Unofficial 2009 Bike...

This is a mock up of the unofficial race rig for MWI next season (I know it is a hack photoshop job but deal with it).  I still need a few more commitments before I can start taking pre-orders for this custom painted Blue CXC carbon frame set.  Blue does not do custom paint requests, but a good friend is a rep and I called in a favor so the MWI version will be limited edition one time run, only available through me.  It will take 3-4 months from the order date to arrive so I am looking at placing the order in early Spring.  I am not going to disclose the pricing here - let's just say they are going to be a good deal - if you are interested hit me up and we can talk.

All of the templates for the 2009 kit are almost finished and I am taking Spring 09 Kit orders.  I will post up the templates when they are finished, but they aren't going to change from the last one I posted. 

2009 is almost here and then only 8 1/2 months till cross season...

Eurostyle...

Okay so it is video day on the blog today.

I have heard the comment that American cyclocross racers are too nice and that is part of the problem when they travel to Europe to race they get pushed around. Most of the Euro Cross Camp posts talk about having to close the door lest you get chopped in the corners. Greg talked about the old Belgian guy telling him he was too nice, but he won some money off of him. Well Steven Hunter who races for the Veloshop has gone over to Europe with Molly Cameron and posted this video of his "brush" with Richard Gronendaal.



Nice move Richard. I can only imagine what was going through his head "Silly pink American get the F*CK out of my way!" I would say that if that is a regular occurrence on the Euro scene than Yes we Americans are too nice.

Heckle video...

Sam Smith caught some of the Page heckler exchange on tape. Decide for yourself...

Time to kill...

If you have some you should read this and this. Myerson's personal account of the punch, that sounds like the first hand account Crusty gave after seeing the incident, and an account of the Sachs bike stomping incident from Nathaniel Ward who saw the whole thing.

Myerson...

" Bike racing is just a stupid little game we play as a way to make our lives mean more than the drudgery of day-to-day existence. Our lives really aren’t that hard, just boring. Work, shopping, eating, cleaning – those things are tedious and monotonous and unfulfilling for most of us. We need our lives to be difficult for them to have meaning, and bike racing, like most games or sports, is a way to set up an artificial, safe, inconsequential construct that lets us experience a struggle that feels real, feels meaningful and emotional, but has no actual consequences. No actual consequences, that is, until one person punches another over something that happens in the game."

Nathaniel Ward...

"On heckling: stop it. This seems to be the issue of the season. I have read about it on several blogs, and had many conversations with friends. More than once I have heard people speculate that, like the surge in interest in "Alternative" music after Nirvana's "Nevermind" came out, and the jocks and kids just looking for a fight found out about mosh pits, and the genuinely other-than-mainstream music scene began it's true death roll, 'cross might just crush itself under its own success and popularity.

But really, let's keep this simple up front: saying mean stuff isn't nice."

For sure these are two of my favorite posts of the year.

I just missed seeing the punch, but two very reliable friends saw it and their accounts mirror Myerson's recount of what happened, and I did see part of the heckler/Page's brother-in-law incident after the bike mauling occurred and they were heading back to the bike wash area and another pushing/shouting match broke out. But so many people on the forums and blogs wrote about what they heard had happened or someone told them about that the both incidents quickly became ridiculous and over exposed. So I am really glad that both of these guys clearly took some time to compose their thoughts and put up two very thought provoking posts that put the issues to rest for me, at least until Sam Smith releases the video he has of the bike mauling.

Until then we can all get back to eating a little too much and planning some base miles...

2009...

Looks to be a huge year for big time cyclocross in the Midwest! Almost 1/4, (11 of 46) of the US UCI cross races are in what I would consider the Midwest, that is a full season of racing for a lot of people. 2 out of 4 USGP weekends are in the Midwest. Major props to Midwest cross racers and promoters! Throw in stellar regional series in Wisconsin, Chicago, Minnesota, Michigan, KC, and the rest of the Midwest and you have some of the best racing in the country. Sure we don't have the numbers of participants at each race as the coasts but our population density isn't the same either. What the Midwest lacks in per race volume we make up in options and local series, all of which seem to be growing by leaps and bounds.

