Before I leave…

Tomorrow my friend John gets married at St. Helen’s about a 15 minute walk away from my apartment.

Sunday morning I board a plane to visit my family. I’m almost completely packed other than my allergy meds & toothbrush.

Somewhere in between all of this I need to hit the office to finish off a few things.

So what should you do while I am away?:

- Join Ben Popper and race in the Ohio Valley CX series
- Go to Jackson Park, an excellent event for both your first cyclocross race as a spectator or racer.
- Visit the Museum of Contemporary Photography, where the current exhibit is entitled “Loaded Landscapes.” I am know very little about photography, but I know the images on their site look completely awesome (and it is free).
- Don’t forget to send me your entry to my contest at jeffunderscorekao@gmail.com. I have a bunch already and they are pretty entertaining so far.
-Visit Hot Doug’s which is now open again after Doug being on vacation and then breaking his leg. I can’t believe he’s already back to work!
- and of course whether you ride, drive, walk, or whatever please be safe. The nice weather is almost over and with it hopefully will be all the craziness of this past year.

Pieter Ombregt Scholarship Fund.

Pieter was not only a bike racer, but also a talented photographer.  His family has set up a scholarship in Pieter’s honor and donations can be sent to:

Columbia College Chicago
Attn. Kim Clement
600 S. Michigan Ave., 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60605.

There will be a viewing this Sunday & xXx racing-athletico will be hosting a remembrance for all who want to attend on Monday at Goose Island.  I, however, will not be able to attend.

Tragedy

On Tuesday one of my teammates Pieter Ombregt died after crashing during a Matteson race.

Ryan Boudreau, a messenger with Dynamex, died after a collision with a truck on the southside of Chicago on August 13th..

In early August Charles Princep died in Canada during a day of bicycle touring.  A truck drifted into the shoulder and hit Charles.

In early July one of my teammates Beth Kobeszka died after a crash during the Protor Road Race.  Beth was knocked across the yellow line and struck by a pickup truck carrying a horse trailer traveling the other direction.

Charles posted on the same bicycling internet forum, but we never met in person.  Looking back at what Charles wrote I remember him as being a cheerful, funny person.  I had spoken to Pieter on only a few brief occasions; even so he was instantly likable and made a big impression on me.  I didn’t know either Beth or Ryan, but we ran in the same circles and when they died I saw how their passing affected those I care about.

It is very difficult for me to be able to wrap my head around what it means for these 4 people to have lost their lives.  What can their family members & friends be going through?  How does one cope?

The only thoughts I’m left with are that these 4 bikers died doing what they loved, and that each had loved ones who are better off from having them in their lives for so short a time.

CONTEST!!! or What are you doing?

When I go out to ride in preparation for cx I usually hit either the LFP (or sometimes the North Branch Trail). I have my regime planned out and without going into boring specifics I can say that it probably makes me look like I just broke out of an insane asylum. Maybe it is the riding on the grass weaving through trees, the jumping off to run at Jackson, Monroe, Balbo, or stumbling down the backside of the sled hill. In any case on many occasions I have had someone ask me “What are you doing?” That’s when I attempt to explain cyclocross and I feel like I usually fail.

So here are the rules for the contest:

What you’ve got to do:  Send me your best explanation for what cyclocross is?  Think 30-sec elevator speech or cocktail party conversations.
Where: Email me at jeffunderscorekao@gmail.com
When:  Deadline is Sept 30th.
Prize: Your reward is a secret for now, but I can assure you it is awesome.  Better than the Honey Stingers I won two years ago (which were actually really good).

Vacation, Wedding, & ‘Cross Oh My!

On Saturday my good friend is getting married.  Then on Sunday morning I go on vacation a week and a few days.  The result is this week is going to be insanely busy.

Note:  I forgot to add Monday’s xXx team meeting.

xXx Racing-Athletico Cyclocross Clinic

photo by Ed White

Today was the xxx’s ‘cross clinic. My second year attending the clinic and I definitely feel a lot more confident in my skills. Everything from remounting to picking up water bottles off the ground.

We spent the first part of the clinic running drills and talking about techniques, then we ran a short 15 minute race on the course that Greg put together. All in all I felt pretty good throughout the day and the practice race went really well. I really need to do more of these types of efforts during the week when racing starts.

photo by Ed White

Right before the end of the practice race a tree branch got kicked up and jammed between my front wheel and my downtube. I was shocked that I didn’t go over my handlebars. Ed White took pictures and has one of me trying to unsuccessfully yank it out.

Simon Burney

A couple years ago I was watching the Tour De France and David Millar was just finishing his time trial, rolled right up to the camera, put his left foot down, swung his right leg over his handlebars and spent the next 2 minutes bitching & moaning.  I thought that was the slickest move ever and every time I got off my bike I swung my leg over the front of my bike just like Millar.

My first ‘cross race I showed up after only watching a few grainy pro races on tiny boxes on the internet.  So for the first creek crossing at Carpentersville I swung my leg off the front lost balance and fell.  Not too slick.  That afternoon I ordered Simon Burney’s Cyclocross: Tips & Techniques and absorbed every word.  Now that I’ve got 2 1/2 seasons in me I realized that even Burney’s book isn’t gospel.  Actually for the most part I disagree with most of his book.  Here are some examples:
- Wearing embrocation is no substitute for knee warmers
- 95% of the time I unclip before I bring my right leg around.
- Always thread your right leg between your left & the frame
and so on…

Burney has a 3rd edition of his book and so far it looks like he definitely updated the equipment part.  No longer are their quaint references to Shimano’s new “automatic pedals” or “soft helmets.”  It doesn’t look like he updated the techniques sections, but nonetheless it is a good read and it definitely sits on my nightstand helping me get excited for racing.

17 days ’till cx…

Practice Barriers

Thanks to Josh & Laatse Ronde