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I rode my CX bike yesterday for the first time since last November. I thought I should probably test out the bike since I am racing tomorrow. Dominic had the bike all ready to go for me when I came home from work. He mentioned that he put his old 10 speed Ultegra shifter and cog on the bike, since he broke my 9 speed shifter that D2 sent me last year.
I took the bike to the Devou practice course. After a few attempts uphill AND on the flats, I realized the cog was for a fucking road bike, and my front sprocket was too big (38).
DUH!!!
In order to tackle these hills tomorrow, I was going to need a smaller sprocket. Or a bigger cog. Which would require a long derailleur. Which I don’t have.
My buddy Mark H. emailed me this morning that he had a 34 sprocket with a 110 bolt pattern. I didn’t want to have to change out my carbon BMX cranks which would have been the case if we used the sprockets we had downstairs. The only problem was that Mark was at work, and didn’t have the sprocket with him. Dominic was working tonight and couldn’t work on the bike. So Mark, being a p-hill neighbor, friend of mine from 20 years ago, bike racer, and THE ONLY successful bike messenger in the city, he agreed to wrench on my bike tonight after work. I brought him a bottle of Kwak and a 4 pack of Duvel for his efforts.
We’ve had rain and 60 degree temps all week, and that kind of weather makes me so excited about CX, I am about to jump out of my skin. Bring on the mud!
Oh, and Dirty Biker just left me this link on FB page. SSCX World Championships to be held in San Fran? Oh man, there has to be a way to get there.
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oh, I need a SS and tix to SFO!!!
kick butt this weekend girl friend
you too sherri! apple CX races for you! xo!
You guys can come party with me at worlds. I live right across the bay. I’ll be bringing Coca-Cola, however.
Stupid age laws.
Go fucking smash Judi, good luck from Flagstaff.
Go Judi! And Derp, Cola is fine. We’ll need something to mix the Jack with.
Go Judi, give ’em hell.
Looks bombproof. Get some, kid!
The Paul chain keeper is the Shit… Have fun and go fast….
Go for the big ring. 53×11*.
Make Merckx proud.
Good luck.
———————–
*Full disclaimer: I can barely pedal a 53×11 downhill.
Just saying…
THAT FUCKING SUCKED! you just do not race CX with a 22/11 cog. i suck ass at this shit! i need a proper fucking bike! fuckitalltohell.
I don’t know what you need all those gears for in the first place.
if they had a fucking category for SS women, i’d rip the derailleur off in a NY second. otherwise, you race with about 4 men in the SS cat. or you get your ass kicked by women racing their 1st race. i raced SS in my 4th CX race ever and i obsessed on the gear ratio for HOURS.
i will say it was fun racing out there today. the course was wet from the rain this week and my new fork allows me to make the turns so goddamn smooth. i love love riding and racing CX. i just really suck at it.
Single Speeds came into vogue early 2000 because they were of no category. Underground. Then the whole saw the market value of SS, made everything spec fo SS to sell it, and even made categories to race them in. People hav successfully established reputations on their measured SS ABILITIES. but u know what? Any SS worth they salt us gonna put on they wife beater, enter the gear class, and throw down.
Judi — you wanna race SS with a buncha folks? Come to Cross Crusade. It’ll be five women and three hundred men, all scaring the bejeezus out of the 200 Master B’s they toss into the same heat. Insane and stupid but lots of fun. And our SS racers can totally dominate. You’d love it.
(Of course, there’s no separate cats for SS men and women in cyclocross, but you can always come out during the summer, race short-track in the womens’ SS cat and just kill. I will bow in your general direction.)
Ride in the Wind Judi!!!
There’s a snake in my boot!
reverend dick – show us the moose-knuckle!
We could put you up in Sunnyvale for a few days, down the peninsula.
Ralph
Get yer ass here.
Nuff said.
Bubba.