I didn't make as many cyclocross races this season as I had hoped for. Although the ones I did make have been a blast and it's rapidly becoming one of my favourite forms of racing. I'm yet to figure out mid-race where the hell I am exactly (position wise) in the ever increasing field of racers but that doesn't seem the point. The closeness of the racing is everything. This season has had it all. 28 degree heat at Herne Hill. Bone dry 'dirt crit' super pace around Hillingdon. The steep, fast down and slow winch up of Penshurst and now, last Sunday, was the last race of the season, with a brand new course. For me. And a new bike - it was my first ride on the disc adorned Kinesis Crosslight Pro 6.
I heard that it was a testing, technical course, although as a friend pointed out, more like a proper cross course, not just a round a field that is typical of many UK races. A opportune moment then to race a bike that blends traditional cross with a hint of MTB.
Starting in a big field of snow there were more than several moments of grappling with the bars trying to keep the bike in a straight line. Controlled (uncontrolled?) chaos. Still slipping in the snow, the course climbed just enough to hurt the legs then into the woods. Twisting, turning, rooty with a couple of bombholes I could have be doing an MTB race. The ground packed down and froze over so the techniques for many of the corners was either to drift or to tiptoe. Racers were slipping over left, right and centre. I had more than a couple of speedway moments, but soon familiarized myself with a few racing lines and could slowly pick people off. Overtaking was hard in the woods, with the only way to dive up the inside of the racer ahead and sprint out. Something than required a lot of focus and increasingly hard to do as the race wore on and fatigue set in. With cross racing there is nowhere to hide unlike the road race of last Saturday. If you're not on it, you're not on it.
I wasn't on it. Places chopped and changed the whole race and the venue had a great atmosphere with spectators, a blazing fire, cowbells and drums. Awesome! More like this please CX race organisers. The bombholes were great fun with the opportunity for a bit of airtime and the sections varied from requiring real pinpoint maneuvering to get around smoothly to a pedal like f*ck and hang on approach. So the result was typical for the year for me with a 31st out of 117 but I di complete my aim. For the first time ever I wasn't lapped by the leader! It's strange really, I see peoples names finishing above me who I know I have regularly beaten on MTB or Road but for some reason I struggle to translate this through to 'cross. More work to be done for next year then!
The Pro 6 was in it's element, consistent braking all race and incredibly agile, and with the Maxxis Raze tyres providing surprising levels of grip and straightline speed. With BBB stepping in to sponsor The Kinesis Morvelo project, I got to test some of their Arriver glasses and thin winter racing gloves, the Race Shields. It was only when I took off the glasses I realized how dark and grey it was and not once did they mist up in the slow woodland sections. The thin winter racing gloves were a revelation. No bulk but plenty of warmth, grip and sensitivity. I didn't realise gloves like this existed and always presumed warmth = bulk and loss of feel.
I did have a lucky escape in hindsight. After my crash I did wonder if the headset had come loose but, in the mind race mindset of 'Must plough on', I just put up with the slight rattle. It was only when I checked after the race I realised the front wheel QR had sprung open! Thank god for tabbed forks.
So that's it until next September when the cross season starts once more. Now back to MTB, Road and Track. Who I am kidding. Cross bikes are so much fun I'll still be riding it the whole time, especially as I do some recce rides for an urban cross race I have planned. Keep you posted.