FLCC> Park Ave Bike Cyclocross

[Steve Edgar]

This year I had been getting my best results in cross races by using  
"constant power output"; keeping about the same amount of power to  
the ground all the way around the circuit.

It took me two laps to realize that was not the fast way around last  
Sunday's Park Ave Bike Cyclocross.  A generous amount of single track  
and a number of slippery corners meant there were many sections you  
could not ride at a steady effort.

Whenever you had good traction you had to accelerate to a high pace,  
because it would not be long before you had to slow down for the next  
technical section.  You rest while slowing down, then hit it again.   
This was a fun contrast to constant power output.

I had my first crash this season.  I was trying to carry some corner  
speed where (it turned out) you really needed to park the bike and  
then turn it.  My chain fell off when I biffed and I lost about 30  
seconds.

There was one section of deep mud, but that posed no problem for me.   
Surprisingly, the section of the course I had trouble with was a  
short stretch of firm and smooth single track covered with a thin  
greasy layer of mud.  My tires would not sink in, but there was very  
little traction.

I saw two impressive displays of bike handling.  Jeremy Gardner  
lapped me late in the race just before a very muddy sharp corner.  He  
was able to accelerate out of the saddle in the thick of the mud.  If  
I tried that, I'd be lying flat in an instant.

Andy August passed me before a short steep descent which crossed a  
narrow bridge.  The entrance to the bridge required a left turn.
He bombed it and made the corner no problem.  If I did that I'd end  
up in the creek.  I descended at half that speed (and also made the  
corner no problem :).

It was a very challenging course.  I was well back in the Open Men's  
field (31 of 53), but had fun learning how to navigate the tough  
stuff a bit faster.

-- Steve.