Aspen 'crosser Thomas Hayles I was told this AM was in an incredibly bad crash at the Salida State Road Championships last weekend and unfortunately sustained serious injuries. I know very little at this stage a week later but know he's in a Denver hospital recovering after being airlifted there for specific treatment.

Tom was one of the first Americans to go overseas and race competitively and learned the ins and outs....bringing a lot of that knowledge back to the US winning nationals championships in 'cross over the years in his age group. He's here right behind me in Gunnison a season or two ago.

Keep him in your thoughts. Crossers are tough as shit.

Hmm. It appears so. Ik Sven's finger prints are all over this bad boy. According to Ernesto:

For the 2010 we are proud to introduce the NEW carbon Cross frame, the PRESTIGE. This new cross frame has been developed with the input from former World Champion, 9 time Super Prestige winner Sven Nys.

The front triangle is a HHM (High Modulus carbon) monocoque with polygonal section on the top- and down tube, it has a curve between the inside of the top and seat tube, this for better comfort when carrying the bike on the shoulder. The rear triangle is lugged.

Stability, speed and weight are key components to the PRESTIGE.
The PRESTIGE will be available in 6 sizes, (50 to 60 with).

Beefier than the C-50's and the first advancement I've seen of their carbon cross mainstay for a decade.

I'm not sure what's with all that curvy carbon by top and seat tubes. Sort of ridonculous and unnecessary carbon. I'm digging the traditional horizontal top tube though. I will never understand sloping top tubes on cross bikes...

I'll take my Ridley X-Night's though any day in a head to head beauty contest. I'm probably just in lust at the moment though...but I can't stop messing around with the frames! Bike 1 built this weekend. 

The good Mr. Brook Watts is thinking for you, crossers. Here's his way of reminding your lazy arses to get on the ball and get yourself some shelter for teh US National Cyclocross Championships in Bend, OR.

2009 Cross Nationals - Never too Early to Reserve Hotel Rooms

As everyone knows by now the 2009 National Championships will be in Bend Oregon next December. The Bend Chamber anticipates that rooms throughout Bend and the surrounding area will be 100% booked for the national championships.

I don't want to get stuck without a place to stay so I've already looked at the various hotel properties available in Bend and have found a perfect location that's an easy ride to the course and is convenient to dining, shopping and all the other services racers need. It's called Shilo Inns Suites Hotels.

Here's a link to the Bend location that allow you to take a virtual tour:
http://www.shiloinns.com/search_results.asp?PI=EBDOR

Special rates for "2009 Cyclocross Nationals" are:
Double/Single Courtyard View Kitchen Units - $94
Double/Single Courtyard View Rooms - $94

I'd encourage you to make a reservation as soon as possible. They are holding a block of rooms for our group until October 15. Call the Bend location to reserve your room: 541-389-9600

You must call the Inn directly to book the special rate, it's not available on the website.Ê Be sure to mention that you are part of the "2009 Cyclocross Nationals" group.

A right of passage every August for a decade. The cyclocross practice drills begin in these doggishly hot days of summer. The tender wussiness of my collarbone blossoms into a sort of violet hue as I repeat the motion...

Bike on, bike off. Bike on, bike off. Bike on, bike off.

Over and over again. I love it. The kids think I am crazy as I do this stuff after work in the driveway as they play nearby.

Bike on, bike off. Bike on, bike off. Bike on, bike off.

But it's here. The season's falling fast upon us. The chatter is loud over the interwebs about people's cross dreams...

Better season. Improvement. Smoother. More fun. Go to Nationals. Trying tubulars. Lighter bike. Losing weight. Buying cowbells. Wife's first season. Kids first season.

All these are plucked from threads I've read. The wave is here. The frequency is fever pitched and the leaves haven't even begun to think about their transition yet. I love so much how my body feels when I ask it to remount and my foot finds pedal. I will never, ever be old with that feeling.

Boulder. It’s not just a rock. Nor is it just the town where Mork and Mindy hung out and bought suspenders and relished in their rad 80’s styles.  It’s a town of hyper-motivated folks who always have a gaggle of irons in the fire. Never resting; always moving. Probably the highest concentration of Type-A’s anywhere on earth. Amazing place, this Boulder.

Speaking of style, Boulder and its outlying area is and has been known to some of the leading sports-clothing companies on earth: Pearl Izumi and Decente? Yup, both here among a slew of others. There’s a TON of design, fabric and materials intelligencia here due to this outdoor sports and lifestyle concentration. So when an upstart like Panache Cyclewear opens its doors amongst this level of competition, they’ve got to be serious.

