Monday, December 10, 2018

Off To The Races

Sometime back in the mid-aughts I got hooked on the cyclocrossing.  I was never even remotely good at it, but in a way that's what made it so much fun--even if you're nowhere near placing you're always at least competing for something, such as (in my case) not coming in last.  Also, the races are short, which means that when you're done you can hang out an watch the people who are actually good.

Unfortunately, in order to do this I'd have to drive a lot, and by the time I had kids driving two hours each way just to ride around for 45 minutes trying not to get lapped no longer presented an attractive value proposition.  Therefore, I put the cyclocrossing on pause, only unpausing it again this fall in order to let my son give it a try.

In any case, it's entirely possible I'd never have stopped cyclocrossing at all if you were able to do it right here in New York City--which, now, you actually can, thanks to the selfless efforts of a local promoter and cyclocross evangelist.  Not only is there now a real cyclocross race right here in New York City--Rainey Park Cyclocross in Queens--but it's like six blocks from my mother's home, which is highly convenient for me since I'm often there with the kids anyway.  So this year I signed up for the singlespeed race, and yesterday was the fateful day.

Oddly, the singlespeed race was the first event on the program, starting at 9:15am.  I'd have expected it to be later since singlespeeders are lazy and disorganized and don't like to wake up early, though I didn't mind myself because even though I'm also lazy and disorganized I'm a parent and at least resigned to waking up early in order to have my own fun.  While Rainey Park is only six blocks from my mother's, it's like 15 miles from my own Bronx abode, but I'll be damned if I was going to drive to a cylcocross race in New York City.  My original plan was simply to wake up early and ride there, but on the morning of the race it was like 20 degrees, so instead I woke up early and rode to a nearby Metro North station:


It's an easy 20-ish minute train ride from Marble Hill to Grand Central in Manhattan:


And from there it's maybe four or five miles to ride over the Queensboro Bridge and to Rainey Park:


Plus, once you're on the Queens side, not only are there lovely views, but it's also a straight shot there on some of the city's most sumptuous bike infrastructure:


Which at this early hour was only minimally blocked:


Anyway, I arrived at Rainey Park like an hour and a half early and the organizers were still setting up, so I admired the view from the barriers:


As well as my recently-curated singlespeed:


As I rolled around I overheard some dog owners out for an early morning walk grumbling about all the course tape in the park.  They were convinced that whoever put it up didn't have a permit and so they were going to call 311, which is the city's complaint line.  I'm pretty sure the guy pictured here picking up a pile of feces also used the phrase "fucking losers:"


Unable to let this go, I pointed out that I was fairly certain that the organizers had a permit, and also observed that this didn't exactly look like the work of someone who was trying to fly under the radar with an unsanctioned event:


Nevertheless, the poop-scooper remained skeptical.  Also, one of the other dog people's canine left this on the course, and I had to ask him to come pick it up--which, to his credit, he did with the utmost courtesy:


In any case, after awhile the organizers finished putting up the registration tent and more and more riders showed up, and I set about shedding layers and pre-riding the course.  It became clear to me almost immediately that I was badly overgeared, and this was confirmed during the race itself.  The organizers had done a fantastic job making the most of a small park, but the upshot of this was that there were lots of twists and turns as well as a small and tricky off-camber section of which the course designer had made maximum use.  This was bad news for me and my 16-tooth cog.  Still, I had lots of fun, and while in retrospect I should have geared lower I doubt it had any effect on where I wound up in the end.  (Pretty far down, as it happens, but not last, which is more than good enough for me.)  I'm also pleased to report that my chain stayed on, but I did have to stop once and cinch down my rear skewer after my wheel went a bit askew on one of those steep pitches.

After the race I hung out and watched the racing until my family arrived at my mother's, which was not a moment too soon because it was still freezing cold and I was on the brink of hypothermia.  I'm very grateful to the promoter for putting this on, and I'll be back next year with a smaller gear and a puffier spectating coat.

