If Time Trials are the Race of Truth,then Cyclocross is the Bed of Truth.
Time trials are pain pure and simple. Dial in what you can stand then try to crank in more. Cross is similar but with surges unlike the steady state effort of a TT. There's the running. Steering on slippery off cambers. The dismounts and remounts.There's that pure joy of hitting the perfect lines lap after lap at redline. Not losing any momentum on a run up. This is my bed,tomorrow I make it or leave it a mess.
For my non-cycling readers. This is probably about as much value as brand new set of golf clubs to you. If you get the chance go see a cross race.

The NY CROSS CONTINGENT
What was a rainy day with thunderstorms predicted turned into a perfect night for cross practice. The grass was still wet making the off cambers a bit slippy. For our little band of crossers we had a big turnout of 12. With only three on mountain bikes. The women almost outnumbered the men.
Henk built us new equetrian style barriers to practice with.
We also tried out a possible new start for our Nov. 12th race.
The usual train formed at the front, The "Four K's". We rode a steady pace then Mike K. attacked. One K fell off. The other swapped leads as Dan K, tried to slow the train. Everyone took their turns and it came down to my self and Dan K sprinting for the line. Hmmm and I wasn't going to go hard today. Oh well, Cross just suckers you in.

Pics for the perfect day.
Pops did a "recon" ride on the motorcycles today. It will be a nice new loop. Looks like I'll be able to ride the bike to work tomorrow.
I just want to celebrate another day of living.

A perfect day. Number 913 retires on top.
I've been fighting a sinus infection since the Univest GP. But today woke up to a warm gray morning for my final mountain bike race. The New Milford race is only a half hour away. No three hour drive like thenother MASS series races.
So Pops, Bob and I load up the Jetta City( a collectable) and drive on down. The past weeks weather must have taken it's toll on attendance. As we pulled right in for parking. A quick trip through registration, a swag bag and t-shirt. Time to get the bikes ready. I'd pre-rode the course two weeks ago and new it would be a mudfest. Id did test running a 34/20 gear last year a 32/20 was perfect. But I felt I could pull the taller gearing this year. I took the holeshot. But this turns in to a downhill road so I ran out of gear quickly and most of the field caught or passed me. Then it started to rise and I got my gear back. Karl Wagner had pulled a good gap. I was second into the woods and closed the gap quickly. I took a different line down the rocky wet downhill and was right on him. When he overshot the turn. I hammered the hill to try to get a gap on everyone. I could hear all the shifting behind me. Over the top and I was already into the back markers of the 45-49 age group. Now it was try to get through them as fast as possible and get out of sight. I was cutting good lap times and feeling good. The effort was clearing my sinuses out(for the time). Iwas able to ride all the hills. The last time up the lake hill wore on me but it brought home the win. This race always has good prizes. Frames, forks, headlights, Hayes brakes. But by the time the Masters get there it's pretty picked over. So I got a Titec El Norte, Riser bar, seat and Adjustable seatpost.m Pretty sweet. Compared to a pair of grips for second at another race.
We had a beer,dug the band and did the awards. Thanks guys for a great season of racing. Gave Paul our raffle tickets and headed home to clean up for an Ale House night. It was fun to chide the guys who now had the 3 1/2 hour drive home.
The Ale House was out of most good beers. This seems to be Saturday night problem. But we made due and had some excellent pizza. Gifts were passed out for birthday people. Connie got some "Space Bubbles" these are bubble that don't pop when touched. Tish always has a fun item for us to test. Well Connie blew bubbles into the air . They went everywhere causing lots of laughs. But the best was two landed in this young guys hair and gave him small mickey mouse ears. His table cracked up at him and he wasn't getting it. After this we headed to Shenanigans to see Dirt Farm. Henk and Connie had never seen them. They had a new playlist and started out mellow,then rocked the house. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
I'm looking forward to cross now.

Biker Slang.
In answer to a comment. I'll define the trems. Grimy old knuckle. A knuck,or knucklehead is motor designation for Harley Davidson. It was nice to see one that's just ridden.
Billet Barge, is a bike thats basically built with all CNC'ed aluminum pieces,buy this and that and bolt it on. No soul.
R.U.B.S Rich urban Bikers. Guys with too much money that buy a motorcycle(s) ( because it's the new cool thing to own and play badass on the weekend. Oh look at me in my leather,do rag, cigar and attitude. For full effect they join the HOG ownwers groups so they can have "colors" (Like the Hells Angels) and call each other Bro. Oh and I didn't shave for that bad ass look. But have to on Sunday for work. Again no soul.

