Cycling and crashing are the kinds of things that come together whenever you liberally combine Newtonian Physics, skill, and overconfidence. In other words, I’ve been falling off my bike for nearly as long as I’ve been climbing on it.
One of the more memorable crashes of my youth involved the commute home from my high school and a lady driving into the parking lot of the local grocery store. Her car and my bicycle momentarily occupied the same space, a physical impossibility whose only opportunity for resolution lay in the boot of her car, and that’s precisely where I went looking for it. Another time, the right-front braking on my first real race bike helped me disprove the theory that I might be able to achieve sustained human flight. The resolution of this particular question also led me to learn how to re-cable the brakes on my bike and embark on my quest to perfect the wrapping of handlebar tape.
Some of these early lessons and their subsequent visits to emergency rooms and time spent nursing wounds led me to better understand where the limits lie that convert harmony between rider and machine into chaos. More importantly, it gave me an appreciation that descending and cornering at speed, while thrilling, provide limited reward with respect to the risk. Some might call this wisdom or maturity, but I like to think of it as something marginally more productive than refusing to learn from one’s mistakes.
It is the human condition, however, to become accustomed to current levels of risk and that we continue to push boundaries. We refer to this phenomenon as “progress”, and with progress comes an inherent sense of overconfidence; it is in our nature to assume that since we successfully pushed past the previous boundary, that the one that lies before us will be passed with similar ease.
It was with this confidence that I entered the first of three ninety-degree corners on lap four of yesterday’s Magnuson Park Cross race. During recon and the previous three race laps, I had recognized the risks of this first corner; leaving a fast section of tarmac, the course re-entered the mud and grass as we circumvented a tennis court. It would be easy to carry too much speed into the corner and loose traction on the flimsy, low-pressure cyclocross tires.
With each lap, the speeds increased, and with each lap, I successfully navigated the course. The riders around me were tiring, I was moving up in the field, and gaining confidence with each lap. On the section just prior to the first of the turns, I took an opportunity to pass a pack of slower riders from another category, set up for the corner, relaxed, and readied for the challenge presented by the upcoming muddy sections.
I felt it long before anything happened. It was one of those notions that enters your body somewhere between your senses and your brain and lingers there before turning sideways to make sure it’s noticed as it passes through your system. The tire in the front wheel depressed as I leaned on it – then folded over. I spent an eternity in limbo between the rider I had only just been and the rider whom I was about to become.
I aimed for the dirt, it seemed softer than the tarmac. I don’t know if I hit it or not, and I’m not sure what caused the rather deep gash under me knee, or the double-loop in my chain for which I could find no remedy at the trailside. What I do know is I was in a heap and the riders who had been enjoying my ample draft suddenly found themselves similarly on the ground, though for different reasons. Several cursed at me, one postulated that my mother had been unmarried at the time of my birth. While he may have been wrong about the specifics, he was certainly right in his sentiment: I was a fool who didn’t understand his own limitations.
It seems fitting, then, that I was the only rider I took down who failed to finish the race. Next time, I’ll aim to go just fast enough not to crash out.
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@frank
Oh yes! My second autumn owning a cross bike & as if the season wasn't awesome enough I LOVE weekend cross riding. Cool or cold, quiet in the woods, a bit of different kit, a different bike, some mud and gravel, but all the fun. Last year I was worried I'd sell off all my road bikes. Nope a good balance to have both.
Then again I just did my first true touring ride - central NC to the ocean (water was still 71*F!) - and that ride has me considering selling all my bikes aside from the cross-commute I used.
Oh, and at a quick glance I too thought that was Tommy V in the black-n-white cx photo! Ha.
@frank
Holy fuckin' cannoli! What an amazing photo.
I dream of getting sponsored so I can ride & race cx in white socks with white bar tape. Just too much muck & upkeep for me to run Leader's Tape when off the road. And I'm finally coming around to black shoes, which I'd never worn on the bike until I started cross riding. For about sixteen months I'd look down, see my feet, and curse myself for being a goddamn nerd.
Nate - that is one awesome Pedalwan!
@TommyTubolare
Until I heard him speaking on that video, I had no idea he was from Noord-Brabant. It's all in how he says "goed". The farther south you get in Dutchland, the less the language sounds like a throat condition. (My family is from the North.)
@frank
Ha,I see. To be honest though if he wins PR, really the last thing I'm gonna care is how hard his fucking 'G' is.The main problem is he's got to win it first and it's definitely going to be harder than his current 'G'.
@TommyTubolare
Yeah, forgive my pun, but it wil be approximately as hard as the V.
He will have his hands full, but he has a real chance. He was the only one to make real progress on Boonen's gap during the '12 race. Sure, he blew up after his attempt, but at least he could make headway, which is more than anyone else could say. He's my man for the next few years.
@TommyTubolare
OK, Cap'n Tubs. Who admittedly hates CX.
What's the low-down on gluing tubs for CX? Local shop says three layers of glue on tires and rims and suck it up in the corners so you can get your high-priced tubbies back off and swap them out for something else throughout the season. Other people say you should use a combination of glue, Tofu tape, eye of newt and donkey jizz to keep them on, with the downside being that you can't ever get them off again. Then there's Belgian Tape, which I suspect no one in Belgium actually uses, but don't quote me on that.
Question is, how should a mortal who sucks but rides tubs on CX glue theirs on, considering we're rolling around on a 33mm tire at 25-35 PSI?
@frank
LZ recommends Belgian tape.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/10/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/technical-faq-gluing-with-belgian-tape-more-on-riding-with-mortons-neuroma_262351
@frank
belgian method. Or better yet, pay a cx mechanic. Glue,tape, glue. Experienced a rolled tubbie from an experienced rider who glued only. Lucky all i broke was a shoe and some ego. Corsa concepts has some awesome tape that they are using between the layers of glue, type of stuff that pros are rolling on at cross crusade. At a minimum, removing a cx racing tubular should require blistering effort. The shearing forces an energized, hypoxic oragutan in the off camber mud will generate on a 30psi tire is impressive. Why would you worry about anything other than surgically bonding the tire to wheel? Ah believe cyclocross mag online might have a how to as well. Or email Josh.
@TommyTubolare
No, road is my main thing like I'd venture to guess it is with most all of us here, but I do love me some CX as well. The best thing about following both is that there really is no off season. I get just as excited to watch the SuperPrestige, GVA Trofee and World Cup races each weekend as I do for the races of the road season. I like seeing the CX guys cross over to the road and I like to see the road guys like Steve Chainel who ride the cross races at the end of the road season.