Fixx Supercross Cup Round 2. // race report

Mud, barriers, wet grass, slippery corners. Yes, it's that time of the year again, bring on some cyclocross! To be able to race today was a bit of a last minute surprise thing, I only got the news about me havin' Sunday off for the race on Wednesday, so hopped on to the organizer's website and signed up for the Fixx Supercross Cup Round 2 in Bray.

I was mega excited about the race! We got tons of rain during the week, so I was expecting some sweet cyclocross conditions with mud up to me knees. :) 

Ready to go

Wow, what a nice place to run a bike race, hah?!

After the short drive out to Bray I arrived to the coast there and got a parking spot nice and close to the registration. I cycled up to the start / finish area to pick up my race number and after that I was all set to have a sneaky practice lap before the race. 

On the way up to the registration tent, what a nice view!

Ready! Let's race some 'cross! :)

So, me and my team mates (Garry and Joe) took off for our pre-race practice lap to check out the race course. After the easy spin around it I have to say it was simply brilliant! It was tough enough now, but brilliant! Long grassy sections, nice and tight switch back turns, little burst climbs, long steady climb, little drops-offs and plenty of mud to make all this more exciting! I really think the organizers put a great race course together today!! 

The start of the "B" Race was at 11:30 am sharp. I started from the 4th row, kinda from the middle of the field.

Start! (photo by Sean Rowe)

Nice technical descent = fun (photo by Sean Rowe)

Catching some mud (photo by Sean Rowe)

Great view

Trying to chase Joe & Garry down

After the first lap I managed to settle into my own "comfort" zone and started to make my way up towards the front group. I felt great and gain lots of positions during the first 3 laps. Until...

...I got a front puncture at the end of the 3rd lap. I was pissed off, I was pissed off big time... But luckily it didn't go down straight away so I decided to take my chances and kept riding. I didn't have any spare wheels at the pits, so this was my only option anyway...

Racing with punctured wheel. Ah sure, at least it's sunny :)

The best spot on the course: got the best cheering here, no doubt about that!

It stayed up kinda ok (very flat, but still ok) for the 4th and the 5th lap, but after that it went down altogether. So, I was riding pretty much on the rim for the last 2 laps of the race that made my work even more difficult. The  bike felt super heavy on the climbs and it was all over the place on the downhills. I even ended up running some of the more techy downhill bits towards the end to avoid some nasty crash.  

Luckily I was in positive frame of mind and somehow managed to maintain my position. Now, I dropped back few places alright, but it wasn't as bad as I expected earlier on. Anyway. I finished the race (all 7 laps) and crossed the finish line with 48 minutes racing time. This was enough to scoop up the 11th place out of the 60 riders. This also means I picked up a top 10 position in Senior B Category.  Am I happy with this? Sure I am!! I'm freakin' delighted!! :) 

After the race, another one done & dusted!

:)

This made my race quiet challenging indeed

Chat with the lads, sharing some race stories, get cleaned up quickly and off to home. Today's race was great buzz, I had brilliant time racing my bike! And even with the fact I could give as much as I wanted because of the puncture, but it still has been an excellent day out! Even the weather was nice & warm with plenty of sun, so there's a nice little bonus for everyone! :)

My reward after the savage race today

Big thanks to the organizers for putting this great race together. Also thanks to John, Casey, Murt, Chris, Adrian and Eva for the excellent cheering today, it did help to stay happy! :)

The TCX is ready. I mean "Fixx Supercross ready" !

Back on the 'cross bike // Race on Sunday

I have been very busy with all my mountain biking in the last couple of weeks, so it was due to dig out the cyclocross bike and go for a good old fashion 'cross spin in the park. I believe I picked the "perfect" morning for it: cold, mud, heavy rain. Ideal conditions! :) 

Havin' fun in the rain...

Did some 'cross specific practice and some nice & intense intervals also. With all those long mountain bike spins in my legs and now being back on the cyclocross bike I feel ready for the upcoming Fixx Supercross Cup Round 2 (Bray) this coming Sunday. Looking forward to it now, I'll get some redemption after missing the previous race. :)

Chillax after the miserable spin this morning :)

26 VS 27.5 VS 29 // Does the 27.5 really work?!

I was talking to so many riders in the last few weeks about the whole new 27.5 aka 650b wheelsize saga. I heard many opinions that supported the idea and many that was against it altogether. Now, I feel I'm in a pretty lucky situation 'cause I am using the new 650b Giant Anthem since the middle of last month, so I had plenty of chance to see what's all the fuss about! 

In this post I will be writing about all the stuff that I experienced in the saddle of this amazing bike (with  the benefits that are related to the wheelsize in focus). I have been using 26" bikes since I started mountain biking. I never actually owned any 29ers, but managed to test a few out on lots of different terrains. And now I'm on a 27.5 wheelsized bike and to answer the question above: yes, it does! It definitely works for me!!

The first thing that really surprised me was the fact this bike rides just like my old 26" bike. I didn't have the feeling that I got when I cycled 29ers before. It felt right and the control of the bike was just as good as I was used to from before. The agility is there, it is a very playable bike. 

The speed is definitely there too, it feels so much faster than the 26" one (it's nice 'cause I prefer to cycle out to the trails and cycle home after I'm done with my mountain biking). 

But the most important thing is how the bike rides on trails! It rides much better than any 26" bike I think: rolls over everything better, I'm absolutely lovin' the additional traction both uphill & downhill. And the best part is that you have all the benefit that comes from the bigger wheels while you feel like you're riding your 'aul 26" machine! It's super crisp on the handling, the front is easy to lift over stuff (not like the 29ers), it's light & stiff! What not to like?! :)

In my opinion everyone should be riding whatever works the best for their needs! For me the 27.5 is the way to go, no doubt about that! It's the ultimante "best-of-both" option I think. So, roll on big wheels!! ... (but not too big of course...)     :)

Au revoir Look 986

Well, this is it. It's time to say good bye to the old machine. The Look 986 26" is no longer in use, it's going to be sold. Amazing bike it was I had such joy using it in the last few years! Amazing spins, brilliant races, great results. Au revoir, thanks for everything! :)

 

2014 European XC Marathon Champs // The Big Plan

This is one of the best and biggest news I could possibly get: the 2014 European XC Marathon Championship will be in Ballyhoura, Co. Limerick, Ireland on the 14th & 15th of June, 2014.

This is a huge opportunity for me to be part of something truly special! This is my biggest cycling goal since I started mountain biking back in 2001, no doubt about that. I have decided to take things seriously (as serious things can be with a full time job and family commitments) and prepare for the biggest event yet! I will have this race as a primary goal for the next season and will sacrifice the next 8 months to get the best possible preparation done for the race!  

So, the plan is there. All I need to do is stick to it and use the upcoming 8 months the best possible way! I know it'll be an amazing journey! :)