2009 is looking to be the year of the Midwest road trip. How often do you have 5 weekends of UCI races to get your SuperFan mojo going that are all less than 9 hours away. Two of which should have every major player on the US Cross scene duking it out for USGP supremecy. Oh and a Friday NIGHT race added to the Jingle Cross schedule this year! Are you kidding me racing under the lights, can't wait.

KTR Double Cross - Michigan

Planet Bike Cup - Madison, Wisconsin

Jingle Cross Rock - Iowa

I didn't go to Ohio or Kentucky this year, but from what I have heard they are really great races. But if I had to pick only two weekends to attend in the Midwest I would have to pick the Planet Bike Cup in Wisconsin and Jingle Cross Rock in Iowa. Everyone associated with the PB Cup is awesome, and the venue is a blast. The hill at Jingle Cross is epic no matter the weather and what else are you going to do on Thanksgiving weekend - shop?

I need a break, but I am looking forward to next seasons adventure. That's the thing about cross it's an adventure. All the courses and unlocking their secrets and pushing your abilities, the different people you see, crazy guys in speedos, boomboxes crews, and cowbell weilding superfans, the blur of color and cluttered sounds of cheers as you fly by, the smell of fresh mud and wet grass it all blends together to form an energy that you can't find anywhere else but at a cross race.

Start planning your next adventure...

It's Ready...

The 2009 My Wife Inc kit is finished. We got a ton of looks, comments, thumbs ups, and questions about our kit and high vis jumpsuits this weekend at Cross Nationals. Thanks to everyone who asked and got it. So here it is the 2009 kit...
We had to trade off answering "What's My Wife Inc?" questions this weekend - it was fun.

So what is My Wife Inc - A group of guys, some are married, some are not, who love riding bikes and racing cyclocross. We don't have any "sponsors" in the usual club sense - No bike shop, doctor's office, coffee shop, etc. Just our Family and Friends, way better sponsors in my opinion!! These are the people who let us spend endless hours riding our bikes, weekends away getting dirty, sometimes getting injured racing our bikes in remote locations, pin on our numbers, take our clothes at the start line and bring them to us after the race, cheer their hearts our for us while we are sucking ass in the middle of the pack, in short our personal super fans. They get it and they get us. There aren't many team "sponsors" out there that give you all of that. We are very lucky to have loved ones that support us in so many ways. My Wife Inc is our way of saying thanks to them while we are out riding/racing our bikes. It's also our own little community of connections across the country. So you will never see a bunch of logos all over our jerseys, what you will get is a place in the MWI family and a chance to answer the question for yourself "What is My Wife Inc?" Really it could be My _____ Inc ,friends, family, co-workers, boss, whatever you want to fill the blank in with, we just thought My Wife Inc was funny and you get it or you don't.

It makes me all warm and fuzzy when I hear someone screaming "Go My Wife!" when I am racing and someone asks about the kit after the race. Thanks to everyone this year who got it!

Looking forward to next year, MWI will continue to ride our bikes and come late September start another onslaught on Cross Season! In our ongoing pursuit to be the most PRO un-PRO team we are trying to organize a group buy on some custom painted cross frames for next year. You too could have the bike of cross superstar Jonathan Page painted in My Wife Inc green.

Want to rock the MWI Jackalope next year? All you have to do is ask, start a conversation, say hi?

CX Nationals Day 3...

Roscoe P Fast Train's Day didn't start so well in the Master 30-34 race yesterday. After watching the start I started running to the pit as the announcers are yelling for medical to go to turn one. I couldn't see the turn and the field had was already strung out as I waited for Ross to come by the pit. Instead I see him walking up towards the pit with his bike in hand. A few guys fell into him before the first turn and he was on the bottom of a big pile up. No one is really sure just what happened, if you saw it let me know. Well a cracked helmet, destroyed helmet, black spots, and bruises ended his season. Luckily his body and bike are mostly okay - I think he is downstairs riding the trainer right now.

