Indy Cross Finale at Trader's Point Race Report And a Different Kind of Win

A little late with this race report, but better late than never. So weekend before last saw the final race of the local Indy Cross series.  This race, like three of the others, was hosted at Wild Air Horse Farm in Trader’s Point on the north side of Indy.

I was riding sort of a high following my fourth place finish at the race at the Indy Cycloplex the week before, so much so that I did not have time during the week to switch my wheels back over to the cross bike from the mountain bike. As a result, I decided that I would just finish things out on the mountain bike. Turns out this was a wise decision in my opinion.

Snow fall earlier in the week, and rain the night before left the course soft, and while it was a but muddy at the start of the races on Saturday, it began to rain again during the Master’s races, and by the time the Cat 4/5 wave went off at the end of the day the course was a mud hole. I watched some of the Cat 1/2/3 races struggling their way through their final laps and began to regret bringing the mountain bike. My plan in building up my franken cross/mountain bike this year was to avoid exposing my race mountain bike (the Orbea) to the muddy and drivetrain eating conditions of cross.

So, kind of walked right into that situation. But, nothing left to do but dive on in.  As I expected, I got a front row call up. Too bad I set up right in the middle of a mud puddle.  At the start I immediately spun my rear tire trying to get traction, while the rest of the first row left me behind. Once I got started I accelerated to their wheels, but was passed on the left by a second row rider who kicked up a chunk of mud, which somehow found its way under my glasses and straight into my left eye.

So…10 seconds into the race and I can’t see out of my left eye in the middle of a charging pack of Cat 4/5 riders. Losing my depth perception wasn’t helping and I immediately started to lose spots. I nearly locked handlebars with Aaron as he passed me and then made contact with at least three other riders in the first 300 yards before I blinked the mud out.

At the start after spinning my rear tire but before I got mud in my eye.
Photo: Dark Eagle Studios

I found myself at the back of the pack and set about working my way up to the front. As expected, the first lap was a “shitshow.” Literally. Remember that the course is at a horse farm. Anyway, the course was pure mud. The thick clingy type which sucks your bike in and doesn’t let go.  I made a bit of progress and then we came to the hill, which I have mentioned before.  This race we climbed it twice. The first time, while steep was climbable and solid, likely because it was on the southwestern side of the hill and was exposed to the sun and wind. After a few more muddy hills and flats, and some very high barriers courtesy of Shamrock Cycles, we climbed the hill again, on the other side. This was pure mud.  I can’t really describe it, so here is some Youtube footage of the chaos.


 

There were some people using their hands and clawing at the mud to try to get traction to get up the hill.  I was able to ride the descent the first time, but after that I slid and stumbled down the hillside each time. Cue photos of my stumbling in the mud, both courtesy of Dark Eagle Studios.

 

So that is how the race went. I could tell I was making progress, but wasn’t sure where I was. I managed to pass quite a few riders, both on the mud running sections, but also on the riding sections.  I was passed late by one rider, but otherwise, was able to hold off a few chasers who were 15-20 seconds behind me.

Coming in for the finish. I think.
Photo: Dark Eagle Studios

In the end, I crossed for 9^th out of 43 racers. While not as good of a result as I have had the past few races, I was still very happy with the top 10 finish considering the brutal conditions. Easily the hardest cross race I have ever raced.  I also ended up finishing 5^th in the overall series for Cat 4/5.  Not quite a sign I need to move up to Cat 3 anytime soon, but definitely progress.

And, as icing on the cake, I won big at the end of series raffle. The two main prizes were a custom frame from Shamrock Cycles and a Cannondale CAADX Sora cross bike from Nebo Ridge Bicycles. I didn’t win the Shamrock frame, but I did win the Cannondale!

Thanks to Tim Casidy at Nebo Ridge Bicycles for donating the Cannondale raffle prize.

I went by the shop on Tuesday to pick the new bike up.  While the prize was for a base level Sora bike, I had the option to upgrade. I figured I would aim for a bike with 105 components, but turns out those bikes are on back order until April.  Being impatient, and knowing I have one more cross race this year and the Barry Roubaix in March, I upgraded to a Tiagra level bike. I will likely upgrade it, but for now the components work well. The frame is beautiful, although the Promax brakes are a bit weak feeling. I may pull my Road BB7’s off the current cross bike and replace the stock Promax.

 

It was a heck of a prize, and it was great that the series had such great sponsors.  The bike will have its first race at my last cross race of the season at the OVCX race at Fort Ben on December 14.

