October 22, 2009 (Nanaimo, BC) – We received some great and positive e-mails and notes with regards to the event and course last weekend at Providence Farm. I agree with all of them. Experience Cycling Club did a great job putting on the event. It was their 3rd time putting on a race and you could tell that they had pretty much everything dialed in. The course was even better than last year with 3 different types of riding: the smooth paths/roads/climbs, the field sections and the twisty stuff in the woods. Combined it was a great course. Also to be thanked was Experience Cycle that was our local bike shop support for the event and supplied support at the event along with some of our prizing. All and all Crosstoberfest was a great event.

– Want to get REALLY inspired over the next week in preparation for the biggest and most important cross race this year .in the world ..check out: www.joesales.ca

– Have you checked out the photos of the KONA Major One which will be one of our Series Draw Prizes at our last event check it out at here

– Our 2009 Cross on the rock series T’s are now available for $20 at all of our remaining races. They are sweet!!

MORE PHOTOS from Crosstoberfest can be found at:

Roland Rabien’s Shots:

– Intermediate here
– Masters and Women here
– Expert Men here

Bonus:
Video from Bowen of my frame destroying crash, you can’t really see it, but you hear it here.

Watch and listen for “Evil” Dave’s reaction to seeing Roland on the ground.

Cross on the Rock News Items

1) The Nutcase Intercontinental Single Speed Cyclocross Championships of the Universe.

Details of this event have started to leak out a bit ..basically it is going to kick ASS!

FULL DETAILS WILL BE POSTED INCLUDING SCHEDULE, DIRECTIONS, COSTS and other VERY important details in the race guide early next week.

Until then a few things to consider:

Races: We are going to have 3 races on October 31st.

The schedule will be slightly earlier than normal for the last races so that people can make it home for Halloween.

We are thinking of (BUT CHECK THE GUIDE TO CONFIRM):

– Registration: 10:00 to 12:45
– Race number one: 11:00
– Race number two: 12:00 (Pre riding after kids races)
– Race number three: 1:15

RACE NUMBER ONE
The first one will be an ALL Comer’s race for anyone that fits the following description: Races Beginner Male or Female. Has raced Masters, Intermediate or Open women this year and has finished in the 2nd half of the field on all occasions that they have raced. Anyone that has not raced this year BUT if they did race they would be 2nd have of the field. NO EXPERT RACERS or anyone that had placed in the first half of the field at any of our first 3 events this year. This race will be open to anyone that fits these descriptions. This race will be OPEN TO ANY BIKES WITH ANY NUMBER OF GEARS. You can race a single speed if you would like but generally you can just race your normal bike.

RACE NUMBER TWO
This will be a kids race. IF we have a good number of kids of different ages we will hold a couple of races. This will be over an abbreviated course and will be shorter than normal races obviously. 10-20 minutes depending on age.

RACE NUMBER THREE
This race will be the CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT. Anyone can enter this race (even if you fit the description of the above mentioned races). In order to enter the CHAMPIONSHIP event your bike must only have and can only have ONE functional gear. By functional we mean you can have your regular cassette or shifters BUT it must be made impossible for you to change gears in any way. If you are entering this event you must present your machine at registration for inspection. All men, women, and trans gender racers will race together if they want to race the championship event.

GEARS:
A few people have asked me about what gear to use for the N.I.S.S.C.C.of the U Event. I consulted with Drew MacKenzie (see more of his tips below) and he said that he used at Fletchers Farm last year where he raced a SS a gearing of 38 X 17. He also used this gear when he won the SS World Championships in Portland a week later. With his recommendation I built up the Mongrel (the name for my single speed) KONA last week with that gear and tried it out in the masters race at Crosstoberfest. Well I can tell you that gear was WAY too hard for my legs and that course. Obviously Drew is a LOT stronger than I am ..I think I am going to try out a 38 X 18 or 38 X 19 for Fletchers. I might bring both gears and try them out as it does not take very long to swap gears out.

SEE THE NEWS ITEM AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR UPDATE ON HOW TO CONVERT YOUR BIKE TO A SINGLE SPEED

2) Results and Errors.

