Newtown Monster Cross

As I mentioned earlier, there is going to be a Cyclocross Race in Newtown presented by the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program and Team 26 (Sandy Hook Ride on Washington).  I have never done this kind of race before so of course I signed up for the singlespeed class.  I happen to have a cyclocross bike that I ride quite often but this is the perfect event to try the Monster Crosser!

I had the day off on Friday so I headed over to Fairfield Hills to try and figure out what the course might be and whether I was geared properly for it.  According to the race promoter, when I registered of the race, the course starts at the municipal center and uses pave, fields and singletrack to run a 2 mile course so I rode what I thought would be a good simulation of that for four laps and found that it's a lot of climbing and my 34:17 gearing is too much for the course but I stuck with it anyway and called it training.

The weather conditions went from pleasantly warm and wet to sucky, wet and cold in the span of a two hours.  Earlier that morning I did a trail walk with the DEEP Land Manager at Collis P Huntington State Park for the second phase of the South Park Trail and despite the rain it was still warm but by the time I started riding the temperature was down 10 degrees.

Apparently, cyclcocross races are supposed to be muddy and I certainly got my share of some mud!

After that course, I tried another route in the opposite direction.  It was two miles and had quite a bit of singletrack in it, and a grueling climb back up to Keating Farms Road.  

I learned later on the registration website has been updated with better course information and what the route will actually cover.  It looks like my second ride captured some of it!

Looking at this course, I think I am going to try 34:18 because of the two big climbs.  I probably won't do the course exactly next Friday, instead I will throw in some more singletrack at the water tower for mileage simulation. 

 

Next Friday I hope to get a little more mud on me! 

First Ride on the Trek 720

A storm front rolled in Wednesday night bringing a little more rain to the area and with that warmer temperatures so despite the wet weather I headed off to work on the Trek.  Right off the bat the first thing I noticed was riding the Trek was a lot like riding the Burley.  The similarity in both bikes is that they are both smaller frames and to compensate I have to raise the seat and the bars to find a comfortable position to ride.

Regardless of the size issue, it's a really smooth ride, hence the saying "Steel is Real!"  The Fme bars are actually a nice compliment.  The having two different shifters, though, is interesting.  I did try out the granny gear when I rode up Papoose Hill and the LX shifter shifts like a Shimano LX Shifter.  However, the starboard side shifter, while Shimano, is really like a SRAM X-n shifter where up and down the gears is controlled by just the thumb. 

  

 I am going to try a different sized stem and play around with the seat and bar height but overall, this bike is definitely a keeper.  Also, I have to replace the front wheel but I think Jolly Old Saint Nick will be bringing me a new wheelset for the Cannondale which means I can transfer that wheelset to the this bike!

Trek 720: My new commuter bike

While the frame size is not ideal sliding the seat back as far as it will go and using a 130 mm, 60 degree quill stem I had laying around makes the cockpit pretty comfy.  I wanted to use my Gary I Bars but my available choices of gear shifters made that choice not feasible.  Then it dawned on me, my Fme bars!

The front deraileur shifter was fried so I replaced it with a brand new LX shifter I had laying around.  The existing levers were absolute crap so I replaced them with some Avid FR-5s, that I had laying around.  Avid Single Digit 3 V-Brakes replaced on the fork, from the brake box.  Shimano STX cantilever brakes in the back and I think they came off the Burley Rock & Roll.  Not shown is a rack on the back that I snagged off the Burley as well and now I will be able to bring my lunch to work. The front wheel I got in trade for the Lambert but it has a dent in the rim.  I am going to ride the wheel anyway for the time being until I can replace it with the wheelset from the Cannondale.  The only thing I am going to buy for the bike are fenders.

Trek 720, the saga continues

I spent an hour riding the Trek the other night on the trainer but it didn't feel quiet right so changes will be in order.  I am going with different bars, Gary I Bars but not sure what I am doing with the shifters.  The OEM shifters are crap and I would like to do thumbies but the ones I have are for 25.4 bars and the Gary Bar requires a 26 mm mounts, so I am scrounging for those right now and so far haven't found any that are not friction shifters, yet.  Brakes are getting an overhaul and I have a wheelset when I am ready to take this on the road for commuting but will need a 7 speed Shimano cassette but for now it's perfect for the trainer.

Singlespeed Turkey Burner

I intended to go mountain biking on Friday for CT NEMBA's annual Turkey Burner but the wife asked if I wouldn't mind staying local because she needed to go to NYC with my daughter.  So, I went on a 30 mile road ride on the Monster Cross.

I put on a different crankset last week and this was my opportunity to test it out.  Gearing wasn't really for road riding (34:17) but it helped in the hills.  I had been worried about whether I mounted the rear wheel too far out on the drops but didn't have any issues.  Of course, having a Surly Tugnut back there is always comforting.  I need to get the chain length so I can change cogs without having to lengthen or shorten the chain.  I am hoping that I can go from 14t to 20t on the same change, but if it's 15t to 19t I will take that, too.  Next I am going to ride this on Roxbury Dirt Roads and I am looking for the optimal gearing for climbing for next year's D2R2 in mind.

Today's ride was the first time that I ventured onto Route 59 in Monroe.  It's a popular stretch of road for cyclists but it sucked on the singlespeed.  Next time I come down this way, I need to come at it either from Sport Hill either by taking Poverty Hollow or Eden Hill and of course on a different bike!

Temperature got above 30 deg in the sun and I was layered up pretty well.  Lobster gloves were perfect and the balaclava (not Baklava) might have been over kill but I never got cold.  The one place I did have trouble was the feet.  I have always had pour circulation in my toes and feet and even with over booties and my cold weather riding shoes keeping my toes warm was a challenge. 

I don't know how many times I have passed by Hattertown Pond wanting to stop and take a few pictures so I did so today so that I could get a little circulation to the toes and experience the raw beauty of this one little pond that through the seasons is always captivating.

Riding back towards the Newtown, I rode the trails at Fairfield Hills wondering what is going to be the Cyclocross Course on 12/21.  The one thing I didn't know was there are these grass trails cut into the fields that could be fun to ride sometime.  When I get the big meats on the Qball truly start rolling Monster Cross I am going to give the grass trails a whirl.  Eventually, I am going to get some Rock and Road tires for D2R2.

When I got home I discovered my cell phone missing so I drove back to Fairfield Hills and ran up the trails, back tracking my route on the horse trails and I found it.  I should have closed up my top tube bag when I hit the trails but forgot.  I won't do that again.