I am SO finicky when it comes to my cycling clothing…I’m always fidgeting: un-sticking chamois from my crack, pulling bib straps back into position as they slide off my shoulder and my least favorite: trying to organize my ‘junk’ to ensure comfort. I’ve been on a quest to find the right solution…and after trying Panache’s ‘Eleven’ jersey and bib, I may have found clothing Mecca.

Intrigued, I had to reach out to Panache’s owner and proprietor, Don Powell, and get the G-2 on Panache…and yup, a perfect segue for yet another chapter of ‘5 Questions With’!

1) GK: Whatup, Don! OK, let’s get down to some history first. Tell me about the genesis of Panache. What inspired you to build out the company?

DP: To make cool shit!  To up the style quotient in cycling apparel – and to create cool technical clothing that  I…and likely any other racer…could wear while training other than our team kits.  Cycling is the only sport in the world that trains and races in the same exact kit. Look at any soccer field and they’re decked out in training kits. We need other options like that – and we weren’t happy with the cartoon / bumper sticker options available in the stores.  At the same time, I felt that the level of quality was slipping in the cycling clothing and we wanted to create fast, comfortable clothing without compromise.  Thus was born Panache.

2) Got it. I am a TOTALLY finicky freak about the fit of my clothes as after 4, 5 or 6 hours, the littlest things drive me insane and totally distract me from having a good time on the ride. Tell me a little about advantages you have in your products as well as for teams looking for good quality kits.

DP: Time to delivery, quality and price are all variables as is fit and materials in this game.  For teams we make customizable clothing (e.g. we can put individual rider names/nicknames on their kits) on a chassis that is made for performance cyclists.  We use the latest in digital printing technology which allows us to hit any pantone (color) in vibrant color.  It also allows us to cross seams with design (so that the design matches up).  Our fabrics are top notch and most noticeably the jersey fabric is extremely pliable and wicking.  Our all-way stretch Pro-Stock chamois is what separates Panache from everyone else.  We don’t compromise and give racers a cheap ride, we give them the best.  Best means comfort AND it means performance.  The high density foam provides a bridge for blood flow and allows the rider to concentrate on going fast AND on going fast because blood doesn’t get hung up down there.

 
3) Bless you. My ‘nads are smiling already in anticipation of the next long ride in my Panache kit! So, let’s get down to the ‘real’ sport: What are you working on that can help outfitting cyclo-crossers for our needs? 

DP: Again the chamois is part of the equation.  Riding hard, bouncing, jumping on and off the bike… Panache smooths out the ride.  Another way we help out CX riders is in our vests and jackets.  We use a membrane technology that blocks the wind completely keeping the rider warm and dry.  We will be working closely with some of the local (Boulder) racers to improve and address some of the challenges specific to cyclo cross – and I plan on riding cross this Fall after my first immersion last season. I like the mud; I like “taking” corners; and you can’t beat the vibe at the races.  Although I haven’t raced much cross, I was actually teammates with two CX World Champions back in 1994: Radomir Simunek and Paul Herijgers, two hard working riders that taught me a bunch about training hard and paying attention to detail.

4) Classic! Herijgers is a legend! Speaking of legends, we have a boat load of them here in town as Boulder and Colorado in general seems to be the epi-center for cycling training, media and general ecosystem. Why Boulder for you and Panache? 

DP: I’m in Boulder because I love the riding, love the people, and love the weather.  Boulder is a great place for cyclists and has a heritage in cycling: the Coors Classic, the home of Davis Phinney, Andy Hampsten, and one of the epi-centers for cross.  Boulder is also a place that is evolving and growing.  There is a strong design scene here – folks like Joy Engine and Cypher13.  At the same time, the tech industry (techstars / me.dium / lijit) is growing, bringing in a more urbanite crowd.  For Panache, this is important because we are a cycling clothing company rooted in style and design that makes cool stuff - not just fast, technical clothing.  We like the convergence of sport and lifestyle.

5) My thoughts exactly about Boulder. That and my family THRIVES here. OK, the single most important question. Ready Don? Wellens or Nijs?

DP: The duels they have are insane, but if I had to pick, I’d go with Nijs – fluid style with a LOT of power.

Extra Points Tell us a little interesting tid-bit about your cycling past and if you can, weave in something about BEER:

DP: Good one! OK, heregoes: I rode professionally for Saxon in Belgium and we were sponsored by Brigand, a beer with a slight cidery taste; a big golden ale beer; a beer perfect for cold weather, mud, SCREAMING fans, and Cross.  How’s that for extra credit?

