Well it's a Peugot Partner actually and I didn't exactly cyclo-cross the universe so much as cough up half a lung and withdraw after two and a half laps. Still, what a ride! The course at Stanmer Park near Brighton was really enjoyable - having been off a bike for so long, reaquainting myself with mud and corners while astride a bike with a very non-MTB standover height was interesting. As soon as I remembered not to use my brakes and approach each corner in the manner of a BMX bandit, things got better.
But eight weeks off the bike has taken its toll and I was cataclysmically unfit, despite the knee (touchwood) holding up and a nice new NS Bikes stem on Jake making him kinder on the back (and a lot stiffer, grrr). It's a nice project now though, slowly increasing the mileage back up to the start and then some. Going to race down in Penshurst on Sunday to keep things ticking over. And at least the storm had abated long enough to drink tea without being swept away. Well done to Phil and the boys at Morvelo who proved that skin suits are really quite special and make you go fast. Er ...
Bikes rock. I am super stoked to be back in the game. Even if I am last.
p.s. I would like to point out that EVERYONE was pushing their bikes up that incline in the photo, not just me. Fact.
7 comments:
You've got brakes on a CX bike, what a novel idea.
My canti brakes never worked that well when perfectly setup; and after 30mins in the mud they were less than effective.
So was that your first CX race?
Be careful they are addictive!
First of the season - I've been taking it easy ...
@redbike - been seeing a few with disc brakes recently - what's your take? Seems like a good idea to me but I have been put down by one or two purists ...
I think disc brakes are offically still banned. However, i've never seen this rule enforced. I can't see anyone getting too snooty about it club level. MTBs (disc or not) aren't actually allowed either, but nobody ever objects to them!
It does make sense banning discs.
They get red hot, they're relavitely sharp if parts of your body come into contact with the edges and they're often being carried at eye level.
Avid are near enough the only people who make disc brakes for drop bar levers. Thankfully their brakes are fantastic (if a little expensive). They are a BIG improvement over cantis!
Good point about the eye level thing but I've had some hefty crashes MTBing and my disc brakes cutting me was the least of my worries!
Plus this (http://morvelo.posterous.com/dear-father-christmas-0) just looks lush. God I'm fickle.
Nice looking bikes those Fixie Inc's. It's a shame about the cost of the them!
Focus (Wiggle) and Genesis both do a reasonably priced disc braked CX bike.
You can ride with discs (and mountain bikes) anything below national level. Nationals are UCI races, hence follow UCI regulations.
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