course, the type of surface that the full-suspension rig soaked right up while my 'cross bikes were letting me feel it a bit more directly, shall we say. At the same time, I can appreciate the comments from the shop guy who said he had tried 'cross after riding mountain bikes, and didn't do so well: suspension takes away a lot of decision-making that has to be done on a rigid frame.

It was so totally inappropriate for me to race singlespeed at today's McLaren Park CX race. I don't have the power-to-weight ratio to ride up steep stuff and haven't been running enough to compensate. In the cloud-with-silver-lining column, my brake hood came loose again (that'll get replaced now) forcing me to descend in the drops--and whaddya know, I had better control. The loose corners on the descent also reminded me how much better control I have when pedalling versus when coasting: delivering power, keeping the chain tensioned, and keeping leg muscles active are all good. In further cloud-with-silver-lining news, I got lapped twice by the leaders of the A race, keeping me from trotting up Evil Runup any more--for this race. The race-site results credited me with a lap I didn't do, but checking online results this evening show that the error has been corrected...darn, they're fast with posting those. They must be catering to the obsessive 50% of 'cross folks who can't sleep until the results are online.

The B race came right after the SS race, and I lined up at the very back fully expecting to stay there. The first couple laps sucked 'cuz I was so tired already, but surprisingly I was feeling better and better and kept going (at the start, I thought managing a couple laps and then pulling out would've been plenty honourable). Bits unrideable on the single speed became rideable again, and I started catching people: at first, just those knocked out by flats and mechanicals, but eventually some guys who I think were genuinely trying to pedal. It didn't last. Despite going "fast", my muscles and brain were probably desperately tired, and I lost focus/balance in an easy corner and slid out. Normally I'd just bounce back up, but in my condition I pretty much went into shock, with wobbly legs and feeling cold. So, I pulled over for a couple minutes and sat in the sunshine. I think I lost about 10 positions (including watching Nemesis pass me, grrr), but it was okay, I was cooked. Rolled home one lap down and guzzled all available liquids.

While it's fun to attempt the double, I won't do it for the Pilarcitos races any more: back-to-back is a bit too much pain. Some pain is good for you, too much is suffering. Hopefully I can improve my B results a little for the next 2 races (not hard when my last two placings were in the 50s).

Big thank yous to Morgan and Lauren for feeds, and to Michael and Sabine for not driving away with my car keys, and to my friends on the peninsula for the impromptu early chicken pot pie/pizza/ice cream dinner, and good to see so many of you fine folk out enjoying a balmy November Sunday.