It’s that time of year kids! I had a zillion emails asking me where this post was. NOTE FOLKS! You can always use the Lijit search engine you see in the right side bar to search this blog, my friends blogs and all my on line content for stuff.

Originally published Friday, June 8, 2007 at 10:57AM

Who's thinking cyclocross! I am! I am! In fact, I never stop thinking about it. I just watched the 2000 Worlds again for the zillionth time last night. Love watching Groovy-daal work the mud. In other words, I watch and study 'cross as an obsession. Rewinding again and again and again to see how Ik Sven takes a line with insanely low tire pressure in the Dugasts; *or* how Erwin ports the bike Belgie style, finessing the bike on to his shoulder and arm around the head tube in such syncopation you need to see it in slow motion; *or* how De Clercq stutter steps his muddy climbs to conserve energy.

It's all in the details and that's where cross races are won and lost.

So, what makes a cross rider great? Technical savvy. I love putting pain to roadies who fumble through 'cross courses like a deer trying to walk across ice. 'Cross, if you haven't figured it out yet, is a game of not only sheer maintenance of power but also of utter grace. The power keeps you at the front but the grace ensures it is damn near impossible to bridge to you.

Technical savvy off the bike is what makes the best cross riders the best. And to be specific, it's the barriers that above all are the bottleneck and gating factor (no pun intended) to those desiring a podium spot. When you can flow effortlessly through the barriers and reduce all amounts of friction through your transition and get back on the bike fluidly, folks without those same skills fumble, waste energy and when they finally remount and get going again, they have to add those additional watts of power to get back on your wheel. Compound that wattage expenditure over the course of 60 minutes and those without your barrier skills have burned WAY too many matches.

So, how do you get better? Practice, dummy. And to practice you need barriers. Back in the day, we used to drive our cars to a schoolyard and pull out wooden boards we'd made. That is retarded, and this will enable you to be mobile by bike, carry 'em in a back pack and have LOTS of barriers as well to set up multiples. So in my quest to make American 'crossers LOOK way better than our stereotypical bumbling selves, behold my secret plans.

What do you need?

For 4 complete barriers you need:

• 16 22" sections of 1/2" PVC tubing (for the top bars).
• 16 18" sections of same 1/2" PVC tubing (for the legs). NOTE: you may want to go as high as 19" for a bit more height on the leg tubes. The 18" tubes are high but just slightly lower than the UCI height.
• 8 3-way joins for 1/2 tubing (buy extra 'cause they break)
• 12 2-way joins for 1/2 tubing (buy extra 'cause they break too)

I bought all this stuff at the local hardware store for like $20 bucks. I had them cut it there into the section lengths specified above. This is what the 2 and 3 way sections look like (the 2 way on the left, 3 way on the right). You can find them near the PVC tube section in your hardware store.

I drafted up a little diagram for y'all in Visio to show you how this stuff fits together:

When you get them all cut up, throw some stickers on the long top sections. This makes it SUPER easy when you get to your course site and pull 'em out of your back pack to know which are the top and which are the leg tubes. They all fit nicely into a backpack as follows:

And when you are at your site, set 'em up (takes about 2 minutes) and begin your practicing to dominate the competition! RM'ers training using the port-o-barriers in action:

I've got to tell you, folks, the people at Rodale Press' are tapping into the 'wave' that we all know is here and cresting: cyclocross. Rodale is demonstrating this support to us all by their Mountain Bike Magazine's sponsorship of marquee 'cross events like CrossVegas. Mountain bikers understand 'cross. It's just a slightly smaller set of knobby tires mounted another rad frame, right? So the sponsorship and support they're providing to the event is outstanding to see. Moreover, waves of folks (like you and me) who raced MTB's tons in the 90's, ultimately abandoning our Tomac-like aspirations to pursue careers and families are now pouring back into the racing scene on any given Sunday with 'cross as their focus and proxy to re-inject racing back into their lives. The demographic who slaved to build these careers and families is BACK...with their wallets...in force...and raring to get dirty again.

So with this understood, I got pinged by a dear friend of mine, Chris DiStefano about an interesting project going on. Chris is a passionate husband, daddy, worker bee, industry luminary and cyclocross evangelist out of the great cyclocross city of PDX. He asked me about my interest in talking about the 'state of cross' and what it means to me...at least from my specific voice. A voice that is sort of atypical...e.g. not from an industry insider, official or full time pro racer. I guess the intent was to capture it from the voice that you and I speak: passion and love for this game we devote so much to.

