its a kinda magic

It only took me 3 years but I finally got the "magic gear" set up to work on my Centurion Single Speed Cross Disaster Transport Bike. I was reading a very brief interview with Adam Craig in the 12th issue of Cyclocross magazine, in which he swore by the use of a magic gear for his single speed cyclocross national championship bike. This got the old tinkerbox thinking, and an afternoon later I had something that one would call a success.

The magic gear allows a single speed setup on a bike with vertical dropouts without the use of a chaintensioner. Sheldon Brown best describes it here. 44x20 with a 1/8th chain is the magic setup apparently. I must stress that this does not agree with the Infotoobz Magic Gear Calculatoro 6000 . But whats important is that it works. Now, what to do with three single speed chain tensioners??..... Bike is running smooth...need to get some pictures......stilll

I ran into a local crosser the other day who presented me with some bitttersweet news about the new NEOCX single speed category. The good part was that by combining those who I know that plan to race sscx and those that he knew, all added up to more than 5 sscx racers. So maybe at one, or more of the upcoming races there will be a SSCX cat. The bummer part is, those that he knew are all fast as hell. Like cat 2 lightening boltz. ...... basically eliminating all my dreams of getting a W.

cross diary 2011 and bar tape n tape

Two weeks until another thrilling year of single speed cyclocross on the North Coast. All summer I toyed with the idea of a new wheel set, and new tires, possibly even a new frame. Yesterday I ventured over to the nearest bike shop to make some potential investments a reality. I failed to buy any of the three aforementioned items and returned with a copy of cyclocross magazine and some new bar tape. Its fancy bar tape though. I thought, well, I had a $9.99 bar tape on my first season, and then also for the first 3 races of my second season. Then I sacrificed the handsome charcoal tape when I spent my own 40 days in the wilderness as I raced the next two races with riser bars and a 7 speed, yuck. Emerging from my bout with temptation I discovered I had no bar tape and not a dime to spend on new tape. So, I rummaged through the trash and resurrected some old cork tape that was broken in several sections. With some super-glue and some time that probably should have been spent writing a research paper for my M.A., I made it work and returned, bar tape and all the land of milk and honey aka sscx aka single speed cyclocross. I must say I'm still having trouble convincing myself this was a necessary purchase ..It was...it was ...

Maybe .... maybe some new tires will come too. No dugasts, or even challenge. Probably another set of ritchey speed max pros. They're great tires and inexpensive to boot. I know I should try another pair, just to get the experience but the same time, why ruin a good thing?

2011 has more than fancy bar tape in store. I should be racing for a club, Scum City. While I'm not too fond of the name, and the jersey ..well, is intense, I'm excited to race alongside some other nuts who are just as crazy for cross as I am. They seem like some great fellows, and I like their initiatives to get more people to come out to the races. We'll see.. I might just miss my wool red jersey too much.

Also, my totally awesome girlfriend got me a hose for my birthday. I can't stress enough what a thoughtful gift this is. My bike has mud on it from my first season. I can't wait to wash it off after the first muddy race this year. I live in an apartment. And funny thing, theres this no muddy cross bikes in the apartment rule. And I must say washing a bike by hand, in the cold sucks the big one. So, yes, this is the best gift. possibly ever.

NEOCX announced that pending the attendance of at least 5 single speed racers, and the approval of the race promoters, there will be a single speed category. This is great! I'm so very excited that, not only there could be a single speed category at many races, but also this category will be racing with in the B group. For a minute I was very worried that the sscx would be stuck in the Cs, which would admittedly blow. No offense C racers, I just want a longer race.

I also look forward to more statistics. I hope to get at the very least, course lengths, lap times and maybe heart rate for each course too. Who likes number? I do.

I'm looking forward to a fun season, and more importantly getting more people to come out to the racers. It took me a season to convince my g/f to get up and out on a rainy cold Sunday morning, and now I'm set on getting friends and family too. Beers n Cheers