Gravel Grovel Weather Update

I posted something like this to my Facebook page as well, so those of you who follow both, be prepared for some repetition.  Anyway, as I have done in past races (i.e. the Barry Roubaix), I figured a mid week weather update for this Saturday's Gravel Grovel was warranted.  We’re close enough now that the forecasts have a higher degree of certainty, and we’re no longer screwing around with the 10 day or longer forecasts which are a shot in the dark.  So how are things shaping up? Let’s take a look:

Another 50 degree Gravel Grovel.  While some may cheer, I will refrain.  50 degrees is fine for the gravel roads, but the course will be off road in several spots, including the infamous Combs Road, which is actually more of a trail, a new section with an unmaintained road (maybe a little brother to Combs) and then several sections of Hoosier National Forest trail.  These sections promise to be quite messy….like riding through foot deep creeks and mud clogging your wheels messy.

All part of the game and I'm looking for this tradition to continue. Just glad I’m riding my mountain bike for this one.  Which reminds me, I need to check the status of the sealant in my tires….  

Yes, It Is Still Cross Season: Indy Cross Cycloplex Race Report

A cross bike is not the end all be all of the cyclocross world. Unless you are in a UCI race. In which case, it is the end all be all.  However, this past weekend at Indy Cross #4 the mountain bike turned out to be the best weapon for the job at hand….

The race was held at the Indy Cycloplex just north of downtown Indianapolis and a short ride from my house.  I ride here quite often, both on the cyclocross course set up in a large field area, and Marian University’s short track mountain bike course located on a ridgeline which dominates the north end of the park.  Based on my prior knowledge, I was thinking my mountain bike would be a better weapon here. The upper trails are pretty technical with a few difficult climbs and descents. Descents on my cross bike are not really my strong suit.  I swung by the course Friday night and saw that the amount of course positioned out in the field was actually quite limited.  Mountain bike it would be!

Due to a funeral procession along a street I had to cross, I arrived at the Cycloplex with just about 30 minutes before my 2:45 start time. Thanks to my very early pre-registration , and my results, I was expecting a good call up.  But apparently the cyclocross gods thought I needed a bit of drama before the race. When I went to check in, I was told registration had closed.  Well, no matter says I, I had pre-registered anyway.  But no, all check ins for races cut off 30 minutes before a race, a rule which I was told was on the website, but which I could not find. Perhaps it is a Cycloplex specific rule….

Anyway, I was rolled into the reg table at 2:17.  After some angst on the part of the race staff, and myself, I was checked in, although whether my call up was preserved remained to be seen. As it turned out, my call up was still good, and I got a first row position. 

The course included a short start loop which went along a paved road section and then into the aforementioned field, then cut back through the parking lot before hitting the ridgeline and the meandering across and up and down the ridge, followed by a steep descent on the backside of the velodrome which led into a new bmx style berm section before hitting a set of barriers and reentering the field for a short time before doing it all again.

So, back to the race.  I managed an immediate clip in at the start and made a good sprint down the pavement and entered the dirt in 7^th place.  After the field section we hit a paved stretch which led to the hill. I lost another spot but as soon as we hit the hill I passed two riders and made contact with the lead batch. The twisting and off camber trails on ridge were perfect for my mountain bike. As mentioned, in conditions like those the drop bars are not ideal, but with the mountain bike, I was able to rail through the turns and drop easily behind the saddle if needed.

For once, I managed to remember to hook up the Go Pro, so have a look at the first lap. Apologies for the cables at the top of the frame. Thought those had been pulled clear. Also the audio sucks...


Indy Cross Cycloplex from Edward Fujawa on Vimeo.

 One unexpected change to the course the steep hill on the west end of the park. IN the past the course has gone down this, but now we had to climb. Not a big deal but someone had put a log across the course at the steepest point of the climb. A few were able to ride over it, but I ran it each time.

Soon after the climb I hooked onto Aaron’s wheel and stayed there for much of the first lap, including the sketchy and steep descent on the eastside of the park.  Aaron was with two other riders and they got a small two second gap on me and there was a further gap between them and the leaders. This remained for the remainder of the first lap where I was in about 8^th place.  Aaron moved up a few spots but had a wash out on a steep off camber turn and I got past. From there I continued to move up, passing two riders on consecutive laps in the BMX section.

At the start of the last two laps I made contact with Cary Schein, a strong rider for Heros Racing who I’ve raced against in the DINO series.  He is extremely strong (and was also riding a mountain bike) so I sat in waiting for a chance to make a move.  Cary kept up a steady pace, but when the course would double back, I spotted a rider in blue and a Marian rider in hot pursuit. They seemed to be getting closer which was a bit of a concern, so near the end of the second to last lap I pulled past Cary to see if I could up the pace (and to see how Cary would react).  The gap to the chasers grew, but Cary stayed with me, and pulled past me at the start of the final lap as we climbed the ridgeline.

We continued a back and forth until the sharp descent on the east side of the course where Cary used his fat tires to blaze through the descent.  He got a gap on me and despite a furious chase, I couldn’t catch him. I crossed in 4^th place out of 48 racers. I was disappointed in missing a podium spot (only top 3 got awards) but I was very happy with my overall performance. Easily my best finish in a cross race considering the competition.  The use of the mountain bike turned out to be a great move, especially with the technical aspects of the course.