The other bikes. Lansdale bike night.
After the Univest we hit Iron Hill for food and beer. Both excellent. Nuff said. Then we headed over to Bike Night. The whole of Main St is shut down and filled with bikes. Some of the better looking bikes were right on Main. Lots of R.U.B.S and Billet barges. Nice to see the grimy old knuckle. There were a few panheads too. Old school bikes, before TV made choppers popular.A sweet old Silent Grey Fellow. The Stunters were on hand too. After a bit it was way too many people for me. So we headed home for some well deserved rest.

If you're burned out on racing,try a cyclosportif.
Bobber and I headed down to ride the Univest Cyclosportif. What's that you ask? Well,basically it's ride that's not a race,but turns into one. You can ride at any pace you want. Hammer or cruise. They had almost 400 people for this. Here we rode the pro course. Bobber did the 40 miler. I did the 60 miler. Frankie Andreu was our celebrity. I let the kids pull me to the first KOM held my own,then let them drag me to the next one. Eichle Rd. This hill was a BITCH. A 39/23 was barely enough to make it standing the whole way. It was every ugly hill I know rolled into one. But it was 5th or 6th over the top. The a small group settled in to chase the front guys. At mile 32 I pitted for food and water, dropping off my group of six. I'd woke up sick and had drank both bottles by this time. A banana,a couple bottles filled and a gel and I was off. Picked up two guys and we caught a few more. At the third KOM we shed them. Then I cramped. BAD. Rode through that and had enough to outsprint the kids on an uphill sprint. Bob did well in the 40 miler and said he enjoyed it. So what did we get for our 25 bucks? A tough challenging course. A couple decent t-shirts a hat, swag and apost ride meal. Following this we got to see the pros battle it out on the finishing circuit. Mark you calendars and do it next year.
The middle pic shows the winner. It was hard to get in to get a good shot with the crowds.

You can't always get what you want.
The hat on the left is the original. It's a hat I found at the Salvation Army(of Darkness) You can put your own message in it. So I did. I also made a "Praise the lowered" one. The one on the right is the new model.
A guy came up to me in the grocery store and said he had a Cannondale Raven and I should turn the hat around. That would do what? Alert the people behind me that their bike sucks. I wanted to say to him "It hasn't broken yet? You must not ride much. But I didn't. I also didn't turn the hat around.
It seems to work equally well with motorcyclists.

Something other than Bicycles and food.
I got to see these bikes beacuse of my "Your Bike Sucks" hat. Long story short,we both had old motorcycles and both rode bicycles. But I have the hat,the original. There are now 6 others. So don't ask.
The green pan is from my birth year. Sweet,totally unrestored,runs like a clock. All the bikes do. Enjoy.

The Half Century Celebration,Syrahs and Shirazes of the World.
With anticipation. We gathered at Cliff's for our wine tasting. A crib sheet was given to all so we'd know what we were drinking.( I'm sure crib sheet isn't wine speak) What to look for color ,nose, and flavors. We started with 1999 Wild Duck Creek Shiraz from Australia. A 15.3% juicy fruit bomb.Very Tasty. Next we went with a 2001 Epiphany Syrah Starline Vineyard,CA. Rich full bodied with hints of barbeque sauce,chocolate, espresso raost and licorice. My beer palate couldn't discern all this. Next up was 1990 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalbert. Northern France. HUGE smoky nose and flavor. I'm not a big fan of smoke. Then a Martinelli Syrah Zio Tony Ranch, CA. Full bodied with hints of bacon fat, camphor and graphite. Tasty. With some prodoong we opened the 2004 Thorn-Clarke Shiraz Shotfire Ridge, Australia.. White chocolate,blackberries, cassis, smoke and licorice. A total hedonistic turn on. We all nibbled on tenderloin sandwiches,cheeses,veggies and spanakopitas. A dessert wine was opened to compliment the cheesecake and chocolate chips cookies. 2004 Marquis Phillips Shiraz,Australia. Henk commented it smells "Antiseptic" Cliff's reply was "Septic" and over the rail it went. Our host set the standard. Each of us had a favorite and good time. Thanks Cliff.