Getting passed by Greg of Mud and Cowbells fame. I am pretty sure he was a few rows back, I would have yelled Hi if we weren't going so freaking fast. I had a third row start position, not that it mattered one bit, the start was CRAZY fast and I was a little nervous after Roscoe's start crash. The course was like velcro yesterday, you could just rail the corners, but the spots that were just a bit soft sucked the life right out of your legs.

The corners were much faster than Thursday.

This was one of the soft corners, you can see the mud getting pushed to the outside. A lot of the corners were getting these soft mud berms. If you hit them just right they were fun but if you missed the line they bucked you off pretty good.


Well that's it for the racing season! I gave it what I could yesterday, but I never really recovered from the pile driver I took at Jingle Cross. So it wasn't much. I got pulled with two to go, I guess the freight train was coming right behind me - I am pretty sure I could have gotten another lap, but I hear the lap traffic was already causing problems.

I am going to pit for the Velo Bella ladies as they try to rip it up in the Pro Womens race and then the cross season is officially over. Oh and for the record Crusty forgot his shoes yesterday and didn't race bringing the season tally Me 6 - Crusty 0.

now what?....

CX Nationals Day One...

Day One is in the books. The course is RAD - climbing, technical turns, off camber, long pavement start, and slop. Parking leaves a little to be desired, and the bike wash needs some improvement (more hoses and closer to the pit) but the course rocks. Watch out for freeze / thaw over night to keep the slop going in the morning. Local weather says the bottom is going to drop on Sunday afternoon bring COLD and rain maybe just about Elite start time.

Cross Nationals...

Down in KC they had a little Nationals pre-ride this past weekend.  I found this picture that shows the profile of the course better than the videos that are floating around. I have heard that there is a 1/4 mile climb, with a good chance of it being into the wind, the course is very exposed and if the weather takes a turn for the worse it will be brutal.  Plan on getting to the venue a little early to get yourself situated, I hear the parking is less than ideal, i.e very little to no paved parking!

However it sounds like KLM has made some subtle changes to the course based on previous feedback and it is going to be a blast.  

Oh and have you looked at the ever changing forecast?  You never can tell in KC, but it's looking like it will be a sloppy weekend.

See you all there!

Cracked...

Another one bites the dust. I finally got around to cleaning my helmet from Sunday's mudfest. I knew I had hit hard when I went over the bars, but it was a mud landing - mud is soft right. Yeah sure it hurt when I went over and I was stunned a little, but I got right back up, ran down the hill, remounted, and kept racing. I was a little stiff after the race, but didn't think too much about it. Well I have been feeling a little "foggy" this week - I guess I hit quite a bit harder than I thought judging by the cracked helmet! It is however cracked in probably the weakest part - right across the front - but it's the worst cracked helmet I have ever been responsible for.
Time to get back on the bike and finish out the season strong. Only 2 more races left to go at Nationals.

8 1/2 minutes of Jingle Cross..

This captures what makes Jingle Cross Rock "special" Mt. Krumpet. Check out around 6:40, my technique was a little nicer - I held my bike above my head, fully committed and slid the whole way down.

Jingle Cross Rock Day 2...

Jingle Cross Rock Day One...

Jingle Cross Rock day 1 is in the books. It was a great day of racing all around! Lots of Midwest talent peaking at the right time.

Devon and Lisa Women's Pro 1st and 2nd podium rocking the sand.

The Wells bros. killing it from the start.

Troy Wells on the climb.

Marko rocking it!

Marko looking good on the climb.

Some Goofball all by himself.

At least I looked good.

The womens Pro race was great. A group got off the front Josie Jaques-Maynes, Devon Haskell, and Lisa Strong. They took turns attacking each other then settled in for a dual. Devon and Lisa dropped Josie and duked it out for the win with Devon getting the best of Lisa and Josie coming in third.


The men's race got off to an interesting start with a huge pile up early in the first lap allowing the Well's Brothers to escape never to be seen by the chasers again. Andy Jaques-Maynes put in a good effort to catch but couldn't close it down and was soon joined by Wsico boys Marko and Matter. They rode well together trading pulls until something happened to Matter who fell off the pace leaving Andy and Marko to dual it out for the final podium spot. Marko was on Andy's wheel going in to the final turns but Andy came around the final turn all alone to take third uncontested. I didn't hear what happened to Mark in the final turns (they were out of sight behind some barns) or what happened to Matter, but they both rocked it today!