The final race of the Indy Cross series is this Saturday at Trader’s Point.  After that is the Gravel Grovel and two more local OVCX races. I had gone back and forth on whether to do these races, but have no decided to skip the first at the Cycloplex, and then ride the finale race at Fort Ben (St. Mary’s Cross).

Indy Cross Trader's Point #3 Race Report Extravaganza

Turns out, a good call up can make a huge difference in a race. Who knew? Well, not me since my call ups have always sucked.

But, this ended weekend before last at the third Indy Cross race at Trader’s Point.  A combination of me being on top of registering early and maybe a little of my 19^th place finish at the last Indy Cross race resulted in a front row call up.

But first, let’s set the scene.  The weather had been downright crappy the day before the race (Halloween), which included rain and wind. However, by the afternoon of the race, the course was pretty good. Everything was solid, save for a few slick turns.  The course started on a gravel road (because that is always a good thing) which then transitioned to a grassy climb.  The course was a nice mixture of small hills and fast sections. One leg went out and around a horse paddock (Traders Point is a horse farm/show facility). As you completed the lap there was a wooden ramp which led to the next section of the course. The ramp looked smooth, but there was actually a short, maybe 2 inch, lip where the grass and ground was lower than the planking of the ramp.  The warm up lap revealed this and for a minute I thought I had a pinch flat. The tire held, despite a few less than smooth rides over this same section during the race.

Anyway, the start was fast, but safe, although I lost a few places, but gained a few and held the rest of the pack back on the climb.

Representative shot of the course. Note the horses (in the background).

World Bicycle Relief riders Russell Nichols and Bryan Downs (both DINO racers) came charging forward and passed me not into the lap. I’d seen this happen in Indy Cross #2 a few weeks prior and was ready. I accelerated and hooked onto Bryan’s wheel as he passed.  Russell was out of reach for the moment, but I stayed on Bryan’s wheel for the rest of the lap when his pace dropped. I moved around and pushed off in pursuit of Russell. Behind me a small chase pack had formed, but didn’t seem to be making up that much ground. I caught up to Russell and passed him, and caught up to another rider who had been in front of me for some time.  Russell responded not long after the start of the next lap with a powerful surge on the initial climb, passing me back and getting past the other rider. 

Being chased by a WBR rider. Not sure which one...

However, his speed dropped and I passed him again, and there was no response.  At this point I knew I was within the top ten, but unsure where exactly. I kept an eye on the chasers on the sections where the course doubled back on itself and also had to deal with a rider in red and black who had bridged across. He and I spent the rest of the race in a back and forth. He managed to get past me on an off camber uphill turn which was somewhat slick by taking an inside line but I kept closed and tried to position myself within in striking distance for the last two laps.  By counting riders, I figured I was in 6^th place, with red/black being in 5^th.

Me still in front of red/black.

I bided my time and looked for good places to pass as we came up on the bell lap. My initial thought was to try to accelerate on the straightway leading to the start/finish so I could be in the lead on the following hill.

This didn’t work out because the final hairpin turn from the grass onto the gravel was tight and I was fighting not to slide out each time. This effort on the start of the last lap resulted in a gap, so I instead had to use the upcoming hill to re-connect with black/red. I remained on his wheel, but I knew I had to try to make a move before the final hairpin turn. If I waited until then, this would not end well.

Huh. He's still back there?

The last section of the course included a few small hills. I chose the final one which climbed the low ridge which ran through the course, past a large heckle area, through a hairpin and then back down the ridge to the finish.  I could sense an uptick in the franticness of the riding in the final stretch before the short climb. Red/black was picking up his pace, as was I, and I was taking turns much faster and in some of the slick spots, with more risk. At the hill I got out of the saddle to make my move….only to find red/black matching my pace and maintaining the gap. Haven’t been beaten on hills in a while, so the plan failed. Coming out of the hairpin he was still ahead and despite a fast push to the end, he beat me to the line.

 

In the end I got 6^th out of 41. Easily my best cyclocross finish.  Attendance was down a bit due to the OVCX having its Cincy 3 race week in Cincinnati. Still, a 41 person wave was pretty good, and there were plenty of solid riders in my group.  I felt good for the race and the call up helped. Actually, I have felt good at all my races this year, but having to fight my way through the field as I have done in the OVCX races limits the chances of a higher finishes.

Upon getting home I immediately registered for the next Indy Cross race to ensure another decent call up. In looking to the season, I’m planning on racing the final two Indy Cross events on November 15^th and 22^nd. After that is the Gravel Grovel, which, as has been noted, is my current training focus.  Based on past experiences, sometime around mile 40 of the GG I will start to really hate cycling and want to be done for the year. There are two local OVCX races in December, and while I had planned on racing these, my post GG malaise may result in me taking all of December off.

*Thanks to my wife Ashlee and my mom for taking the above photos*