So, these words were parlayed into Mountain Bike Magazine's staple column in their monthly mag, 'The MB Interview' in preparation for the wave of cross Rodale/Mountain Bike Magazine are devoting air cover to. Below is the outcome of the interview in Mountain Bike's September issue which is on newstands or can be delivered right to your door. I am honored and indebted to Chris and Mountain Bike's Editor in Chief Jasen Thorpe for the opportunity to tell it the way I see it.

Photo: Dejan Smaic http://sportifimages.com/

I hope I did us justice 'crossers! I am so pumped for the season.

Ready?

The lightest palette likely ever delivered to Boulder Cycle Sport rolled off the delivery truck last week! That, of course, was the highly anticipated palette of Belgian carbon goodness I spoke about in earlier posts. X-Nights, X-Fries, Crossbows and other goodies were unpacked and assembled for the show room floor including my highly anticipated X-Night frames. When they were 'presented', I got super weepy. Absolutely gorgeous.

I brought 'em home and proceeded to whip out the tape measure. The sizing (58cm) in my case was a 1/2 cm difference from my Rock Lobster frames but my ‘actual’ positioning on the bike will  be nearly identical. The geometry is more slack than the R.L.’s with a slightly higher BB so I’ll more or less end up in the same position…which for me is very ‘forward’ to enable me to be on top of the pedal stroke (think how you power on the flats on top of the stroke) and not necessarily behind it (think how you position yourself when you climb...e.g 'pulling' the stroke).

I wanted to take the time to show off the details of the frame before I get them built. There are SO many details here in the X-Night it’s worth a closer look. So without further adieu, and with the help of my Nikon, check out the X-Night with me!

The 2010 Ridley X-Night in her full glory. All carbon with aluminum sleeves for the bottom bracket, headset and rear drop outs. Claimed weight is 1.25kgs/2lbs 12oz. My 58cm is closer to 3lbs. Compare that to my 3.01 lb Scandium Rock Lobster (~58cm). Oh, and don't forget that includes the 'seat post!'

The paint scheme is unbelievable. They are not just decals applied but carefully sprayed graphics with a good helping of clear coat.

The BB30 bottom bracket on the X-Night assists with q-factor fairly dramatically. I will be running my 2009 SRAM Red cranks utilizing an aftermarket SRAM adapter to insert into the BB30 so I can use my standard BB's from last season (my wallet thanks me).

Freudian? Indeed the seat mast if STIFF! It will be cut to my dimensions and likely the last thing we’ll do when the bike is built.

The X-Night features INTERNAL cable routing! YES! Finally someone listened. You can see the front derailleur cable’s exit hole just above the bb shell. Instead of a roller (used when cables are mounted on the top tube and run down the seat tube, around the roller and up into a traditional road derailleur), the X-Night features this ingenious cable stop seen above.

One burly a_ _ fork! The X-Night’s Oryx fork is maddeningly stout and stiff. It features a 1.25 (upper) to 1.5 (lower) carbon steerer tube making the steering precise and brake chatter virtually non-existent. This is a common problem when using carbon forks and exacerbated with carbon wheels. Even with toe-in capabilities on some of the more progressive brakes like the TRP EuroX Magnesium's, chatter on carbon forks is notorious. The Oryx erases this. 

Another shot of the beautiful paint scheme.

The entrance for the front derailleur internal cable routing. There is an entirely sealed kevlar ‘pipe’ that your cable runs through completely sheltering it from mud.

Quick: What’s missing? See bottom of the post for the answer or try and guess!

Rear tire clearance by the bottom bracket is enormous. Seen above are size 34 Dugasts which leaves ample room for mud clearance. 

And even more clearance by the seat stay yoke where mud often collects due to the brake arms. 

The Oryx fork is no different. Again, mad clearance even with big tires.

If you watch any of the race coverage in Belgium, you know how peanut buttery the mud can get. Hamme Zogge’s course as an example is notorious derailleur shredder and has killed the chances of many a ‘sure winner’. The X-Night has thoughtfully included an ingenious replacement mechanism for BOTH drop outs (not just the derailleur side!). The are made of a plate of 7000 series aluminum bolted on ensuring the stiffness of a non-replaceable hanger with the practicality of a replaceable one.

ANSWER: No bottle cage bosses! This bike is a pure race breed. Super PRO.