36 comments:

Scooper said...

POOO DIUM

wishiwasmerckx said...

Podium?

Gecko said...

All this talk about single speeding and you're still running a quick release rear.

No wonder your wheel keeps moving and your chain keeps falling off.

hellbelly said...

Poop-ium!

BikeSnobNYC said...

Gecko,

A good Shimano-type skewer is perfectly adequate for a singlespeed. I just should have tightened it down a smidge more after my last chain replacement--I had to "really" push on those steep sections of the course, it wasn't the kind of thing that would have manifested itself in regular riding. Would have happened with a nutted axle too, and once I tightened it it didn't budge.

--Tan Tenovo

leroy said...

I didn't hear the term "fucking loser" this morning, but I could have because someone - I'm not saying who - woke me up at 4:50 AM and insisted he had to see a dog about a man.

It was a bit chilly.

Just passing through said...

Looks like a nice place for a cyclocrossing race, what with the water view and all.

I took the mtb out in the frigid New England air this weekend and road on some ice and through some nice Christmassy-like greenery.

I, too, have the goal of not finishing last. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Curous... what chainring did you run with the 16T cog?

Anonymous said...

Anyone who lets their dog foul a public place or for that matter smoke or fill air with that new electric stench we cyclists need to breathe, should be tasered until they die. I used to feel strongly about these disgusting excuses for humanity but must be softening up with age.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 2:50pm,

39/16. For past singlespeed cross outings I think I've generally used 39/17. I mostly used the 16 because that's what I had. For a turny course like this I should have gone at least a couple teeth lower.

--Tan Tenovo.

Gecko said...

Well I don't know how you define "regular riding", but my wheel slipped on my Cross Check during "regular riding" causing me to almost go over the bars (while using an immensely tight locking skewer). That bike used to be SS but is now 1x9, and the Ultegra skewer still moves from time to time, no matter how tight I crank it down. If it's not solid enough to pull a little sprint here and there around town, it's never going to withstand powering up a muddy hill under race conditions. I'd never want to race on a SS with only a skewer holding the rear wheel on--not being able to use axle-style chain tensioners on the semi-horizontal drops is bad enough.

Anonymous said...

Surly Hurdy Gurdy?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Gecko,

I'd been doing plenty of climbing on the bike prior to the race to be sure it held and it did. It moved during the race--not enough to cause trouble but enough that I figured I might as well tighten it since I was so far back anyway. It did not move after that.

Originally when I started getting the bike ready I was going to use some singlespeed wheels I have with nutted axles--but when I went to put them on I realized they were track spacing and I figured it was better to just space out a regular wheel. Yes, quick releases and horizontal dropouts do have their issues on both geared and SS bikes but with a good skewer it's mostly fine. Had I tightened it down preemptively after the pre-ride it wouldn't have happened. (But again when you're like 20 places back what does it matter if you have to stop for 10 seconds?)

--Tan Tenovo

pbateman got bit by some ants once and it didn't feel nice at all said...

as a 'parent ant" i assume you use your two upper feet to handle the steering, but with UCI rules, are you able to use your other 4 feet to pedal or do they limit you to just two?

ants are like the 105 of bugs. strong, plentiful, robust and can lift above their weight class. and affordable. i think you can buy like a LOT Of ants for a buck.

Mark said...

So, are you actually going to spend money on the bike now to get a lower gear?

Or are you going to look around your junk... erm, bike parts, for a bigger cog first? There's bound to be one in there somewhere.

HDEB said...

IMHO -- Horizontal dropouts with bolts are best for singlespeeds

BikeSnobNYC said...

Mark,

Not spending a damn cent. Anyway I have until next year.

--Tan Tenovo

Gecko said...

If it was "perfectly adequate" it wouldn't have moved.

But it was only "mostly adequate" and it moved.

If it was bolted on, we wouldn't even be having this conversation :)

Chazu said...

You passed. No fail. From the sound of it, a piping hot cup of coffee at mom's place would have been the proverbial icing on the cake.

bad boy of the south said...