Results… sometimes we get the results wrong. IF you timed one of these events and then tried to translate the timing sheets to the results at the end of the event, you would understand. With multiple laps, mud, numbers on the wrong spot, mechanicals and people distracting the timers, things sometimes get messed up. For example for the last 2 races we have listed Trail Bikes owner, Jeff Beeston, as a DNF when in fact he did finish both races (now corrected). When Jeff contacted us we reviewed the timing sheets and followed his number specifically for the duration of the race to re-construct his race and the timing of his number to figure out that indeed we made a mistake twice. In this case we were just distracted by how handsom Jeff is, for someone else it might be because their number was on upside down or something.

We know that it is a fun series but we want to try to maintain our accuracy and with series points as well, IF you think you were not timed property OR finished in a different spot that what we have you at, just let us know and we will try to sort it out for you. We keep the timing sheets for the whole year BUT don’t wait that long, just let us know after the results are posted if you think yours are wrong.

3) Rules out there on the course.

As anyone knows that has done our events, having fun is our #1 priority. Most people comment on how fun our races are while still maintaining good competitive levels and everyone trying very hard to race hard. Rules, well we do follow them pretty much, just not as strict as the UCI or actually most bigger races in Canada which are more strict than the UCI.

One thing that I have been asked to clarify for everyone is our rules as associated with mechanicals, outside assistance, the pits and leaving the course.

Mechanicals: If you get a mechanical while racing of any type and you want to continue in the race as a ranked rider this is what MUST happen; you must continue on the course in the direction of travel of the course until you arrive at the pits for assistance. You can not travel backwards on the course. Nor can you cut the course in any way. You must complete the course as you would if you were riding.

Pits: The official pits is the ONLY place that you can receive assistance while racing. You can not receive any assistance on the course other than in the pits, with 1 exception. The 1 exception is that a fellow racer that is racing in your race can help you while you are racing, BUT then can not give you anything. For example, you have a flat tire, a fellow racer can not give you his wheel. Or another example your chain gets stuck – in this case a fellow racer can give you a hand getting it unstuck.

Outside assistance: The only place that you can get assistance from anyone that is not racing in your event during your race is in the pits. Any other place on the course is not allowed. So an example of this is you have a flat tire but you do not have a spare in the pits .but your buddy does that is in the parking lot. Well you can not stop at the parking lot to get the spare BUT you can ask your buddy to put the spare in the pits and you can fit it there.

Leaving the course: Once the race has started if you chose to leave the course you have left the race and will be a DNF. What this means is for example if you have a mechanical but your tools are in your car and not in the pits so you pop off the course and go to your car to fix your bike. At that point you are a DNF. You must stay on the course for the duration of the race in order to be officially ranked.

Again to be fair to everyone racing, anyone not following these or our other rules will be a DQ from your event. Sorry but it is only fair.

I hope that makes things more clear for everyone. Our intention is not to be rule dominated BUT we want to make it fun… and if things are not fair for everyone then they are not as fun for everyone.

If you have any questions or need any clarity on this let me know.

4) Cross on the Rock Series Points and Standings.
Lots of movement in the series standings. In Expert: For the first time ever Jeff Reimer is leading the series by the slimmest of 1 point margins over double winner Craig Ritchy. National Champion, Johnny Fokkema dropped out of the top 3 with a Bee Sting DNF at Crosstoberfest. Kristenn Magnussonn continues with her perfect score of 20 points per event for a series leading total of 60. A few guys carrying over masters and intermediate points up to Expert which has shaken up that category a bit. Dylan Tremblay still leading Intermediates but his move to Expert will leave that category wide open for a new leader.

I have attached the series standings after 3 events. The highlighted in blue top 24 will be called up each event. Everyone else after that is random.

5) RACER Tips… this week from the Golden Speedo himself – World CX Single Speed Champ Drew MacKenzie

Insider tips for Single Speed CX’ing

1. You’ve got one gear, choose it wisely – know the terrain before you decide your gear and try it out before the day of the race.