My race- well had an awesome start moving up into the top 3 with some superior line choices on Crusty's wheel but couldn't hold the big boy's wheels. I managed a 13th in a very strong and packed field. Best of all I went up 3-0 on Crusty! He has to take the next three if he wants to pull even - not any easy task!


If tomorrow's weather forecast comes true it is going to be an snowy epic!

LeBam Down and Out...

Tuesday night was the start of an extended Holiday/Race weekend. With no work until Monday I had a hard ride planned Wed, Turkey and a spin on Thurs, and travel to Jingle Cross on Friday.

Well LeBam picked up a little friend from school, whose name is Projectile Vomit, and came home with other plans. It is always very obvious when she is feeling crappy - all she wants to do is lay on your lap and watch TV, she NEVER just watches TV she is usually doing 2 or 3 other things st the same time. About 6 pm in Tuesday the vomiting party began lasting most of the night. Wednesday she woke up made her way to the couch and then the living room floor and didn't move until bedtime - at least the vomiting had stopped, so we thought. Last night at 1 am it came back. This prompted a trip to the hospital, some IV fluids, nausea medications, and a 4 hour ER stay. I am happy to say she is smiling, eating crackers, and drinking today, the worst may be over. (fingers crossed) Now hopefully no one else in the house gets the bug and we can salvage the weekend.

here's to being healthy!

The weekend...

So I raced the 3's last weekend at the State Champs.  I needed a little "rubing is racing" time for the big boy races coming up.  The masters category up here is just too small and we all string out from the start and jsut kind of settle in.  I was looking for a little more chaos, and what better place to find it than lining up second row in the State Cat 3 race. 

Well I got what I was looking for.  I lined up right behind th

e series leader thinking he would start fast. well everyone swarmed him, I got pinched a little and tried to pass on the outside but got stuck in traffic about 5-7 wheel.  Tried to make my way up the line but the guys weren't having it. I came around on the flats but the leader was already gone.  They just let him ride away, there was never a reaction in the group no one tried to chase him content to let him go.  I guess this has been how it played out all year in the 3's.  After the split was made a group of 4  was left 2 SS and 2 of us on gears.  After trying to make something work between us and failing I uped the tempo and pulled away from the group.  I continured to chase but the damage had been done and the leader was well away.  Apparently he was met with a less than enthusastic reponse when he crossed the line and I was cheered on with "If i

t wasn't for the sandbagger you would be State Champ!"  Whatever the case he rode away, no one chased him , and I couldn't catch him, so good for him he will face the music in the 1/2's next year.  I was a little worried I would get the sandbagger label after racing Masters all season but all of the ill will was directed at the other guy, and I had a lot of "If it wasn't for ___......."  conversartions after the race from the other guys in the race.  It's all good.  I had a great time racing in Wisco this year - THANKS TO ALL THE PROMOTERS, SUPERFANS, SUPPORTERS, AND RACERS for an awesome Wisconsin Cross season!!  

One of my favorite shots from the race. Borrowed from djohnnymac thanks!

Still 5 more races on the calendar for me 4 of which pit me against Crusty.  Watch out Crusty I am feeling fast!

Wisco State Photo Essay...

Here are some shots from the Wisconsin State Cross Race today. I'll give some words later...

MWI ready to crush the 4's. Dr. Giggles took the title and CT came in 7th?

Start mood was relaxed in the 3's.

Chasing.

Chillin poolside.

Looking good.

"State fan" - state champ and superfan!

Cheering section.

And a Super Pit Crew.

Equals 2nd Place in the Cat 3 State Race.

Loading up the B.A.V. after an awesome day!

Thanks to everyone who braved the cold and cheered their hearts out! All the encouragement makes you faster and helps wash away the pain of pushing yourself past your limits.

3 more weekends of racing folks. Next up round 3 of Crusty v. Endo at Jingle Cross in Iowa.