Don't get me started about "stinky" pot.you know,the one that smells like skunk?

Some guy from upstate said...

My definition of "pass" for a cross race is typically not getting lapped. This may be a function of being a cheap bastard - I want to get the maximum amount of joy and/or pain for my registration dollar. Not crashing in a spot where there is a large group of onlookers is also a goal.

Also, if we're voting, I'm in the axle nuts camp for a singlespeed (unless you have vertical dropouts and some other means of chain adjustment), but the road bike I've been riding since 1986 has horizontal dropouts and a QR and I don't ever remember the axle slipping, so I guess you have a good point. Mostly I find the ability to tighten one side at a time helps with getting the chain tension dialed.

Drock said...

Blogging from the comment section.

Bogusboy said...

Skewer!!!???
Have you not heard that threaded axles are de riguer for single-cog bikes?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Bogusboy,

This may blow your mind but the quick release was invented many, many years before vertical dropouts became the norm.

Rode a singlespeed MTB with a QR skewer for ages, worked perfectly.

Let's all move on from the skewers.

--Tan Tenovo

JLRB said...

It's almost like your post from last week predicted that you'd be over or under geared...

DRStedman said...

I still regularly ride a bike converted to a single speed with just an overtightened skewer to hold the rear wheel, but the wheel comes loose about once every 500 miles or so, usually when I really stomp on it to climb. I have had plenty of chances to change it up, but for regular riding around town, I don't think it's worth it. If I was really proactive I could just retighten the skewer once in a while.
I'm not entering a race on it, though.
Anyway good on you refusing to spend money to upgrade.
One reason I ride my single speed is because it costs almost nothing(and was originally pulled out of a dumpster 12 years ago). As long as I deal with everything not being perfect, I just change the brake pads and tires once every few thousand miles.

Die free said...

Wow, you sure woke up the anti-skewer crowd.

huskerdont said...

I would be the one who comes in last. Or at least, that's the fear. I always just managed to not do so on MTB races, and I rode MonsterCross a couple years ago and didn't come in anywhere near last, but it's a nightmare of mine (sort of like giving a speech naked) so I have resisted riding further off-road races. It would just kill all the fun to finally realize that level of suckage.

Also, skewer or no, I no longer ride fixed without a Surley Tugnut or similar. Too much slippage, even with the axles bolts hammered down.

wishiwasmerckx said...

Wow, Snob sure skewered the anti-skewer crowd.

JLRB said...

I plan to make shish kabobs for dinner - dare I use skewers, or would the meats and veges stay on better if I used a bolt with a nut on the end?

Schisthead said...

JLRB: I think it has something to do with how heavy you're going to load them?

I'm still trying to parse "Let's all move on from the skewers."

Like, we should all use through axles, or we should just stop talking about the hub fixin's in general? I'm guessing the latter, but I'd hoped for the former.

Not to say I don't like QR tech, but it's caused me headaches too.

bad boy of the south said...

We're all skewered.

pbateman doesn't quick release, he takes his time and makes his love real slow like said...

i knew this all sounded familiar.

nutted skewer indeed.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Skewer

1904 Cadardi said...

Shimano skewers are great but old Campy Nuovo Record steel internal cam skewers are the bestestest.

STG said...

Rainey Park was awesome. Forward facing horizontal dropouts are pretty terrible. Even with proper fork ends axles slip on me. One of the reasons I gave up riding fixed was that I couldn't keep my wheel from sliding forward unless I used tensioners, and those make fixing flats a pain.

John Michael Swartz said...

From Sheldon:

"The cam of a quick-release goes "over the top" so the quick release actually loosens very slightly when the lever is pushed all the way down. Vibration then tends to hold the quick release closed, rather than to open it. If the quick release is overtightened to it does not press down all the way, it will loosen."

I didn't know this for a while. Not knowing it could put one in the situation where your skewers are in fact quite tight, but susceptible to loosening.