2. You’ve got one gear, hammer early and often – get a good start and don’t get too far behind. getting caught out at the start with no shifting means no big gears to catch up with later in the race.
3. You’ve got one gear, hills will suck – momentum is your friend. always look ahead and hammer on the flats leading up to hills. (extrapolation – train specifically on your SS bike in the weeks leading up to
the big event and practice hills riding at super slow cadences… build your leg strength and climbing technique for grinding out the short steep hills you will encounter in the race)
4. Ditto for corners – pick smooth lines and brake as little as possible. momentum is your friend. practice no brake riding and keeping as much speed as possible out of corners.
5. You’ve got one gear, and you’re hungover – SS CX often involves Time Trials, Costumes, Keg Stands, and pub crawls with guys named Team Beer followed by hard racing the next day. Be like Lance: train with specificity by committing to a high performance lifestyle involving these elements if you wish to excel.
6. Last but not least, be prepared for the unexpected – bubble machines, crazy fans, paintball guns, windmills, and nakedness – revel in it.

6) Race Numbers (a simple message from bike timing crews everywhere)

Placement of your race numbers is a simple thing, but even simple tasks can be messed up, which mess us up. PLEASE always check with the registration when you are signing up (IF THERE IS NOT A SIGN POSTED with INSTRUCTIONS or if it is not on your registration form) and ask where they want the numbers placed. For our races we always want the numbers lower to mid back. Placed on the side of the timing crew. Perpendicular to facing down is best. Ie. IF you are in your bars and passing someone that is beside you looking at you… say someone timing your event, the number looks normal to them.

Do NOT mess up, fold down or cut your numbers, our job is hard enough already.

We have decided that the penalty for anyone not getting their number placement correct will not be 10 times through the barriers, NO that person or person’s will have to time the next event. They get a pass or fail… fail for more than 0 errors, pass with 0 errors, and they can not race until they get a pass!

Get your numbers right!

7) Dave Shishkoff Section

Last Chance for Focused ‘Cross Practice!

Hey everyone! This Saturday is our final ‘cross clinic, consider coming out! Practice and improve your mounting, dismounting, barrier clearing, and also perfect your cornering on the short, tightly cornered course we design. If you felt like you were suffering last Sunday in the woods or field, then this clinic will improve your handling and you will hit those sections with speed and confidence!

Also, our two final Mini ‘Cross Comps. We skipped out last week due to the torrential downpour, so this week at 11am will be the Short Track Sprint Showdown, and noon will conclude with the Shoulder & Run Hill Climb Hustle. Both are very short (1-2mins) individual timed events, and a good opportunity to show off your ‘cross skills and see how you compare with others in these areas! Who will be the Champions in our inaugural year of these competitions?

As always, we’ll meet at OBB at noon, all riders of all levels of fitness and ability are welcome, and totally free. Hope you can make it! Visit our site for more details, and all the local ‘cross info: http://victoria.organicathlete.org/cyclocross

– Vegan Dave

8) Stuff for Sale!!

We have a few things for sale… either me, Mag 3 Auger award winner Stefan or Wendy.

Wendy: If you are interested in any of the team clothing items that I had at the last event but did not have any cash let me know and I can bring them to another event.

Mag 3 Auger award Winner Stefan:

I am selling my Fuji Cross bike… when you can not ride one bike because of a broken wrist, 2 seems more than excessive.
Details: 58 cm Fuji Cyclocross bike – $700 OBO – well ridden but super solid. Never crashed. New rear rim and drive train last winter. Great starter cx bike!

Frame & Fork: Frame Construction – TIG-welded; Frame Tubing Material – X-Fusion Quaternary Aluminum; Fork Brand & Model – Fuji Custom Cyclocross; Fork Material – Carbon fiber composite w/aluminum steerer, aero crown

Components: Brakeset – Avid Shorty 4 brakes, Shimano 105 STI Dual Control levers; Shift Levers – Shimano 105 STI Dual Control; Front Derailleur – Shimano 105, bottom-pull/clamp-on 28.6mm; Rear Derailleur – Shimano 105 SS; Crankset – Ritchey Pro Cross, 38/48 teeth; Pedals – Shimano 959.

