Orrville CX #2.

I got the pass to race yesterday. So I hit up the Orrville CX race.

This week, I finally have the tubular setup together.... but the grifo challenge have short 32mm valve stems, and I have some deep rims. We had talked about valve extenders, but decided I could use the extender for filling without actually installing them. It worked alright, but I need to figure out a better way to do this.

Stacked field with about everyone there. I think there were about 20 including all the usual A race suspect. Didn't anyone go to Kentucky?

I lined up second row, picked a gear, and waited for the start. We're racing on time. Shooting to end at 60 minutes. I thought we'd get an idea of the lap count... not to be though. Here's a short lap by lap account:

Lap 1: Poor start in at least 1 gear to big. The field is lined out like a crit. Gaps are opening in front of me, but I'm working to keep my own gap manageble. AND I may not have enough pressure in my rear tire... it's bottoming out more than I want. Tubulars or not, I hope this pinch flat thing I hear about is true.

Lap 2: Trying to keep the gap to Bill and Derrick (Team Lake Effect) constant, when John Lorson (Orrville) catches me on his single speed. I will NOT loose his wheel. I soon leave him behind because I have gears that can wind up on the pavement... and because he stopped right before the pavement to fix something.

Lap 3: Trying to hold off Lorson who is slowly coming back. I'm starting to get the flow of the course down and having a bit of fun.

Lap 4: I Think I caught Bill here. Lorson is still back. I go hard to stay away and hopefully open the gap to Lorson. Bill came back to me more than I caught him. The guys ahead of us are continuing to open their gaps on me.

It's drizzling. Is that good for me? 54 and wet? Maybe... the grass is getting slippery.

Lap 5: Derick has at least a half K on me, if not more. And it's opening. I'm taking some corners a little gingerly since the tires are slipping a bit more than I'm used to. Very careful on the pavement corners. I have to get that corner drift feel again. It's been a while.

Lap 6: Lorson catches me. I'm faster up the little climbs where he's over geared.... and I can get more gear when he's spinning like crazy. I again sit on, then attack on the grass flats. The gap opens a lot on the downhill pavement section.

Lap 7: Continue to open the gap to Lorson slowly. It's not huge but it's a few hundred meters.

Lap 8: I don't know for sure, but I cross the line at 51minutes. So I'm guessing I've got two to go. I tried to push it to hold off Lorson, Derick is gone, so there's no one to chase. Then I see Paul Martin is about 500m back. So I figure I have to get to the line before him to finish on the lead lap.

So.... sweeping left downhill 180, I've been slick here for at least three of the previous laps... I take it tight and aggressive, and The bike comes out from under me. I land hard, and stop rolling with the bike above me. I get back on, and pedal the chain back into place... but it must not be seated well. I get moving up the hill and I've got nothing.. I get off the bike, and wait for my head to catch up with me, as Lorson goes by. Then Bill goes by, and then I notice my chain is under the third eye... so I fix it and get moving again.

Then Paul catches me in the twisty trees. Then Shawn catches me on the pavement climb to the finish... I see Paul finish up right behind Bill. So he gets the last lap, and I don't. Race over.

Still lots to work on for next week now. The good news is I raced my bike this weekend, and I've got two races coming up next weekend. Though rattled a bit, I felt fine last night with the exception of a slightly sore shoulder.

I figure without the crash, I would have finished in the same spot and on the lead lap. I lost quite a bit of ground getting my head and bike back together. So the drop cost me two places and a finish on the lead lap... but it could have been a lot worse... and the bike is mechanically alright.