IFFFF you are interested let me know as I can bring it down to Duncan for you to check out… NO you can NOT race it to try it out!

Normon:
I am selling one of my 56cm Major Jake’s . Scandium Frame. Alpha Q Fork. Super NiCE! Dura Ace Shifters and rear DR. FSA, Brand new wheels, $1700. Pro Level bike at mid level price. If you want more details or for me to bring this bike to Duncan, let me know ahead of time.

9) Accommodations for the Double Header in Victoria.

And are thinking about staying at our host hotel the Howard Johnston I have heard from Dan Brady the Hotel General Manager that the hotel is quite busy for that weekend, so book early!! They are giving our cross racers a GREAT deal of $79/night so take advantage of it if you need a place to stay.

The email for the Victoria hotel is suites@hojovictoria.ca website is www.hojovictoria.ca

10) Repeat News Item: Series Schedule

HISTORY: September 13th. Series Race #1 FSA Cup at Beban Park

HISTORY: October 4th. Series Race #2: Kona Kup at Bowen Park in Nanaimo

DONE and HISTORY!!: October 18th. Series Race #3. Crosstoberfest at Providence Farm in Duncan.

October 31st. Nutcase Intercontinental Single Speed Championships of the Universe! At Fletchers Farm. Not a series event and NOT one to be missed. This will be quite a bit different from some of our other races… full details to follow… but needless to say we will have some different course options set up than past Fletcher’s Farm Races. One GEAR only will be the most fun at a cross race this year.

November 7th and 8th. Series Races #4 and #5 will be in Victoria. #4 at a new venue at Slugget Farms in Central Saanich and #5 possibly at JDF and possibly a new location. IF it is at JDF it will be a slightly different course than last year as the BMX track is gone… so stay tuned on this one.

November 22nd. Series Race #6 and Series FINAL. Ian Craib has organized a new venue and thus a new course at beautiful Hogwarts Castle. OK it is not Hogwarts but it is Shawnigan Lake School which should be awesome!

11) CONVERSION METHODS TO CHANGE YOUR BIKE TO A SINGLE SPEED

Remember your bike MUST pass inspection or you can not race the SS Championships

We are not interested in making people re-configure their entire bikes or spend a tonne of cash on this so if you can figure out the best way of converting your bike for the least amount of $$ let us know this week and we will publish it and give you a 6 pack!

For the purposes of our event, all you need to do is make it so your bike has one functional gear. You can do this through a number of ways – which EVER way you chose the most important thing is to make sure it works in a CROSS situation. Ie. Your SS conversion might work great for going down the street BUT get it in the bumps and it does not work at all.

Some ways of converting your bike that we have thought of, but have NOT tested out:

1) Setting your high and low limit screws on your rear DR so that there is not way to shift out of one gear… might work, but your screws have to be long enough and you have to make sure that you still can not shift.
2) Leaving everything in tact but taking off your cassette and installing a single gear with SS spacers…will work IF your DR does not move or skip.
3) Finding out the magic gear for your bike and shortening the chain so that only one gear will work… will work, but might be a hard gear. For example the magic gear for a Jake the Snake is a 39 X 16 which is too hard for our courses.
4) Cutting your DR cables… might work but you have to be able to make sure you are in the correct gear first.
5) Take apart 10 cassettes and put together one cassette with all the same gear… ie ten speed of all 18t gear… that would work fine, but you would still have to deactivate your front shifting somehow.

I am sure there are a lot of ways that we have not even thought about.

Standings after 3 races

Intermediate Men
1. Dylan Tremblay 57 points
2. Roland Rabien 45
3. Guy Gensey 42
4. Kevin Knock 41
5. Michael Briton 40
6. Dave Shishkoff 27
7. Chris Dickinson 26
8. Matt Dilay 24
9. Jordan Duncan 23
10. Steve Doreen 20
11. Morgan Harker 19
12. Shepart Stewart 17
13. James Cameron 17
14. John Berrow 14
15. Gavin Eaton 13
16. Andy Petre 12
17. Halldor Gunnarsson 12
18. Erik Madson 12
19. Chris George 10
20. Robin Dutton 10
21. Justin Wolfe 7
22. Andrew Dye 7
23. Derek Steel 6
24. Paul Kane 6
25. Ian Ross 6
26. Wade Smith 6
27. Scott Mitchell 4
28. Mike Sevcov 4
29. Derek Prout 4
30. Patrick Burnham 4
31. Ian MacLeod 4
32. Ian Beveridge 2
33. Kent Duncan 2
34. Taylor Smith 2
35. Fergus Lavelle 2
36. Mark Allison 2
37. Rob Williamson 2
38. Dave Lantaigne 2
39. Shayne Alexander 2
40. Gary Croome 2
41. Mark Wieler 2
42. Mark Power 2
43. Spencer Burns 2
44. Aaron Grant 2
45. Eric Matheson 2
46. Derek Brain 2
47. Jak New 2
48. Marc Power 2
49. Dan Curtis 2
50. Jeff Gallimore 2
51. Ken Jones 2
52. Cliff de Scheppen 2

Masters Men
1. Dave Holden 49 points
2. Bill McMillan 42
3. Michael Harvey 39
4. Graham Cocksedge 36
5. Brent Stubbs 34
6. Paul Brend 30
7. Jamie Emery 22
8. Peter Wellsman 21
9. Aaron Dusseault 20
10. Bob Welbourn 20
11. Justin Mark 17
12. Barry Rempel 16
13. Jeremy Hart 16
14. Trevor Perkins 16
15. Aaron Bremner 15
16. Brian Griffen 14
17. Guy Ridler 13
18. Patrick Beckstead 13
19. Gary MacGregor 11
20. Mike Pollock 10
21. Dave Morris 9
22. Ron Hewitson 7
23. Lee Blais 7
24. Robin Willard 6
25. Derek Tripp 5
26. Corey Piket 4
27. Shane Isbister 2
28. Dave Nowak 2
29. Jay Loder 2
30. Sean Clark 2
31. Mike Sevcov 2
32. Tim Watson 2
33. Michael Achuff 2
34. Doug Kranenberg 2
35. Dave Lantaigne 2

Women
1. Kristenn Magnusson 60 points
2. Tanya Berg 49
3. Jen Erlendson 39
4. Kelly Jones 33
5. Dawn Anderson 32
6. Michelle Lantaigne 32
7. Glenowyn Carlson 27
8. Katie Duncan Rabien 26
9. Charlene Hay 19
10. Bobbie-Jean Taylor 15
11. Chelsea Bilsbarrow 14
12. Heather King 14
13. Amanday Wakeling 13
14. Cathy Graham 13
15. Karen Fedorak 12
16. Shannon Baerg 11
17. Sarah Hall 10
18. Sue Handel 8

Expert Men
1. Jeff Riemer 41 points
2. Craig Ritchey 40
3. Normon Thibault 38
4. John Fokkema 34
5. Dylan Tremblay 30
6. Jason Eagles 30
7. Robin Dutton 23
8. Steve Doreen 20
9. Graham Cocksedge 20
10. Mat Dawes 18
11. Rob Britton 17
12. Trevor Jones 17
13. Mat Hewitt 17
14. Drew MacKenzie 17
15. Russel Anderson 16
16. James Cameron 16
17. Fred Hodgson 16
18. Dan MacDonald 16
19. Jeff Beeston 15
20. Tom Skinner 15
21. Jon Benskin 14
22. Tyler Trace 13
23. David Huntley 11
24. Troy Woodburn 11
25. Sean Cruichshank 10
26. Nick Berry 10
27. Steve Bachop 9
28. Jean Sebastion Lareau 6
29. Nick Holatko 5
30. Kenyon Campbell 4
31. Emmaneul Lint 4
32. Kevin Noiles 4
33. Menno Jongsma 2
34. Basse Clement 2
35. Brad Collins 2
36. Brent Hambleson 2